Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by William Kenrick] never performed before. [The play failed to succeed. Kenrick accounts for the failure in his Preface to the 1773 edition by reference to the Macklin affair (See 23 Oct., 30 Oct. and 18 Nov.) He quotes from the Public Advertiser (22 Nov.): "On Saturday last a new comedy called the Duellist was performed, for the first time, at Covent Garden Theatre. Previous to the curtain being drawn up, the following written handbill was dispersed about the house. 'Mr Macklin has been pursued by a malicious party to such a pitch of rancour, that at last they have succeeded so far in their cursed designs, as to get him discharged this theatre, and thereby have deprived him of the means of a livelihood; therefore if the public have any spirit, they will not suffer the new play to begin till Mr Colman promises that Mr Macklin shall be engaged again.' This handbill found its way into the green-room, and had a very visible effect on the performers, as was plainly evident from their confusion. The piece was received with great marks of approbation, and given out again for Monday, which was attended with some hissing, but that was greatly overpowered by the general applause of the audience. The overture to Thomas and Sally being attended to with silence, the greatest part of the author's friends quitted the theatre; which being taken advantage of by a party in the gallery, a riot ensued, and the entertainment was not suffered to go on till another play was given out for Monday." Kenrick agrees with this account, then analyses several other objections which he dismisses, to wit, in the play (a) too lengthy a satire on lawyers, (b) an indelicate passage in Latin (omitted from the printed version); in the audience, a conspiracy of Garrick and Bickerstaffe against him; and lack of a claque of his own friends to carry through their suport of him. Macklin's name appears on the playroll this night, but only for a accumulated 4 days of pay #8 16s. (Account Book).] Receipts: #221 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Love. A sequel to the 2nd part of Henry IV. Written in imitation of Shakespeare, and adapted to the stage with considerable alterations by the author (Winston MS 9). [Play by William Kenrick.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by William Kenrick, based on The Country Lasses, by Charles Johnson]: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. The Overture and the rest of the Music composed by Hook. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 2 Dec. 1778: This Day at Noon is published The Lady of the Manor (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by Wm Kenrick] never perform'd before. The characters New Dress'd. [Theatrical Monitor, No VIII (16 Dec. 1767) approved the mainpiece--"engages the mind, affects the passions, totally divested of indecency"--but thought Garrick's art of "puffing" was evident in his note at foot of playbills, "Those Ladies and Gentlemen, who have taken places for this day, are desired to send their servants by one o'clock, in order to ascertain the same, otherwise they cannot be secured," since the house, except the first night, had not been half full. N.B. This note appeared in an Advance Bill, but did not appear in the Bill of the Day.

Event Comment: Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Mainpiece: Written in imitation of Shakespeare by the late ingenious Dr Kenrick. Never performed there. The Characters entirely dressed in the Habits of the Times. Afterpiece: Not acted these 60 years [acted 4 Mar. 1737]. [Authors of Prologues and of Epilogue unknown.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:15. Tickets delivered for M'Cready and Mrs Davis will be admitted

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Harricks and Williams. Mainpiece: The Characters to be dressed in the Habits of the Times. [Author and speaker of Address not known.] Tickets delivered for The Wonder will be taken. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:15. Tickets to be had and Places taken of Rice, at the Theatre

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Positively the last night of performing. Benefit for Mrs Williams and Mrs Weston

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; PAST 2, by Richard Josceline Goodenough, altered from his unacted play The Cottagers]: The Overture and Music composed by Baumgarten. [Baumgarten used this overture again in Robin Hood (see cg, 17 Apr. 1784).] Books of the Pastoral to be had at the Theatre. [Wordsworth is identified in the playbill of 22 Dec. Mrs Webb was from the Hay.] Public Advertiser, 24 Nov. 1779: This Day is published William And Nanny (1s.). Receipts: #122 15s. (116.15.6; 5.19.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time: CO 3, by John Burgoyne, based on Silvain, by Jean Francois Marmontel]: With entirely new Music [by William Jackson], Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Scenery designed by DeLoutherbourg, and executed under his direction. Public Advertiser, 3 Apr. 1781: This Day is published The Lord of the Manor (price not listed). Receipts: #226 19s. (216.15; 9.16; 0.8)

Event Comment: Benefit for Marshall, Miss Williams & Mrs Warrell. Oracle, 3 June: Tickets to be had of Marshall, No. 11, York-street, York-buildings; of Miss Williams, No. 14, Martlett-court, Bow-street, Covent-Garden; of Mrs Warrell, No. 48, Carey-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. Receipts: #147 9s. 6d. (14.16.6; 4.1.0; tickets: 128.12.0)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but Luttrell's date of acquistion of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue is 6 Feb. 1687@8 (see A. S. Borgman, The Life and Death of William Mountford [Cambridge, Mass., 1935], p. 26n). Very probably the play had its premiere early in February. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 256-58. A song, Lucinda close or veil those eyes, with music by J. B. Draghi, is in The Banquet of Musick, The Second Book, 1688. Charles Gildon, The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets (London, 1698 (?), p. 102: [It] did not succeed as the Author wish'd

Event Comment: Benefit Williams and Oates. Written by Shakespear

Event Comment: Benefit W. Williams. At the particular Desire of several Gentlemen and Ladies

Event Comment: Benefit Williams

Event Comment: Never Acted before. [By William Popple.] Grub St. Journal, 26 Feb. 1736: It was play'd the first night to about a 30l. house; three parts of which were the Author's friends, who came on purpose, right or wrong, to applaud it: notwithstanding which, little or no applause was given

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 60 years [1st acted at dl, 9 Jan. 1730]. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT I, probably by William Harricks. Larpent MS 506; not published]

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Frederick Pilon, altered from his The Device (see 27 Sept. 1779); incidental music by William Shield; Prologue by the author (see text)]. Account-Book, 16 June: Paid Pilon for the Deaf Lover #100. Receipts: #192 3s. (190.0.6; 2.2.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by William Linley. Larpent MS 1150; not published]: With new Dresses and Decorations. The Overture and Musick new by W. Linley. Receipts: #245 13s. 6d. (196.9.6; 45.19.0; 3.5.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 2, by George Colman, ynger, based on Raoul Barbe Bleue, by Michel Jean Sedaine (although, in the 1st edition of the play, this denied by Colman). Text (Cadell and Davies, 1798)]: The Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, and Decorations entirely new. The Musick composed and selected [from Paisiello] by Kelly. The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood? Jun, Chalmers, and others. The Machinery, Decorations, and Dresses designed and under the direction of Johnston, and executed by him, Underwood, Gay, and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. Times, 8 Feb. 1798: This Day is published Blue Beard (1s. 6d.). "In the course of the representation, many blunders in working the scenery, which are unavoidable in a first representation of this nature, occurred, and the delays which took place were frequently very great...It was twelve o'-clock before the curtain dropped...The Expense of getting it up is said to be not less than #2,000" (London Chronicle, 18 Jan.). Proud swells the tide, with loads of capering heels, And vacant Folly shouts applause in peals; Hoards, even beyond th miser's wish, are thrown, To deck some sham farago for the town...Money for dresses, money for new scenes, New music, decorations, and machines; The cost of these, including every freak, Would pay ten decent players four pounds a week. Anthony Pasquin (pseud. for John Williams), "Innovation," in The Devil [1787], II, no. 2, 46. Receipts: #319 14s. 6d. (216.17.6; 102.2.0; 0.15.0)

Event Comment: [The Duke's Company. For Harris' role, see Pepys, 11 May 1668. For Angel as Stephano, see An Elegy Upon...Mr Edward Angell, reprinted in A Little Ark, pp. 38-39: @Who shall play Stephano now? your Tempest's gone@To raise new Storms i' th' hearts of every one.@ For Underhill as Trincalo, note his nickname of Prince Trincalo. (For Mary Davis as Ariel and Mrs Long as Hypolito, see J. H. Wilson, All the King's Ladies, pp. 140, 166.) Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 33): The Tempest...Acted in Lincolns-Inn-Fields...alter'd by Sir William Davenant and Mr Dryden before 'twas made into an Opera. Pepys, Diary: At noon resolved with Sir W. Pen to go see The Tempest, an old play of Shakespeare's, acted, I hear, the first day; and so my wife, and girl, and W. Hewer by themselves, and Sir W. Pen and I afterwards by ourselves; and forced to sit in the side balcone over against the musique-room at the Duke's house, close by my Lady Dorset and a great many great ones. The house mighty full; the King and Court there: and the most innocent play that ever I saw; and a curious piece of musique in an echo of half sentences, the echo repeating the former half, while the man goes on the latter, which is mighty pretty. The play [has] no great wit, but yet good, above ordinary plays. Thence home with Sir W. Pen, and there all mightily pleased with the play

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 15th [recte 14th] Time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. With new Dresses, Scenes, Machinery and Decorations. The Music partly from Cimarosa, Gluck, Martin y Soler?, Reeve, Dr Arne. The rest by Shield. The Chorusses selected from Handel, to be sung by the Performers from the Concert of Ancient Music. [Miss Williams was from the Exeter theatre.] Receipts: #137 1s. 6d. (133.7.0; 3.14.6)