Event Comment: Yesterday arriv'd Sg Casimo Maranesi and Sga Bugiani, two celebrated Italian Comic Dancers from the Opera at Paris, and will soon make their appearance at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden

Event Comment: [Benefit] for 3 orphan Daughters of a Cit of London (Cross). Tickets to be had at Will's and the Union Coffee House in Cornhill; Grigsby's behind the Royal Exchange; Seagoes in Holborn; the Bedford in Covent Garden; George's in the Haymarket, and at the Stage Door of the Theatre, where places for the Boxes may be taken. Receipts: #264 (Cross)

Event Comment: [L+Letter from Henry Woodward, Comedian, The Meanest of all Characters To Dr John Hill, Inspector-General of Great Britain, the greatest of all characters completely damns Hill as unsuccessful player, apothecary, doctor, scholar, writer, and gentleman. It ran to three editions in the year.] We hear great interest is being made to succeed Mr Serjeant Shore, deceased, as Serjeant Trumpet to his Majesty, which is in the gift of his Grace the Duke of Grafton as Lord Chamberlain; and that the contest lies chiefly between that excellent performer, Mr. Valentine Snow, Trumpet to the First Troop of Horseguards; Mr. Debourg, the violin; and Mr Beard, of the theatre Royal in Drury Lane (Public Advertiser). Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire; Afterpiece: By Desire. The Tragedy of Don Sebastian, King of Portugal, written by Dryden; and the Rehearsal, written by the Duke of Buckingham, are reviving at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, and will be play'd there soon alternately. Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: We hear that a new piece of Machinery representing a Fountain, which has been preparing a considerable time will soon be exhibited at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden

Event Comment: Mainpiece: At the Desire of several persons of Quality. At the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, on Monday April 2 will be performed Othello, for the benefit of Mr Mossop; Othello by Mossop, Iago to b reviv'd by Garrick. It is hoped that those Ladies and Gentlemen who have engag'd places will excuse its being deferr'd to the above day, as a new tragedy, and a multiplicity of other business render it impossible for Mr Garrick to revive the character of Iago in the due course of Time. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter and Miss Haughton. Tickets at stage door. [For criticism of Shuter and Miss Haughton, see Genest, IV, p. 363, from The Present State of the Stage in Great Britain and Ireland, 1753. Nineteen of the Fifty-five pages of this pamphlet defend the stage on classicial authority and moral grounds from attacks by the religious bigots, and present an ideal picture of a manager, laying under some contribution, it would seem, the character of a manager presented ten years earlier (1743) in Queries to be Answered. The author especially likes the moral of Tate's alteration of Lear. The remaining pages give a paragraph or two of criticism to the leading actors and actresses in some of their most affecting parts (sixteen pages to Drury Lane Performers, all of whom appear in the author's eye to be either "Excellent" or "Very Good.") The remaining space is devoted to the performers at Covent Garden and at the Theatre Royal in Dublin. All those spoken of fare well in the hands of this bound-to-be pleased critic. Shuter is here commended for ability to play an Old Man convincingly though he was but 22 years old, and to play at all considering his lack of education. He possesses a great fund of drollery, and bids fair to be as great in low comedy as it is possible for man to conceive.' Miss Haughton described as an actress of promise. Seems never to have got the better of a lisp, and a Newcastle manner of pronouncing the letter 'r.'] Receipts: #290 (Cross)

Event Comment: Printed books of the opera will be sold at the theatre. Published this day at 1s. Lo Studente A La Moda, dramma comicogiocoso, as it is acted at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. With an English Translation. Sold by H. Woodfall...Where may be had Gli Amanti Gelosi, with an English translation. [Opera in there acts in Italian and French. Larpent MS 103. Altered from A. Polomba La Violante. Music by G. B. Pergolesi. Rich applied to the Duke of Grafton (9 Jan.) for license to perform it.

Event Comment: For one night only, being desired by several Persons of Quality. Benefit for Mr Arne. Done in the manner of an Oratorio. To begin at 6.30 p.m. Boxes half a guinea. Pit 5s. Gallery 3s. Upper Gallery 2s. Tickets to be had of Mr Arne near the Roe Buck in Bow St., Covent Garden, and of Mr Varney at the Stage Door where Places may be taken for the Boxes only. Published for 1s. this day Alfred the Great, a Drama for Music, as it is to be performed this evening at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Printed for A. Miller in the Strand

Event Comment: On Saturday next will be publish'd in The Westminster Journal, (over and above the Essay as usual) No 1 of The Theatrical Kalander. In which not only will be kept an accurate register of all the plays, farces, and Entertainments exhibited as both Theatres Royal, but the respective merits of the performances, as well as performers, will be critically and impartially considered. To be continued weekly during the season. Note This is the first thing of its kind attempted in England, and it is humbly presumed, that it will have something still more than Novelty to recommend it (Public Advertiser). [See numbers 4 May 1754 and 17 Oct. 1755 of this magazine.

Event Comment: Benefit for Simson and Wife and Mas. Simson. Tickets of Simson in Wild Passage, Wild St., near Lincoln's Inn Fields; at Grigsbys Coffee House, behind the Royal Exchange, and at stage door. Afterpiece: By particular Desire. Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: [For the King (Cross). With New Music, Scenes, Machines, Habits, and other Decorations. Compos'd by Mr Noverre. All our Dancers appear. A good deal of hissing & Clapping & some Cries of No french Dancers; a great clapping too-the Dance is fine-(Mr Delaistre is a good Dancer) (Cross). [See for details of preparation, importation of dancers, especially of M Delaistre, The Chevalier Noverre, Father of Modern Ballet, Deryck Lynham (London, 1950), pp. 26-40. See also advertisement in Public Advertiser: 'Mr Noverre, whose entertainments of Dancing have been celebrated in almost all the courts of Europe, exhibits this evening his Chinese Festival at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, in pursuance of a contract made above a year ago with the managers of the said theatre: The Insinuation that at this time, an extraordinary number of French dancers are engaged, is groundless, there being at Drury Lane at present as few of that nation, as any other theatre now has, or perhaps ever had. Mr Noverre and his brothers are Swiss, of a protestant family in the Canton of Berne, his wife and her sisters Germans; there are above sixty performers concerned in the entertainment; more than forty of which are English, assisted only be a few French (five men and four women) to complete the Ballet as usual. As the intention of the Managers on this occasion is to give Variety to Entertainments of the town, it is not doubted it will meet with public approbation.'] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: At the Crown Tavern, behind the Royal Exchange. Composed by Dr Arne. Tickets by Subscription. To begin at 6 p.m. A Caecilian concert

Event Comment: This day is publish'd at 1s. Amphitryon; or, The Two Sosias, a Comedy altered from Mr Dryden, as it is now perform'd at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. With a New Interlude of Music, an Occasional Prologue, and some account of the Alterations. Printed for J. Payne, at Pope's Head in Paternoster Row. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Desire. Reprisal Publish'd at 1s. "as it is now acting at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, printed for R. Baldwin, Paternoster Row. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Simsons. Tickets of Simson in Wild Passage, Wild St., Lincoln's Inn Fields; Grigsby's Coffee House behind the Royal Exchange, and of Varney at the Stage Door, where places may be taken. Afterpiece: By Desire. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Decorations of the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane are new finished and the House will certainly open on Saturday next, being the 10th instant. Places for the Boxes are to be had of Mr Varney at the Stage Door of the Theatre

Event Comment: Receipts: #52 18s. Gave the Prince of Wales's serv't [his usual fee] 10s. 6d. Receiv'd of the Prince of Wales by the hands of the Honorable the Earl of Bute, Groom of the Stole, #31 10s. [payment, perhaps, for the Royal Box the night of 5 Nov. and for other command performances this season.] (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lauder. By Desire. To begin at six. Tickets for boxes to be had of Lauder at the Rising Sun opposite Hungersford Market, Strand, at the Edinburgh Coffee House, near the Royal Exchange, and at the theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Morris, Marr, Berrisford, Gray, Brownsmith, Miss Hippisley. Tickets deliver'd for Richard III and The Mourning Bride, and by Spilsbury, Royal, Hawksly, Costin, and Mrs Smith will be taken. Receipts: #170. 11 people had tickets (Cross)

Event Comment: [T$Theophilus Cibber opened the theatre this one night. Mainpiece, a Mock Tragedy by Joseph Reed. Afterpiece, anonymous.] Tickets to be had at the Swan, Westminster Bridge; Forest's Coffee House and Cannon Tavern, Charing Cross; the Tuns in the Borough, Southwark; the Rainbow Coffee House, near the Royal Exchange; and the Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden. N.B. Tickets for the Author to be had at Mr Briscall's at Parliament-Street Coffee House; the Bedford Head, Southampton St.; Mr Wells at the Crown and W in Russel Court, Covent Garden; Mr Long's in Little Britain; the Union Coffee House in Cornhill; the White Lion in Talbot Court; and the Sun Tavern, Shadwell

Event Comment: LLa Serva Padrona; or, The Servant Mistress announced but cancelled. [This entertainment was advertised as to be given by particular desire, with the addition of a new act, and a new character, as it was performed originally at the Theatre Royal in Naples. Set to music by Pergolesi. With Dancing. The Scenes and Cloaths entirely new. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. The house to be illuminated with wax candles. The whole to be under the direction of Sg Storace and Mr Oswald. Sga Seratina being recovered from her late indisposition to perform this night. Notice, however, on the proposed day of performance appeared in the Public Advertiser: "La Serva Padrona is stopp'd by a particular order of the Lord Chamberlain, but as a great many of the Nobility and Quality are very desirous to see this entertainment, it will be soon presented at another theatre." See 29 March.

Event Comment: Sunday the 21st about 4 in the afternoon I receiv'd an order form the Duke of Devonshire [Ld. Chamberlain] to Shut up the House 'till farther Notice, -Fryday 26th about eleven in ye Morn[in]g I receiv'd an Order from my Lord to open on the Monday following (Cross). Theatre clos'd from 20 January 1759 on account of the death of the Princess Royal of England, Countess Dowager of Holland & Governant of the United Provinces & of the Miny of the Stadholder (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: With new Additions and Alterations. Today is Publish'd Susanna, an Oratorio, with New Alterations and Additions; as it is perform'd at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. J. & R. Tonson, in the Strand

Event Comment: Today is Publish'd Price 1s. Samson: An oratorio, as it is perform'd at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. Printed for J. & R. Tonson in the Strand