Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Sir W. Pen and his daughter, and I and my wife by coach to the Theatre, and there in a box saw The Little Thief well done

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I by coach to the Opera, and there saw the 2nd part of The Siege of Rhodes, but it is not so well done as when Roxalana [Mrs Davenport] was there, who, it is said, is now owned by my Lord of Oxford

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Theatre to The French Dancing Master, and there with much pleasure gazed upon her (Lady Castlemaine); but it troubles us to see her look dejectedly and slighted by People already. The play pleased us [Pepys and Mrs Pepys] very well; but Lacy's part, the Dancing Master, the best in the world

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: We by coach to the Theatre and saw Love in a Maze. The play hath little in it but Lacy's part of a country fellow, which he did to admiration

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: My wife and I slunk away to the Opera, where we saw Wit in a Constable, the first time that it is acted; but so silly a play I never saw I think in my life

Event Comment: The King's Company. See Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 118. See also W. J. Lawrence, Times Literary Supplement, 24 Oct. 1929, p. 846; and J. G. McManaway, "Philip Massinger and the Restoration Drama," ELH: A Journal of English Literary History, 1 (1934), 287-88. The manuscript is in Bod. Rawlinson poet. 20

Event Comment: The King's Company. See Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 118. John Wright (Historia Histrionica [1699], p. 3): [Hart] Acted the Dutchess in the Tragedy of The Cardinal, which was the first Part that gave him Reputation

Event Comment: Some time (probably not long) before this date Aglaura [by Sir John Suckling] was acted by the King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Thence to Mr Wotton, the shoemaker's, and there bought a pair of boots, cost me 30s., and he told me how Bird hath lately broke his leg, while he was fencing in Aglaura, upon the stage, and that the new theatre of all will be ready against term

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the King's Theatre, where we saw Midsummer's Night's Dream, which I had never seen before, nor shall ever again, for it is the most inspid ridiculous play that ever I saw in my life. I saw, I confess, some good dancing and some handsome women, which was all my Pleasure

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Downes (p. 25) states that it was acted eight days successively, but as Pepys does not indicate whether he saw its first performance, the sequence of playing it is not known. Pepys, Diary: We [Mrs Pepys and Pepys] took coach and to the Duke's playhouse, where we saw The Duchess of Malfy well performed, but Betterton and Ianthe [Mrs Saunderson] to admiration. Downes (p. 25): This Play was so exceeding Excellently Acted in all Parts; chiefly, Duke Ferdinand and Bosola: It fill'd the House 8 Days Successively, it proving one of the Best of Stock Tragedies

Event Comment: This play was probably given by the King's Company, which presented it a number of times later. See Noyes, Ben Jonson, pp. 42-43. Evelyn, Diary: I saw Vulpone acted at court before their Majesties &c

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary, 20 Oct.: Young Killigrew did so commend The Villaine, a new play made by Tom Porter, and acted only on Saturday at the Duke's house, as if there never had been any such play come upon the stage. The same yesterday was told me by Captain Ferrers; and this morning afterwards by Dr Clerke, who saw it. Downes, p. 23: Written by Major Thomas Porter; this Play by its being well perform'd, had Success extremly beyond the Company's Expectation....It Succeeded 10 Days with a full House, to the last. [Downes especially praises Price. The edition of 1663 has a Prologue but no actors' names and no epilogue.

Event Comment: This play was seen by Jacques Thierry and Will Schellinks (Seaton, Literary Relationships, pp. 334, 336). The company may have been Jolly's, but it may also have been the King's temporarily acting there. See Sprague, Beaumont and Fletcher, p. 22, and Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, pp. 178-79

Event Comment: A play, unidentified, was given by the Duke's Company at this time. The customary fee of #20 was paid. See A Calendar of the Inner Temple Records, ed. Inderwick, III, II

Event Comment: See HMC, Report III, Appendix, p. 215a; Hotson, pp. 214-15; B. M. Wagner, "John Rhodes and Ignoramus," Review of English Studies, V (1929), 43-48. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, pp. 302n, 423. This appears to be the Duke's Company

Event Comment: This was probably acted by the King's Company, which acted the play several times in 1660-61. Pepys, Diary: At White Hall by appointment, Mr Creed carried my wife and I to the Cockpitt, and we had excellent places, and saw the King, Queen, Duke of Monmouth, his son, and my Lady Castlemaine, and all the fine ladies; and The Scornfull Lady, well performed. They had done by eleven o'clock

Event Comment: The King's Company. This is the first known performance of the comedy, but it may not be the premiere. Evelyn, Diary: At night saw acted the Committe, a ridiculous play of Sir R. Howards where that Mimic Lacy acted the Irish-footeman to admiration: a very Satyrus or Roscius. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 16: @For his Just Acting, all gave him due Praise,@His Part in the Cheats, Jony Thump, Teg and Bayes,@In these Four Excelling; The Court gave him the Bays.

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Evelyn, Diary: I saw acted the Law against Lovers

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke's House, where we saw The Villane again; and the more I see it, the more I am offended at my first undervaluing the play, it being very good and pleasant, and yet a true and allowable tragedy. The house was full of citizens, and so the less pleasant, but that I was willing to make an end of my gaddings, and to set to my business for all the year again to-morrow. Here we saw the old Roxalana [Mrs Davenport] in the chief box, in a velvet gown, as the fashion is, and very handsome, at which I was glad

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Creed and I to my wife again, and...to the Cockpitt, where we saw Claracilla, a poor play, done by the King's house (but neither the King nor Queen were there, but only the Duke and Duchess, who did show some impertinent and, methought, unnaturall dalliances there, before the whole world, such as kissing, and leaning upon one another); but to my very little content, they not acting in any degree like the Duke's people

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: To the Duke's house, and there saw Twelfth Night acted well, though it be but a silly play, and not related at all to the name or day. Downes, p. 23: Twelfth Night, Or what you will; Wrote by Mr Shakespear, had mighty Success by its well Performance:...All the Parts being justly Acted Crown'd the Play. Note, It aas got up on purpose to be Acted on Twelfth Night

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. See also 15 and 23 Dec. 1662. Pepys, Diary: There being the famous new play acted the first time to-day, which is called The Adventures of Five Hours, at the Duke's house, being, they say, made or translated by Colonel Tuke, I did long to see it; and so made my wife to get her ready, though we were forced to send for a smith, to break open her trunk...and though early, were forced to sit almost out of sight, at the end of one of the lower forms, so full was the house. And the play, in one word, is the best, for the variety and the most excellent continuance of the plot to the very end, that ever I saw, or think ever shall, and all possible, not only to be done in the time, but in most other respects very admittable, and without one word of ribaldry; and the house, by its frequent plaudits, did show their sufficient approbation. Evelyn, Diary: I went to see Sir S: Tuke (my kinsmans) Comedy acted at the Dukes Theater, which so universaly tooke as it was acted for some weekes every day, & was belived would be worth the Comedians 4 or 5000 pounds: Indeede the plot was incomparable but the language stiffe & formall. Downes (pp 22-23): Wrote by the Earl of Bristol, and Sir Samuel Tuke: This Play being Cloath'd so Excellently Fine in proper Habits, and Acted so justly well....It took Successively 13 Days together, no other Play Intervening. Lady Anglesey to her husband, 10 Jan. 1663: Lord Bristol has made a play which is much commended (CSPD 1663-64, p. 8)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company, the receipts for #20 being signed by Richard Baddeley (A Calendar of the Middle Temple Records, ed. Hopwood, p. 170). W. J. Lawrence (Review of English Studies, IX (1933), 221) suggests The Adventures of Five Hours as a possibility. Pepys, Diary: I met Madam Turner...she and her daughter having been at the play to-day at the Temple, it being a revelling time with them

Event Comment: The King's Company. Apparently this was the premiere. Prologue: First Astrol. reads. A Figure of the heavenly Bodies in their several Apartments, Feb. the 5th half an hour after three after Noon, from whence you are to judge the success of a new Play call'd the Wild Gallant. Evelyn, Diary: I saw the Wild Gallant, a Comedy