Event Comment: [Extra night] Benefit for the Widows and Orphans of those brave Men who perished, and those who were wounded, in the Glorious Action of the 14th February last [see king's, 18 May.] Patrons: His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness Duke of York, His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence. Stewards: Duke of Leeds, Duke of Bedford, Earl of Chesterfield, Earl Spencer, Lord Kinnaird, Charles Grey Esq., Thomas Tyrwhitt Esq., Wm. Lushington Esq., Wm. Manning Esq., John Thomson Esq., John Julius Angerstein Esq. Boxes to be taken, and Tickets had at the Office of the Theatre, and at the Bar of Lloyd's Coffee-House. Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: The Play of Othello, which was performed last night at Drury Lane theatre, by some gentlemen and ladies to the most numerous and polite Audience that could be assembled, went off throughout with great approbation and applause (General Advertiser). [See A Satirical Dialogue between a Sea Captain and his friend in Town: Humble submitted to the Gentlemen who deformed the Play of Othello on Th-rs-y M- the 7th....To which is added a Prologue and Epilogue much more suitable to the occasion than their own. (London [n.d.], BM 11,795, K 31, 8pp): @'Good manners oblig'd them sometimes to applaud@Tho' they little deserv'd it...'@ The author laments the fact that the expenditure (#1,500) was not put out to charitable purposes, rather than for such entertainment.] This day is publish'd at 1s. 6d., beautifully printed, Alfred, a Masque, acting at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, by Mr Mallet. Printed for A. Miller, opposite Catherine St in the Strand, where may be had Alfred, a Masque, represented before their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales at Cliefden, on the first of August 1740. Written by Mr Thomson and Mr Mallet

Event Comment: A Musical Drama, in Two Parts...with Dances and other Decorations Entirely new. Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no Persons to be admitted without Tickets, which will be delivered this Day, at the Opera Office in the Haymarket, at Half a Guinea each. Gallery 5s. By His Majesty's Command, No Persons whatsoever to be admitted behind the Scenes. The Gallery to be open'd at Four o'Clock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at Six o'clock. A New Opera [composed by Gluck; text by F. Vanneschi]. The Subscribers to the Opera are desired to make the last Payment of their Subscription Money to the Treasurer, at the Opera Office in the Haymarket, where Attendance will be given this and every Day, from Ten till Two, to receive the same, and deliver out the Silver Tickets. [Repeated until 28 Jan.] The new Musical Italian Drama; entitled La Caduta de Giganti, or the Fall of the Giants, writ on Occasion of the expulsion of the Rebels, was perform'd last Night at King's Theatre in the Haymarket. The performance was received and carried on with great Attention, Tranquility, and Applause: and not a little enliven'd by the Presence of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland.--Daily Advertiser, 8 Jan

Event Comment: By Their Royal Highnesses' Command. At Penkethman's Theatre. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Afterpiece: a diverting Droll. Box Tickets at Penkethman's House in Richmond. Daily Post, 5 Sept.: Mr Penkethman...had the Honour to divert their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, with Entertainments of Acting and Tumbling perform'd to Admiration; Likewise with his Picture of the Royal Family, down from the King of Bohemia to the young Princesses, in which is seen the Nine Muses playing on their several Instruments, in Honour of that August Family. There were present Nobility, Gentry and Ladies upwards of 200

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Clive. Mainpiece: Never acted there Before. Amphitheatre on stage [see 12 March]. Mainpiece: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Tickets and places of Mrs Clive at her house in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields; or of Page at the stage door of the theatre. Last Night their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales were at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden to see the Merchant of Venice; when the Song of Britons strike home was commanded to be sung, which was accordingly done, with the Chorus's, accompanied by Trumpets, Kettle-Drums, etc. and met with the Greatest Applause.--General Advertiser, 14 March. [The notice about Miss Edwards' first attempt means in an acting role; she was a singer.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. This evening their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales and the young Princes will be at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden to see the tragedy of the Fair Penitent (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first production is not known, but the entry of this play in the Term Catalogues for November 1680 suggests a first offering in September or October 1680. The music for the play was composed by Henry Purcell, his first (according to Downes composing for the stage. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 38) gives a shortened cast and adds: All the Parts in't being perfectly perform'd, with several Entertainments of Singing; Compos'd by the Famous Master Mr Henry Purcell, (being the first he e'er Compos'd for the Stage) made it a living and Gainful Play to the Company: The Court; especially the Ladies, by their daily charming presence, gave it great Encouragement. Dedication, Edition of 1680: The Reputation that this Play received on the Stage, some few Errors excepted, was more than I could well hope from so Censorious an Age....You [the Duchess of Richmond] brought her Royal Highness just at the exigent Time, whose single Presence on the Poet's day is a Subsistence for him all the Years after. A song, Hail to the myrtle shade, is in Choice Ayres and Songs, The Third Book (dated 2 Nov. 1680)

Event Comment: Luttrell, A Brief Relation, IV, 518-79: This day being the anniversary of the kings birth...there was also a fine ball at St. James to conclude the solemnity, where the king was present: their royal highnesses the prince and princesse dined with his majestie at Kensington, who all the while were diverted with a fine consort of musick; and Mr Tate, the poet laureat, presented the king with a curious ode

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve. [Prince of Wales, attended by Lord Ashburnham and Colonel Townshend, attended. In Daily Post, 5 Nov., The Conscious Lovers had been announced for this day.

Event Comment: Written by Shakespear. Daily Advertiser, 12 Oct.: The same Day [11 Oct., the Anniversary of His Majesty's Coronation] Mr Giffard...gave a handsome Entertainment, with a Concert of Musick, to the Company of Comedians, and a large Bonfire and Liquor to the Populace, when the Healths of their Majesties, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; the Duke, and the Princesses, were drank, with the sounding of Kettle Drums and Trumpets, and repeated Acclamations of Joy. Daily Post, 13 Oct.: Mr Fielding the Player (who keeps a Booth...during...Bartholomew Fair) gave to the Populace before his own Door in Hart-street, Bloomsbury, a Butt of the strongest Beer that could be got; also a large Bonfire

Event Comment: By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales [who were present]. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. Afterpiece: Written by the Author of the Toy Shop. [For a letter on the disputes between the footmen and the gentlemen, see Grub St. Journal, 17 March.] [There is in the Bennett Collection, I, 93, in the Birmingham Library, an exceptionally curious advance notice for a performance to be given at Drury Lane soon after Easter of The Conscious Lovers and The Devil to Pay, with no cast for either play in the bill. The announcement appears to refer to the spring of 1737 and presumably appeared around the middle of March. It is intended for the benefit of a Widow under Misfortunes and the bill bears the heading: Gift and Pleasure. According to the announcement, the widow has been left Italian pictures, antiqees, jewels, and precious stones; and she intends, for the encouragement of her benefactors, to make a gift of all the objects, which will be placed in three hundred parcels. Tickets for the performance are advertised at five shillings, and no one is to be admitted without a ticket. The pit and boxes are to be put together at two tickets for each person, and the first and second galleries are placed together at one ticket for each spectator. The tickets are not to be left with the door-keepers as usual, but only shewn and kept. On the day following the benefit a raffle will be held, by Mr Foubert's Patent Mathematical Machine, at Hickford's Great Room in Brewers Street, Golden Square, and only holders of tickets will be admitted to the raffle, After this entry was set, an advertisement was found in the Daily Advertiser, 18 April 1738, announcing this performance for 13 May 1738. The Daily Advertiser on 5 May 1738, however, announced that the proposed performance had been cancelled.

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, and Louisa. Rylands MS.: Duke and Princesses present. Receipts: #100. [Winston MS. lists Constant Couple, which had been announced for this day in the previous Bill, but which seems to have been deferr'd on account of this command performance.

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, and Louisa. Rylands MS.: Duke &c attended. [Winston MS. lists Merchant of Venice, which had been advertised on the previous day's bill, but which was supplanted by this command performance.] Receipts: #80

Event Comment: Benefit Cervetto. Mainpiece by Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Tickets deliver'd out by Arthur for The Recruiting Officer will be taken this day

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales. This day is Publish'd The Case of Mrs Clive Submitted to the Publick. [This is Mrs Clive's 22-page complaint against the 'opression' of the managers of both patent theatres, who, it seems, formed a cartel to drive down actors' salaries, and caused by Mrs Clive's unemployment. She was dropped from Covent Garden without due notice and not for cause. She was not applied to by the Manager of Drury Lane, although he knew her to be unemployed, because he still owed her #160 12s. Her case seemed doubly hard to her since she had equipped herself with a fine wardrobe for theatrical use, had acted diligently in main and afterpiece, often on the same night to the prejudice of her health; had been at great expense in Masters for singing, for which article alone the managers now give #6 a week." Concludes by pleading for publick support of her Case. She returned to cg to play Lappet in the Miser, 30 Nov. She states that the published list of salaries in the London Daily Post of 15 Oct. 1734 is incorrect.

Event Comment: Both Pieces By Command of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. This day is publish'd The Male Coquette, or 1757, a Farce in 2 acts, As it is performing at Drury Lane. Printed for Paul Vaillant, faning Southampton St. in the Strand. Price 1s. (Public Advertiser). Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: The Corpse of His Royal Highness the Duke of York arrived at Greenwich, and was buried the next day

Event Comment: Tomorrow being the birthday of her Royal Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales is the reason of performing this day

Event Comment: By the unfortunate death of her Royal Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales a temporary stop was put to theatrical entertainments to this day. Opera will be performed at this theatre three times or at least twice every week till Passion Week. Such of the Nobility and Gentry, subscribers to the Opera who do not care to keep their Boxes on the Thursday, and have the extra weekly performance reckoned into their Subscription nights are desired to send word

Event Comment: By Command of his Royal Highness the Duke, their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Amelia and Caroline

Event Comment: By Command of his Royal Highness the Duke, their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, Mary, and Louisa

Event Comment: By Command of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Duke, their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Amelia, Carolina, Maria and Louisa

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness the Duke, their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Carolina, Amelia, Louisa, and Maria

Event Comment: By Command of his Royal Highness the Duke, and their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Caroline, Mary, and Louisa [who were present]

Event Comment: Written by the late Mr Dryden. Set to Musick by Mr Handel. Pit and Boxes half a Guinea. Galleries 4s. and 2s. 6d. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 20 Feb.: Last Night his Royal Highness the Duke, and her Royal Highness the Princess Amelia were at. . . Mr Dryden's Ode, set to Musick by Mr Handel. Never was upon the like Occasion so numerous and splendid an Audience at any Theatre in London, there being at least 1300 Persons present; and it is judg'd that the Receipt of the House could not amount to less than 450l. It met with general Applause, tho attended with the Inconvenience of having the Performers placed at too great a distance from the Audience, which we hear will be rectified the next Time of Performance. [Egmont also present.]