Event Comment: Among the Instrumental Performers are Messrs Ashley and Sons, Patria, Sarjant, Billington, Mahon, Boyce, Mountain, J. Mahon, the Leanders, Ware, Kaye, Rawlings, Sharp, Lyon, &c. &c. &c. Double Drums by J. Ashley. The Whole under the Direction of Harrison and Ashley. No Money to be returned. Places for the Boxes to be had of Brandon at the Theatre. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]. Books of the Performances, with the Names of the Performers to their respective Songs, to be had at the Theatre, Price Six-pence. And to prevent imposition in the Streets, the Manager's Books are printed with the following Words at the bottom of each Title Page: "Printed by H. Macleish, Duke's-Court, Drury-Lane.

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the first production is not known, but A Comparison between the Two Stages (1702) (pp. 21-23) implies that this work preceded Rinaldo and Armida (performed at lif probably in November 1698). The Island Princess was not published until 1699 (the Masque being advertised in the Post Boy, 7-9 Feb. 1698@9, and the Opera in the Flying Post, 7-9 March 1698@9). A Comparison between the Two Stages (1702), pp. 21-22: Sullen: The old House have a Bawble offer'd 'em, made out of Fletcher's Island Princess, sometime after alter'd by Mr Tate, and now erected into an Opera by Motteux: The Actors labour at this like so many Galley Slaves at an Oar, they call in the Fiddle, the Voice, the Painter, and the Carpenter to help 'em; and what neither the Poet nor the Player cou'd do, the Mechanick must do for him:...but as I was saying-the Opera now possesses the Stage, and after a hard struggle, at length it prevail'd, and something more than Charges came in every Night: The Quality, who are always Lovers of good Musick, flock hither, and by almost a total revolt from the other House, give this new Life, and set it in some eminency above the New; this was a sad mortification to the old Stagers in Lincolns-Inn-fields. For a poem, The Confederates; or the first Happy Day of the Island Princess, see Poem on Affairs of State, 1703, II, 248-50

Event Comment: Benefit Husband and Boman. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: At the late Theatre in gf. A concert of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, Divided into Two Parts. Prices 3s., 2s., 1s. N.B. Between the two Parts of the Concert will be presented a Comedy gratis by Persons for their Diversion. 6 p.m. [This concert formula is included in every notice during the season but will be silently omitted from the Calendar. The customary notice about time and prices will also be omitted unless there is some change.

Event Comment: Benefit for the Two Misses Scott. Pit and Boxes to be put together, 5s. Gallery 3s. To begin at half an hour after Six. No persons to be admitted but by printed tickets, which may be had of the two Misses Scott, at Mr Hind's, painter in Silver St., near Golden Square, and at the theatre where places may be taken. Several of the principal performers being engag'd for tomorrow night, the Misses Scott are oblig'd to take this night for their benefit, and humbly hope the Gentlemen and Ladies who intend them the honour of their company will excuse it, and the same tickets will be admitted. Note tickets deliver'd out for the Castle Tavern in Paternoster Row for the 14th of January will be taken

Event Comment: By Particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Positively the last Night. [Intended as satire on the Reverend John Henley's Oratory (eccentric preacher, 1692-1756) and as a puff for The Midwife or Old Woman's Magazine, edited by Christopher Smart and John Newberry, 1751-53. The Old Woman's Oratory written and produced by Smart. See the Gentleman's Magazine, 1752, p. 43; and Horace Walpole's letter to Montagu 12 May 1752, as follows: It appeared the lowest buffoonery in the world, even to me who am used to my uncle Horace. There is a bad oration to ridicule, what is too like, Orator Henley; all the rest is perverted music. There is a man who plays so nimbly on the kettle drums, that he has reduced that noisy instrument to be an object of sight; for if you don't see the tricks with his hands, it is no better than ordinary. Another play on a violin and trumpet together; another mimics a bagpipe with a German flute, and makes it full if disagreeable. There is an admired dulcimer, a favourite saltbox and a really curious Jew's Harp. Two or three men intend to persuade you that they play on a broomstick, which is drolly brought in, carefully shrouded in a case, so as to be mistaken for a bassoon or bass viol, but they succeed in nothing but the action. The last fellow imitates farting and curtseying to a French horn. There are twenty medley overtures, and a man who speaks a prologue and epilogue, in which he counterfeits all the actors and singers upon earth' (The Yale Edition of Horace Walpole's Correspondence, IX, p. 131). [See 3 Dec. 1751.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Pantomime Entertainment not acted these eight years. [See 20 Oct. 1768.] New Scenes, Dresses and other Decorations. Doors open at 5 o'clock. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. Theatrical intelligence, Covent Garden: Mrs Hunter, lately returned from Ireland was very well receiv'd in Mrs Oakly, and to do her justice she played the part throughout better than it has been performed for some time at either house. The labourings of Mr Wroughton's jealousy in Oakly reminded us of the progressive workings of a fatt of small beer, when inflated with powerful yeast....Orpheus and Eurydice was reviv'd after the play-the dullest of all dull Pantomimes (Harlequin's Jacket excepted). The two additional scenes we were summoned by the bills to behold, are two of the late memorable regatta:-The first is a perspective of Ranelagh Gardensv to the water, illuminated with party-coloured lamps, which terminates with the temporary obelisk erected on that occasion:-Behind this we just catch the streamers of the barges and etc., supposed to be rowing up to the stairs, and landing their company, to martial music and under the discharge of cannon, imitated by the unnatural slamming of one of the Green Room doors. This scene, however, had a tolerable appearance, but being on too confined a scale, its intended effect must have been lost. The other represented the inside of as much of the Temple of Neptunev as was possible to give the spectators in a theatre:-we cannot extol it by any means as a perfect representation:-and to prevent it coming too near the original, Harlequin, Perot, Pantaloon, and etc. were made to lounge in the orchestra instead of its being occupied by a good band of music:-in short the whole pantomime went off rather flat. It is recommended to the managers here never to suffer the scene shifters to appear again in such garb as they did; old greasy plush waistcoats, with red-stocking sleeves!-such a habit may be in keeping with a blacksmaith's forge, but not for a theatre royal in the metropolis of a polished country (Folger News Clipping)

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the Post Man, 8-10 June 1697, suggests a first performance in late May or the beginning of June. Preface: I [Motteux] write the Masque of Hercules, and Mr Eccles, having set it with his usual Success, and yet more masterly than my Mars and Venus, if possible, I prevail'd with the ingenious Mr J. Oldmixon to give me a short Pastoral, while I scribbled over a Farce after the Italian Manner, and an Imitation of part of a diverting French Comedy of one Act (for such Plays are very common in Foreign Parts). Then I wanted nothing but a Tragedy....At last I bethought myself of one already studied, called The Unnatural Brother, written by an ingenious Gentleman and acted 6 Months ago, tho not with the success it deserv'd. Yet the latter Part was extremely applauded: So I was persuaded to make bold with it, as I do....I could easily contract the most moving Part of the Story into the Compass of one Act, with some Additions....All this was done in a very short time, the warm Season threatening me with your Absence....The foregoing Lines were published as a Preface to that Masque, some few copies of which were printed for the use of the Audience, the first day of the Novelty's being Acted. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702), p. 20: Every Word stolen, and then Damn'd

Event Comment: [Comedies of three acts and two acts respectively, by Arthur Murphy never acted before.

Event Comment: [The two Coronation Anthems were: My Heart is Inditing, and Zadock the Priest.

Event Comment: Benefit for Jewell, treasurer. 2nd piece: Taken from The Devil upon Two Sticks. 3rd piece: Never performed here. Public Advertiser, 8 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Jewell, No. 26, Great Suffolk-street, Hay-market

Event Comment: Ballet: 1st Time [at this theatre. The two Miss Simonets were from the king's.]. With new Scenes and Dresses. Receipts: #119 9s. 6d. (113.6.6; 6.3.0)

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit Lovelace and White, boxkeepers. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. [The Prologue was printed in 1710.