Event Comment: In the Prologue to The Cheats (mid-March 1663) are allusions to three plays which apparently were popular on the stage at this time: Jonson's The Silent Woman ("Sir Poll"); Jonson's The Devil is an Ass ("No little Pugge, nor Devil"); and Davenant's The Siege of Rhodes ("No tedious Sieges in the Musick-room")

Event Comment: The King's Company. This marks the opening of the new Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, Drury Lane, to which Killigrew moved his company from Vere Street. Downes erroneously gives the opening date as 8 April, a fact which led to the creation of the famous spurious playbill for Bridges Street, Thursday, 8 April 1663. See Montague Summers, The Restoration Theater (London, 1934), p. 15. Pepys, Diary: This day the new Theatre Royal begins to act with scenes the Humorous Lieutenant, but I have not time to see it, nor could stay to see my Lady Jemimah lately come to town, and who was here in the house. Downes (p. 3): Note, this Comedy was Acted Twelve Days Successively

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary, 24 Dec.: By and by comes in Captain Ferrers to see us, and, among other talke, tells us of the goodness of the new play of Henry VIII, which makes me think it long till my time is out

Event Comment: This play was presumably acted by the Duke's Company. In the preface to Heraclius, Emperour of the East, published in 1664, the author, Lodowick Carlell, complains that he had submitted his translation of Corneille, only to have it returned the very day that this version appeared on the stage. See also the letter by Katherine Philips, under Pompey the Great, Jan. 1663@4. Pepys, Diary: We made no long stay at dinner; for Heraclius being acted, which my wife and I have a mighty mind to see, we do resolve, though not exactly agreeing with the letter of my vowe, yet altogether with the sense, to see another this month, by coming hither instead of that at court, there having ueen none conveniently since I made my vowe for us to see there, nor like to be this Lent, and besides we did walk home on purpose to make this going as cheap as that would have been, to have seen one at Court, and my conscience knows that it is only the saving of money and the time also that I intend by my oaths....The play hath one very good passage well managed in it, about two persons pretending, and yet denying themselves, to be son to the tyrant Phocas, and yet heire of Mauricius to the crowne. The garments like Romans very well. The little girle is come to act very prettily, and spoke the epilogue most admirably. But at the beginning, at the drawing up of the curtaine, there was the finest scene of the Emperor and his people about him, standing in their fixed and different postures in their Roman habitts, above all that ever I yet saw at any of the theatres

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Thence to the King's play-house, and there saw Bartholomew Fayre, which do still please me; and is, as it is acted, the best comedy in the world, I believe. I chanced to sit by Tom Killigrew, who tells me that he is setting up a Nursery; that is, is going to build a house in Moorefields, wherein he will have common plays acted. But four operas it shall have in the year, to act six weeks at a time; where we shall have the best scenes and machines, the best musique, and every thing as magnificent as is in Christendome; and to that end hath sent for voices and painters and other persons from Italy

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This apparently was not the first performance, but the time of premiere is not known. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I and Mercer to the Duke's house, and there saw The Rivalls, which is no excellent play, but good acting in it; especially Gosnell comes and sings and dances finely, but, for all that, fell out of the key, so that the musique could not play to her afterwards, and so did Harris also go out of the tune to agree with her. Downes (p. 23): The Rivals, A Play, Wrote by Sir William Davenant; having a very Fine Interlude in it, of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, mixt with very Diverting Dances: M Price introducing the Dancing, by a short Comical Prologue, gain'd him an Universal Applause of the Town....And all the Womens Parts admirably Acted; chiefly Celia, a Shepherdess being Mad for Love; especially in Singing several Wild and Mad Songs

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: Thence after dinner to a play, to see The Generall; which is so dull and so ill-acted, that I think it is the worst I ever saw or heard in all my days. I happened to sit near to Sir Charles Sidly; who I find a very witty man, and he did at every line take notice of the dullness of the poet and badness of the action, that most pertinently; which I was mightily taken with; and among others where by Altemire's command Clarimont, the Generall, is commanded to rescue his Rivall, whom she loved, Lucidor, he, after a great deal of demurre, broke out, "Well, I'le save my Rivall and make her confess, that I deserve, while he do but possesse." "Why, what, pox," says Sir Charles Sydly, "would he have him have more, or what is there more to be had of a woman than the possessing her?" Thence...vexed at my losing my time and above 20s. in money, and neglecting my business to see so bad a play

Event Comment: John Lacy's The Old Troop; or, Monsieur Raggou was probably acted by this time. Not published until 1672, it was, however, referred to in the Epilogue to The Vestal Virgin (which was entered in the Stationers' Register, 7 March 1664@5): @If nothing pleases but Variety,@I'll turn Ragou into a Tragedy.@When Lacy, like a whining Lover dies.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: I away before to White Hall and into the new play-house there, the first time I ever was there, and the first play I have seen since before the great plague. By and by Mr Pierce comes, bringing my wife and his, and Knipp. By and by the King and Queene, Duke and Duchesse, and all the great ladies of the Court; which, indeed, was a fine sight. But the play being Love in a Tub, a silly play, and though done by the Duke's people, yet having neither Betterton nor his wife, and the whole thing done ill, and being ill also, I had no manner of pleasure in the play. Besides, the House, though very fine, yet bad for the voice, for hearing. The sight of the ladies, indeed, was exceeding noble; and above all, my Lady Castlemayne. The play done by ten o'clock. I carried them all home, and then home myself, and well satisfied with the sight, but not the play

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. It seems likely that this play was acted about this time. Pepys, Diary, 20 Feb.: I heard discourse how Harris of [Duke's] play-house is sick, and everybody commends him, and, above all things, for acting the Cardinall

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: [After the play] away to Polichinello, and there had three times more sport than at the play

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: In haste to carry my wife to see the new play I saw yesterday, she not knowing it. But there, contrary to expectation, find The Silent Woman. However in; and there Knipp come into the pit...[and] tells me the King was so angry at the liberty taken by Lacy's part to abuse him to his face, that he commanded they should act no more, till Moone [Mohun] went and got leave for them to act again, but not this play. The King mighty angry; and it was better indeed, but very true and witty. I never was more taken with a play than I am with this "Silent Woman," as old as it is, and as often as I have seen it. There is more wit in it than goes to ten new plays. Nathaniel Wanby, Coventry, 1667: We have known in our time that the Silent Woman hath had the loud applause of a whole theatre (BM Harleian MS. 6430, p.23)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house, and there saw The Witts again, which likes me better than it did the other day, having much wit in it.... Here were many fine ladies this afternoon at this house as I have at any time seen.... Resolving by the grace of God to see no more plays till Whitsuntide, I having now seen a play every day this week

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. It is quite likely that the run of this play extended for some time later in August. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@139, p. 125. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 346

Event Comment: At Mr Croome's, at the Sign of the Shoe and Slap, near the Hospital Gate in West Smithfield, is to be seen, The Wonder of Nature, A Girl, above Sixteen Years of Age, born in Chesire, and not above Eighteen Inches long, having shed the Teeth seven several Times, and not a perfect Bone is any part of her, only the Head; yet she hath all senses to Admiration, and Discourses, Reads very well, Sings, Whistles, and all very pleasant to hear. Sept. 4, 1667. God Save the King. (Henry Morley, Memoirs of Bartholomew Fair, p. 189)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Davenant's alterations were apparently not published. Pepys, Diary: To a play...at the Duke's house, where Tu Quoque was the first time acted, with some alterations of Sir W. Davenant's; but the play is a very silly play, methinks; for I, and others that sat by me, Mr Povy and Mr Progers, were weary of it; but it will please the citizens

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: I to White Hall; and there got into the theater-room, and there heard both the vocall and instrumentall musick, where the little fellow [Pelham Humphrey] stood keeping time; but for my part, I see no great matter, but quite the contrary in both sorts of musique. The composition I believe is very good, but no more of delightfulness to the eare or understanding but what is very ordinary. Here was the King and Queen, and some of the ladies; among whom none more jolly than my Lady Buckingham, her Lord being once more a great man

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: And wife and Deb. to the King's house, there to see The Wild-goose Chase, which I never saw, but have long longed to see it, being a famous play, but as it was yesterday I do find that where I expect most I find least satisfaction, for in this play I met with nothing extraordinary at all, but very dull inventions and designs. Knepp come and sat by us, and her talk pleased me a little, she telling me how Mis Davis is for certain going away from the Duke's house, the King being in love with her; and a house is taken for her, and furnishing; and she hath a ring given her already worth #600: that the King did send several times for Nelly, and she was with him, but what he did she knows not; this was a good while ago, and she says that the King first spoiled Mrs Weaver, which is very mean, methinks, in a prince, and I am sorry for it, and can hope for no good to the State from having a Prince so devoted to his pleasure. She told me also of a play shortly coming upon the stage, of Sir Charles Sidly's, which, she thinks, will be called The Wandering Ladys, a comedy that, she thinks, will be more pleasant; and also another play, called The Duke of Lerma; besides Catelin, which she thinks, for want of the clothes which the King promised them, will not be acted for a good while

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The Prologue, by John Dryden, is in Covent Garden Drollery (1672). Pepys, Diary: To the Duke's playhouse, and there saw Albumazar, an old play, this the second time of acting. It is said to have been the ground of B. Jonson's Alchymist: but, saving the ridiculousnesse of Angell's part, which is called Trinkilo, I do not see any thing extraordinary in it, but was indeed weary of it before it was done. The King here, and, indeed, all of us, pretty merry at the mimique tricks of Trinkilo

Event Comment: The King's Company. For this cast, see John Harold Wilson, Notes and Queries, 21 Feb. 1948, pp. 71-72. Pepys, Diary: My wide and Deb. to the King's House, to see The Virgin Martyr, the first time it hath been acted a great while: and it is mighty pleasant; not that the play is worth much, but it is finely acted by Becke Marshal. But that which did please me beyond any thing 1n the whole world was the wind-musique when the angel comes down, which is so sweet that it ravished me, and indeed, in a word, did wrap up my soul so that it made me really sick, just as I have formerly been when in love with my wife

Event Comment: The King's Company. This play is on the L. C. list 5@139, p. 125, for 20 March, possibly a mistake, as 20 March is a Friday in Lent In addition, the second list, 5@12, p. 17, reads: 2 March: king here. Pepys, Diary: So with my wife, her and the girl, to the King's house to see the Virgin Martyr again, which do mightily please me, but above all the musique at the coming down of the angel, which at this hearing the second time, do still commend me as nothing ever did, and the other musique is nothing to it

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's playhouse, and there saw The Spanish Gypsys, the second time of acting, and the first that I saw it. A very silly play, only great variety of dances, and those most excellently done, especially one part by one Hanes [Jo. Haynes], only lately come thither from the Nursery, an understanding fellow, but yet, they say, hath spent #1,000 a-year before he come thither

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: [Creed] and I to the Duke of York's playhouse; and there coming late, he and I up to the balcony-box, where we find my Lady Castlemayne and several great ladies; and there we sat with them, and I saw The Impertinents once more, now three times, and the three only days it hath been acted. And to see the folly how the house do this day cry up the play more than yesterday! and I for that reason like it, I find, the better, too: by Sir Positive At-all, I understand, is meant Sir Robert Howard. My Lady [Castlemayne] pretty well pleased with it

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke of York's house to a play, and saw Sir Martin Marr-all, where the house is full; and though I have seen it, I think, ten times, yet the pleasure I have is yet as great as ever, and is undoubtedly the best comedy ever was wrote

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: By and by comes my wife and Deb. home, have been at the King's playhouse to-day, thinking to spy me there; and saw the new play, Evening Love, of Dryden's, which, though the world commends, she likes not. Evelyn, Diary: To a new play, with severeall of my Relations, the Evening Lover, a foolish plot, & very Prophane, so as it afflicted me to see how the stage was. degenerated & poluted by the licentious times