Event Comment: Benefit for the Widow of the Late Chapman. Tickets deliver'd out by the Widow Johnson and Mrs Wallis will be taken. Yesterday Morning died Mr John Laguerre, an eminent Painter belonging to the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden; a facetious companion, universally esteemed in every Scene of Life! (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bencraft and Mrs Hale. Mainpiece: Not acted these 9 years. [See 4 Dec. 1740.] N.B.: A parcel of tickets having been lost, none sold at the doors of the theatre will be admitted. Tickets to be had and places taken of Page at the Stage Door of the Theatre. [Inserted in the General Advertiser this day is Buskin's Apology]: @Enur'd to ills of various kinds,@By ancestors undone;@The Author has severely paid@For failings not his own.@From Disappointments Buskin writes,@Confesses 'tis for gain@Yet scorns all profits which arise@From giving others pain.@No private character he sneers,@No venom taints his mind;@His sole ambition is to please,@Not satyrise Mankind.@ On Wednesday last the Tragedy of Othello was acted at Covent Garden towards the relief of the unhappy sufferers by the late Fire; and on Saturday the sum of #218 12s. 4d. was paid into the hands of Messrs Ironside and Belchier; the company of comedians and the band of musick having generously given their performances (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: To the Author of the General Advertiser. Sir: When I read the letter in your paper [see 7 Nov.] concerning Tom Harbin's intention of having a Benefit at Covent Garden, I own I was much pleas'd, as it would give me the opportunity of making him merry, who has often made me so: But I have since been in some concern to hear he was to perform himself--I would not have him appear in an Ill-Light; and as it is easy to conceive what confusion a Man unus'd to the stage must be in, to appear on it, I would in Friendship advise him to desist from that design.-If he does it from an opinion of his Capacity, I am sorry for him: but if it is only to draw people together, I think he need not have any Apprehensions on that Account:--For there ever was and ever will be in London, a number of Persons of Fortune and Generosity, sufficient to do what he wants, whenever they have an Inclination to serve a man they like.--And as he is Generally allow'd to be what is call'd a Fiddle in Company, and plays as often as anybody, it would be but right to keep him in tune: For my part I shall use my interest in his Favour and wish him success with his Acquaintance. I am &c. T. Meanwell. Lloyd's Coffee House, 14 Nov. [See 14 Dec.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted in 5 years. [See 11 Dec. 1744. For further comment on Dexter, see Genest, IV, p. 341.] One Mr Dexter did Oroonoko , a Gent of Ireland--who never appear'd upon a Stage before--he had ye Greatest applause ever heard & indeed deservedly a Sweet Voice, great feeling--his name was not in ye Bills--only by a Gent (Cross). We hear that a Comedy call'd Eastward Hoe; or, The Prentices, written by Ben Johnson, Chapman, and Marston, is now reviving at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, and will be acted the 29th. [A four page double column account of the text of Oroonoko appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1752, pp. 163-67.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Bland. [Bland probably first appeared as Polydore in The Orphan, 17 Oct.

Event Comment: Benefit for ye widow of Capt. James Spencer, an Officer &c., and her small Children (Cross). An Old Officer who had been in His Majesty's Service 46 years, but dying when upon half-pay has left the Widow without pension and with several small children in greatest distress. N.B. Part of the Pit will be rail'd into the boxes and servants will be allowed to keep places on the Stage. Tickets to be had of Mrs Spencer, the uppermost house in Prince's Court, by Storey's Gate; the Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden; the Tiltyard Coffee House; St James Coffee House; Sweet's Coffee House, Bukingham Court; Bridge Street Coffee House; The Rainbow Coffee House, Ludgate Hill; the Temple Exchange, Fleet St.; the Rainbow, Cornhill; and at the Stage Door of the theatre where places may be taken. Mr Norton Amber, humbly hopes this general acknowledgment of the favour which his friends were pleas'd to confer on him by their generous appearance last Night at Drury Lane, will be accepted, instead of a more particular application, which his constant employment prevents; and begs leave to assure them, that he shall ever retain a most grateful sense of their indulgent assistance. Receipts: #252 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dunstall and Mrs Dunstall. Mainpiece: Acted but once these 14 years [see 4 May 1748]

Event Comment: OOroonoko by a young Gentleman (Mr Holland) being his first attempt he perform'd very well, & had great Applause in stabbing the Governor (Mr Burton) in the last Scene, he struck him on the Cheek, & upon hearing him cry, O God! was so shock'd that he did not die so well as was expected-Burton was taken off, & dress'd by Mr Bromfield, was accidentally behind the Scenes (Cross). Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Reviv'd (playbill). Play went off Dull (Cross). Not acted these 18 years. [See 23 March 1742.] Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: For the Benefit of the Wid. Kraus & her children whose Husband was murder'd by Robbers near Chelsea (Cross). Tickets to be had at White's Chocolate House, and the St James Coffee House, St James St.; at Allmack's Coffee House, Halfmoon St.; The Mount Coffee House, Grosvenor St.; Sam's Coffee House and The Jerusalem Coffee House, Exchange Alley; of Mrs Kraus, at her house in Halfmoon St., Picadilly, and of Mr Varney at the stage Door, where places may be taken. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Both pieces by Command of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Mainpiece: Not acted these 10 years [see 8 May 1753]. Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. Afterpiece: Taken from Dryden and Colley Cibber, Poets Laureate. [Lucy was played by Miss Sledge; see 4 Feb. 1757.

Event Comment: Benefit for Woodward. The Whole Pit will be laid into the Boxes, where servants will be admitted to keep places, and upon the Stage, which will be formed into an Amphitheatre and divided into Boxes. The Pit doors will be opened for the Ladies to pass to their places there, without incommoding those in the Front Boxes. Box, Pit and Stage at 5s. Nothing under full price will be taken during the performance. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock (Public Advertiser). [The Larpent MS 130 indicates the intended cast, and suggests Dizzy-Oliver; Ruffle-$Yates; and Mrs Dotterel-$Mrs Bennet.] Receipts: #320 ($Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 24 April 1754.] Receipts: #74 6s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By Command of the Prince of Wales