Event Comment: Three Brothers of ye
Delavals play'd ye
Eldest Othello, ye next
Iago, ye next
Cassio--+Brabantio &
Lodovico Mr Pine Roderigo-Cap. Stevens and Wife Emelia $Mrs Quan did
Desdemona, the performance was very decent & met with great applause the Audience from ye Boxes to the upper Gallery were fill'd with people of ye first rank & make a most brilliant appearance. & ye greatest Crowd at ye Doors I ever saw. their Agreement for ye House was a receipt of one of the
Alfred Houses upon an Averidge. they had all new cloaths, & very nicely ornamented with Diamonds (
Cross). [See eulogy and criticism in some detail concerning the acting, by
John Hill,
Inspector No 3.] All Gentlemen and Ladies who intend going in coaches this evening to
Drury Lane Theatre, are desired to order their coachmen to drive thro'
Covent Garden, and stop at
Bridges St. Door, and as soon as they have set down the company to drive off directly towards the
Strand.--Those who go in chairs, are requested to order the men to the New Door in
Russel St., and to prevent the avenues being stopt up no person will be admitted to either passage without first showing their tickets at the outward door (
General Advertiser). Tickets Lost. If any person has found three tickets (numbers forgot) for the private play this night at Drury Lane, and will be so kind as to bring them to the Bar of the
Rainbow Coffee House,
Ironmonger Lane, shall receive 15s. for the whole, or in proportion for one or two of them (
General Advertiser). Tomorrow Morning at 8 o'clock will be published' (price 6d.) by
Thomas Carnan, at Mr
Newberry's, at the
Bible and Sun in
St Paul's Churchyard; An
Occasional Prologue and
Epilogue to
Othello, as it will this night be acted at the theatre-Royal in Drury Lane, by Persons of distinction, for their diversion. Written by
Christopher Smart, A.M., Fellow of
Pembroke Hall in the University of
Cambridge. To be had at the place above mentioned, and at the pamphlet shops at the
Royal Exchange and
Charing Cross. This Prologue and Epilogue will be entered in the Hall Book of the Company of Stationers, and whoever presumes to pyrate them, or any part of them, will be persecuted as the Law directs (
General Advertiser). [Both pieces by Christopher Smart, according to the
Daily Advertiser. See two exceedingly favorable critical comments and one derogatory reprinted in the
Gentleman's Magazine, March 1751 (pp. 119-22): "The greatest part of the play was much better performed than it ever was on any stage before. In the whole, there was a face of nature that no theatrical piece, acted by common players ever came up to."
Macklin was Delaval's dramatic coach, according to one of these articles.