Event Comment: The Gallerys being at the same rates as at the single performances. Benefit Dogget and Wilks, they having farmed the performers. [See 21 March.

Event Comment: Benefit Wilks

Event Comment: Benefit Wilks. Tickets 5s

Event Comment: Benefit Wilks

Event Comment: Benefit Wilks

Event Comment: Benefit Wilks

Event Comment: Benefit Wilks. Not acted these Six Years

Event Comment: Benefit Wilks. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality

Event Comment: A riot caused the acting of Cato to cease in Act IV. See The Weekly Packet 1 March, The Evening Post 22-25 Feb., The Post Boy 22-25 Feb. The most complete account appeared in Read's Original Weekly Journal, 1 March: The Night before had been the Third Night of a New Comedy, written by a young Gentleman of good Interest, and well respected, and the Boxes were bespoke for Monday Night, but a certain Ruler of that House, remarkable for Ill-Nature and Immorality, stop'd the Run of the Play, and caus'd the Tragedy of Cato to be given out...and tho' he was earnestly expostulated with on the Injustice of such a Proceeding, yet he obstinately persisted in his Resolution, which the Friends of the Author of the New Play very much resented: But this was not all, for when Cato came to be play'd, Mr Wilks, Mrs Oldfield, and Mrs Porter, who have principal Parts had given them to some of the inferior Players, which was look'd on as Riding the Audience, who would no longer Brook what they look'd on as an Insult, but with their hisses, Catcalls, &c. deafen'd the House, and drown'd the Shrill Pipes of the Actors; insomuch that the loudest Rant in Lee or Shakespear had been no more to be prefer'd to it, than the Noise of a Flagelot to the whistling of a Tempest; till the End the Players were obliged to retreat to their Fastnesses, unable any longer to Stand their Assaults; for they were storm'd with Orange-Peals, &c. as well as bombarded with Hisses Huzzas and Catcalls. Nor wou'd the Audience suffer them to Capitulate or receive any Offers of Submission, but calling for a Dance, put an End to the Play, in the middle of the 4th Act

Event Comment: The Prologue, spoken by Wilks, was printed in Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, 14 Nov

Event Comment: On this day a new license was issued to Wilks, Cibber, Booth

Event Comment: As it was alter'd from Beaumont and Fletcher, by C. Cibber. Daily Journal, 8 Jan.: Last Friday Night the Rival Fools was Acted for the second time...upon which there was a much greater Disturbance than the Night before, for the Actors were not only hiss'd, but pelted off the Stage with Oranges; scarce was Mr Wilks allow'd the liberty of speaking, and at the end of the 3d Act they were obliged to dismiss the Audience

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Written by Shakespear. Mist's 11 Dec.: Mr Shaw, a famous Dancer in Drury-Lane Play-House, and Son-in-Law to Mr Wilks, died last Wednesday

Event Comment: DDaily Journal, 22 Dec,: As the Author, in Compliment to that excellent Comedian Mr Wilks, had declared, that whenever he should leave off playing the Character of Sir Harry Wildair, the Comedy might e'en trip to the Jubilee; so the Curiosity of the better Sort was a good deal raised, to see how it would fare in the Hands of a new Company, and were as agreeably surprized to see it play'd to a fine Audience, with universal Applause; and particularly to the Parts of Wildair and Lurewell

Event Comment: DDaily Journal, 3 Nov.: We are assured that a Patent for the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, is order'd to pass the Seals in Favour of Mr Wilks, Mr Booth, and Mr Cibber, The Patent for the said Theatre was granted to Mrs Oldfield, deceas'd, upon the Death of the late Sir Richard Steele

Event Comment: DDaily Advertiser, 14 Sept.: Mr Wilks, the celebrated Comedian...continues still so dangerously ill, that there is but little Hope of his Recovery

Event Comment: DDaily Post, 28 Sept.: Yesterday Morning [27 Sept.] between Nine and Ten o'Clock, Robert Wilks, Esq., one of the Patentees and Managers of his Majesty's Company of Comedians, died, at his House in Bow-street, Covent-Garden

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. With all the Scenes, Machines, and other Decorations proper to the Play and the Original Musick, Songs, and Dances. Afterpiece: With the Additional Scene representing the Drawing of the Lottery in Guild-Hall. [For a discussion of Wilks as actor-manager and a brief comment on the defects of T. Cibber as Macduff, see Grub St. Journal, 5 Oct.

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh. [Daily Journal, 30 Sept., has a poem: On the Death of Mr Wilks.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve. St. James's Evening Post, 31 Oct.: We are informed, that John Ellys Esq: the eminent painter, succeeds Mr Wilks in the management of Drurylane Play-House; and that Mr Cibber Jr succeeds his father, who has resign'd to him

Event Comment: Benefit Allen, the Numberer [Rich's Register adds: the late Mr Wilks' Nephew.] Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh. Afterpiece: Intermix'd with Songs; taken from Moliere

Event Comment: In a letter to the Daily Post. 4 June, the Patentees of Drury Lane-Mary Wilks, John Ellys, Hester Booth, and John Highmore-stated the cast of the Patentees. The gist of their statement is: (1) They operate under a Patent commencing 1 Sept. 1732 which, by Deaths and Legal Assignments, is the property of the four, with Highmore possessing one half, at an expence of #6,000 and upwards. (2) Several of the Players have threatened to desert the service of the Patentees and have contracted with some of the Trustees (the Sharers) to secure possession of the Theatre. (3) Drury Lane is let upon lease from the Duke of Bedford, granted to Thomas Kynaston and Francis Stanhope, Trustees for the Sharers (commonly called Renters) of Drury Lane at the rent of #50 annually upon a Fine of 1,000 guineas paid for the renewal of the lease. (4) The Players, under the Patentees, have acted at Drury Lane for twenty-one years without any interruption form the Trustees upon the sole contract that the Patentees pay the Trustees #3 12s. each acting night, besides the Liberty of seeing Plays. (5) At the beginning of this Season the manager's office received a letter from a few of the Renters demanding an Advance of Rent. Highmore, being new, was concerned, and asked the managers to take care of the matter; and thereafter the signers (the Patentees) had heard of no further discontent among the Renters. (6) To defend themselves against stories of hardship or complaint by the actors, the Patentees point out that the following weekly salaries had been paid: Colley Cibber #12 12s.; Theophilus Cibber #5; Mills Sr, #1 daily for 200 days certain, and a benefit, clear of all charges; Mills Jr #3; Johnson #5; Miller #5; Harper #4; Griffin #4; Shepard #3; Hallam, for himself and his father, the latter of little or no service, #3; Mrs Heron #5; Mrs Butler #3. For these charges and others, the Patentees stand a daily expence of #49 when the theatre is open. (7) Further, the Patentees paid Cibber Jr his wife's whole salary without her being able to act the greater part of the winter, #9 weekly for the two; Mills Jr, in the same circumstances with his wife, #5 10s. weekly for the two; Miller a salary (amounting to #40) for eight weeks before he acted, and a gratuity of ten guineas; Griffin a present of ten guineas; Harper a present, amount not specified; Mrs Heron an increase form 40s. to #5 weekly, although she refused afterward to play several parts assigned her and acted but seldom

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Wilks. By Their Majesties' Command. Not Acted [there] these Twenty Years. [Their Majesties and the Princesses present.]

Event Comment: This Day Publish'd elegantly printed in one Volume Octavo (Dedicated to the Right Hon. Garret, Lord Mornington) A General View of the Stage, by Mr Wilks, of Dublin. Printed for J. Coote. [Contains 355 pages on the stage and its usefulness in presenting tragedy, comedy, opera, farce and pantomime. Discusses the art of acting, reviews plays and parts. Chapter VI on [Dress and its propriety" suggests the growing interest in historical authenticity in costume: [The judicious propriety in 'dress' adapted with sufficient exactitude to the age, time, and circumstances of [the] character...may be call'd the last colourings and finishings of [the] picture; and in this case very much will depend on knowledge of ancient history and historical paintings." Thirty-two pages praising Garrick the actor, and discussing in some detail all the characters he had performed to that time.