Event Comment: [The afterpiece] An Arabian Night's Entertainment produc'd in two parts with New Scenes, Habits, Music & Decorations. Full Prices. Went off with great applause (Cross). It is hop'd no Gentlemen will take it ill that they cannot possibly be admitted behind the Scenes or into the Orchestra, the Entertainment depending chiefly upon the Machinery and Music. [Repeated on all Genii Bills this season.] This new entertainment...hath fully decided the controversy and fix'd the superiority of Pantomime to Drury Lane Theatre, as it had before had of almost everything else;...for beauty of scenery, elegance of dress, propriety of music, and regularity of designs, it exceeds all the boasted grandeur of Harlequin Sorcerer, or of any I have seen either separate or collective. The last scene beggars all description; the most romantic Eastern account of sumptuous palaces are but faint to this display of beauty, this glow of light, this profusion of glittering gems, which adorn the whole, and much exceeds all expectations. I rejoice and congratulate myself that I am not of that modern way of thinking (or rather seeming to think) that nothing can deserve the epithet good from their superior taste, but while I am pleased will own it, and not endeavor to gain the character of a critick, ar the expense of violation of my senses (Scourge No. 14, quoted in the Gentleman's Magazine, Dec. 1752, p. 582). Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: This play was wrote by Mr Moor but as he had some Enemies, came out under ye Name of Mr Spence--went off well, except some few Words & a Song wch are since omitted--Mr Havard not being able to play the part design'd for him The following advertisement was put at ye Bottom of ye Bills for he first 2 Days: N.B. The Managers being engag'd to act two New Plays this Winter, cou'd not longer defer this Tragedy in waiting for Mr Havard's Recovery; Mr Davies at a very short Warning, has willingly undertaken the Character which Mr Havard was to have acted, and humbly hopes for the Indulgence of the Public (Cross). [This N.B. note from the Cross Diary is printed verbatim on the playbill]. Never Acted before. Tis hoped no Gentlemen will desire to be admitted behind the Scenes, this night. Receipts: #217 (Cross)

Event Comment: For the Small Pox Hospital; Pit and Boxes 1!2 Guinea; a Treble Ticket at 26s., which admits a Gentleman and two Ladies to the Pit and Boxes, and the Gentleman to Dinner at Merchant Taylors Hall. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. No more Tickets will be disposed of than will conveniently fill the House, nor will any Money be taken at the Doors, or Collection at the Theatre. This being a Morning's Entertainment it is not expected that the Ladies come full-dressed. The most convenient way to the upper gallery at the Theatre, is through the King's Yard. To begin at 12 noon

Event Comment: Benefit for Signora Bugiani. Two rows of the Pit will be rail'd into the boxes

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: Benefit for Scrase, Mozeen and Hayes. Mainpiece: Acted but twice these two years, and for last time this season. [Hayes was Pit-Office-Keeper]. Receipts: #160 (Cross)

Event Comment: [Performance of mainpiece highly praised in Gray's Inn Journal 3 Nov. It is no wonder that in some scenes the Emotions of the Audien ce run so extremely high, as they were acted upon by the two best Tragedians in the world." Garrick and Mossop. Also praises Foote's Fondlewife in previous performances of the Old Batchelor.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMacklin has built two magnificent Rooms, ground floor [one] for Coffee, the other a [meeting] Room (Winston MS 8). [The Tuner pub. at 1s. by Dr Hiffernan. Fifty-three pages touching on theatre in general but particularly on Boadicia. There is no plot in the play...Boadicia is a monster well deserving what she suffers; therefore is neither an object of Terror or Compassion: but of Detestation. Sh deserts us in the third act...Tender-hearted Venusia is introduc'd to be whined to death...There is scarce any sentiment throughout; no moral to be deduced...the Diction...favors more of the level, languid, and underepic, than of the vigorous marrowy, tragic style...Never was Author more oblig'd to Performers, they acted to the full amount of his meaning; the Matter often fail'd Mr Garrick's continued and vigorous exertion."] Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Garrick better in his health (Cross). [Gray's Inn Journal contained this day two full pages of satiric comment upon pantomimes inprogress at both houses, nothing Blakes' entrance in Fortunatus with a hare and a brace of partriges, and Cook's use of a hare and a gun at Covent Garden, as encouragements to poaching and in violation of the game laws.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Particular Desire and for the last time this season (Public Advertiser). For Miss Macklin's benefit. Ye farce of ye two Knights was to have done, but Mr Yates not being perfect it was chang'd (Cross). Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Barry. [Afterpiece a Comedy in two Acts by MacNamara Morgan from Shakespeare.] Shuter did fine in the farce (Cross). Music composed by Arne. Part of Pit will be laid into the boxes, where and upon stage servants will be allowed to keep Places

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Bellamy. Afterpiece: A farce in two acts never acted there, and being the last time of performing it this season. [N.B. Its run this season had been at Drury Lane, and both Foote and Costollo were with the Drury Lane company this season.

Event Comment: Benefit for Dunstall and Mrs Dunstall. Mainpiece: Not acted these two years. [See 25 Jan. 1751.

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. Benefit for Cibber. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. To begin at 6:30 p.m. To prevent any interruption in the Performance, there will be no Building on the Stage. Afterpiece: The Dramatick Piece of Two Acts...is taken from the inimitable comic Scenes of Shakespeare, which contain the Humours of Antient Pistol, Justice Shallow, Sir John Falstaff, Justice Silence, the Hostess Doll Tearsheet, and the Recruits, etc. (Daily Advertiser). On Tuesday the 2d of July Mr The: Cibber had a play at Drury Lane, ye Busy Body, & farce from ye 2d pt of Henry 4th. & had 140 pounds in Money & 66 in Tickss (Cross)

Event Comment: In a fews days will be reviv'd at Covent Garden, the Tragedy of Phaedra and Hippolytus, in which Mr Sheridan will perform the part of Theseus, and Mrs Woffington that of Phaedra. Sg Francel and Sga Rossina Balbi, two Italian Dancers, arrived on Friday last from the Court of Bareith in Germany, and are engaged to perform at the same theatre

Event Comment: Afterpiece: An Arabian Night's Entertainment in two parts. Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Care has been taken to make the House warmer, by the addition of two more Stoves, one being fixed under the Centre of the Pit, and the other near his Majesty's Box

Event Comment: Tickets may be had of Arne in Chelsea St., Covent Garden, and of Varney at the Stage Door where Places may be taken. N.B. Those nightly Tickets which did not come in at the two performances of Abel, will be received at this performance

Event Comment: Acted there but once. By Authority. Tickets deliver'd out by Miss Barton which could not get in on Thursday last, will be admitted this Night. [An Epistle from Mr Theophilus Cibber, to David Garrick, Esq. London: 1755, dated Nov. 20, 1755: When Th. Cibber returned from Guilford last July, he found a discharge from Covent Garden (p.5) He got a license from the Duke of Grafton to open Little Haymarket (p. 6). He began and acted ten nights in three weeks, with some success, but when Drury Lane opened, Th. Cibber was ordered to stop (p. 7). He then petitioned the Duke of Grafton to have The Haymarket for two or three times weekly for the rest of the season. He hoped that the Little Haymarket might be a nursery for young performers, as well as for new pieces (p. 24). See dl 24 Nov.

Event Comment: Paid Charlotte Lane for making two Fustian Banjans & Breeches, and materials at 8s. each, 16s. For the Painters (MS list Davies, Life of Garrick, II, 322)

Event Comment: Great applause (Cross). Mainpiece: Acted but once these two years. Eumenes by Holland, being the second time of his appearing in that Character. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Afterpiece By Particular Desire. [In this year was published a twenty-two-page pamphlet, An Address to the Ladies on the Indecency of appearing at Immodest Plays. A plea for boycotting.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Cibber. To begin at 6:30 p.m. Pursuant to Act of Parliament. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality for the Benefit of Mr Cibber At the New Theatre in the Haymarket, on Wednesday next, the 14th instant, will be perform'd a Concert of Musick, the Particulars whereof will be express'd in the Bills of the Day. After which (by partiuclar Desire) will be given a Dissertation in two Parts on Patentees, on Theatres, on Acting, Publick Diversions, and address'd to the Town, by Mr Cibber (Daily Advertiser, 8 & 10 Jan.)

Event Comment: Wrote by Mr Pope. Mr Barbauld's First Subscription Oratioro,...and set to Musick by Mr Charles Barbault, in Two Parts. One ticket for all three oratorios--one Guinea; for one performance half a guinea; gallery 3s. 7 p.m

Event Comment: At the New Wells, Goodman's Fields. Mr Cibber will deliver two Dissertations on Theatrical Subjects: with a Prefatory Address to the Anti-Gallicans, for the Benefit of Mr Hallam. None to be admitted but by Tickets at 1s. 6d. each, which entitles each Person to a pint of Wine. Places in the boxes may be had of Mr Hallam at 2s. each, Wine, etc. To begin at 6:30 p.m. N.B. As I have been lame for some Time, I hope my friends will excuse my not waiting on them. W. Hallam