Event Comment: [[By William Congreve. Premiere.] Congreve wrote on 26 March: I wished particularly for you on Friday last, when Eccles his music for the prize was performed in Dorset Garden, and universally admired. Mr Finger's is to be to-morrow; and Russel and Weldon's follow in their turn....The number of performers, besides the verse-singers, was 85. The front of the stage was all built into a concave with deal boards; all which was faced with tin, to increase and throw forwards the sound. It was all hung with sconces of wax-candles, besides the common branches of lights usual in the playhouses. The boxes and pit were all thrown into one; so that all sat in common; and the whole was crammed with beauties and beaux, not one scrub being admitted. The place where formerly the music used to play, between the pit and the stage, was turned into White's chocolate-housev....Our friend Venus performed to a miracle; so did Mrs Hodgson Juno. Mrs Boman was not quite so well approved in Pallas.-Congreve to Keally, in Congreve, I, 71-72

Event Comment: Benefit William Bowen

Event Comment: Benefit William Penkethman

Event Comment: [King William died on Sunday 8, and the playhouses were forbidden to act until after the Coronation, 23 April.

Event Comment: Written by the famous Author William Shakespear

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Written by the Famous William Shakespear

Event Comment: [By William Walker. Not advertised in Daily Courant, but this date accepted as premiere by Nicoll, p. 363 and Genest, II, 303.] Preface: It was so hem'd in between the Benefits that it seem'd meerly Confin'd to the Limits of a Single Night before hand

Event Comment: Benefit Williams. At the desire of several Persons of Quality. Written by Mr Southern

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Sir William Davenant; but Originally by the famous French Dramatick Poet Monsieur Moliere. [Genest, II, 352, surmises that the company probably acted Acts I, II, and V of The Playhouse to be Let.] Afterpiece: A Burlesque Farce

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Williams

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Hall, Daughter to William Hall, who formerly had the Consort of Musick at his House in Norfolk-street. At 7 p.m. Tickets 5s

Event Comment: Benefit Williams and Willer [Weller?]. Tickets delivered for Saturday 23 taken this night

Event Comment: [By William Taverner.] Never Acted before

Event Comment: See Tatler, 26 May. [In Daily Courant, 24 May, William Bowen announced that The Stratagem, advertised for this day as his benefit, is deferred and that tickets for it will be accepted on 1 June at Sganarell; or, The Cuckold in Conceit.

Event Comment: Benefit William Mears and Friend Hale. In the Town Hall at St. Margaret's Hill, Southwark. Tickets 1s. 6d. At 6 p.m

Event Comment: [By Ambrose Phillips.] At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. William Egerton: And in the Spring came on Mr Phillips's Tragedy, The Distrest Mother. Mrs Rogers, an Actress, who in her Turn, had made a considerable Figure on the Stage, was designed the Part of (Andromache, Hector's Widow, &. i.e.) the Distrest Mother. But the Author, as well as his Friends, were soon convinced that Mrs Oldfield was infinitely the more accomplished Person for so Capital a Part. Upon its being given to Her, Mrs Rogers raised a Posse of Profligates, fond of Tumult and Riot, who made such a Commotion in the House, that the Court hearing of it send four of the Royal Messengers, and a strong Guard, to suppress all Disorders. This being effected, the Play was brought upon the Stage and crowned with deserved Success (Egerton, pp. 31-32)

Event Comment: Ryder, Diary, pp. 359-60: Went to see the tragedy of Tamerlane which was acted with a new prologue in honour of King William and in memory of what he did for us. The play itself is good....Mills who acted the part of Bajazet did it mighty well and expressed that furiousness and rage and malice and ambition admirably well in his gesture at the end, but, which is his distinguishing character, very well kept up throughout. I observed in the general that the manner of speaking in our theatres in tragedy is not natural. There is something that would be very shocking and disagreeable and very unnatural in real life. Persons would call it theatrical, meaning by that something stiff and affected

Event Comment: '[By William Taverner.] Never Acted before

Event Comment: Benefit William Cobston. By Subscription

Event Comment: Benefit William Douglass, commonly called the Black Prince. At 7 p.m

Event Comment: Benefit William Mills and Chetwood, Prompter

Event Comment: Benefit William Mills and Chetwood

Event Comment: Benefit William Douglas, commonly call'd Prince. Tickets 5s. At 7 p.m

Event Comment: Benefit William Mills and the Prompter. Mainpiece: As it was alter'd by the late Duke of Buckingham

Event Comment: Benefit William Douglas, commonly call'd Prince. Tickets 5s