Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber being perfectly recovered of her late indisposition will certainly perform on Saturday next in Hercules

Event Comment: Benefit Quin. By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, Prince Edward, and the Lady Augusta. N.B.: Servants will be permitted to keep places on the stage which will be form'd into an amphitheatre, enclos'd, covered, and kept ward, as at the late Oratorios. Tickets to be had at Quin's House in Bedford St., Covent Garden; and of Page at the stage door

Event Comment: Benefit Mr Dove and Mrs Dove. Boxes 3s., Pit 2s., First Gallery 1s. 6d. Upper Gallery 1s. [Theatre designated as the Late Wells in advance notices; as the New Wells on the day of performance.

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Distinction. Benefit Dance. Boxes 3s., Pit and First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. The Late Wells in Goodman's Fields. Tickets to be had at Mr. Dance's Lodgings, at Mr Boteler's in Fenchurch St.; and at Mr Goodfellow's at Mrs Simpson's, in Church Lane, near the Wells. Particular care will be taken to keep the House warm

Event Comment: At the Late Wells. Benefit Tucker. Tickets given out for The Provoked Wife by Tucker taken this Night. [Prices as 12 March.

Event Comment: At the Late Wells. Benefit the Authoress. [Concert formula now used.] Prices 2s. 6d., 2s., 1s

Event Comment: At the Late Wells. Benefit Kennedy. [Concert formula; prices as 1 May.

Event Comment: A Pantomime Entertainment, never perform'd there before...with several Alterations and Additions. 7 p.m. No latter account will be taken

Event Comment: MMiddleton's Great Theatrical Booth. Mainpiece: The late facetious Mr. Penkethman's diverting Droll, not acted these thirty years. Note, this is no Puff. [Repeated 13 May. From a news item of 13 May, this piece was probably acted the rest of this week.

Event Comment: Benefit Jones, Mrs Bland, Mrs Gondou, Miss Ferguson, Miss Morrison (General Advertiser). Benefit Charles Jones, son of the late Jere Jones who formerly kept the Selectation Tavern at Billingsgate (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: 6 p. p.m. Last Time of Acting. No latter account will be taken. Prices Boxes 2s. 6d. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. [The troupe will re-open the theatre on 20 May and present pantomimes all summer.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve

Event Comment: Written by the late Mr Addison. By Particular Desire

Event Comment: Never acted there before. Written by the late Mr Addison, author of Cato

Event Comment: Profits subscribed to the Veteran Scheme at Guildhall. Mrs Cibber to Garrick, 11 Dec.: Though Mr Rich had no performance at his house...Drury Lane Playhouse was not above half full till the latter account. Then it was a good house but not near so great as we had all last winter to the Orphan. He had built up the stage, but as nobody came there he shut in a flat scene to hide it, and the next day he played the Tender Husband to fifteen pounds.-Boaden, Private Correspondence of Garrick, I, 46

Event Comment: Never perform'd there before. Written by the late Mr Addison

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber to Garrick, late Jan.: It is surprising that dl goes on acting; one night with another, to be sure, they have not received above 40 pounds; the actors are paid only three nights a week; though they play every night. But the top stroke of all was Macklin's play! It was entirely new-dressed, and no expense saved in the clothes. I shall say nothing of the piece, because you may read it; but be as vain as you will about your playing Bayes, you never made an audience laugh more than Henry VII has done. There for the first time I saw your rival, Mr Goodfellow; I should have said the rival Mr Lacy wants to make you; do not be quite dispirited about it, for Perkin Warbeck is much below anything I ever yet saw. Here I must ask Mr Stevens's pardon, to whom I have done injustice, for I think he may dispute the pass downstairs with Perkin, and as his head seems to be the heaviest of the two, I think he has the best right to it.--Boaden, Private Correspondence of Garrick, I, 49

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Pritchard. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. Servants admitted to keep places on the stage, which will be fram'd into Front and side boxes, and entirely enclosed after the manner of an Oratorio. Ladies are desired to send servants to keep places to prevent mistakes. Tickets and places to be had at Mrs Pritchard's in Duke's late Earl's Court, Bow St.; At Mr Vaughan's, the Royal Exchange, Cornhill, and at the stage door

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Cross, Mrs Bridges, Miss Young. The General Advertiser included the following Puff: Sir, As I am continually searching for latent Curiosities, out of a sincere regard for the Public Satisfaction, I think it my Duty (lest among the Multitude of Diversions now flourishing, some other might engross the attention of the Curious) to inform the world, that the Farce which will be perform'd this Evening at Drury Lane theatre, call'd May Day, or the Merry Milkmaids of Islington, was written by the particular desire of King Charles II who had it first performed at Newmarket; how agreeably that jovial Monarch was entertained, every person, who thinks it worth his while to see it, according to his abilities, will be a competent judge, Yours, &c A. Virtuoso. [Part of the Multitude of Diversions referred to included announcement in the same paper for a Rehearsal of the whole Band of Music at Ruckholt House, the following Monday; a paragraph Puff on the diversions at Sadler's Wells in consequence of the late happy Victory of the Duke of Cumberland over the Rebels, with special notice of a New Interlude of Music call'd Strephon's Return, or the British Hero, perform'd this night with many advantages of Dress and Decoration, and a new Ballet by Matthews; and further notice of the Representation of the Battle near Culloden House which had met with universal applause, and which would continue to be repeated at the New Wells in Goodman's Fields. The Farce at Drury Lane this evening was advertised as not having been played for 20 years. It was taken from Thomas Nabbes' Totenham Court Road, by the Compiler of the Muse of Newmarket, 1680. The MS Occasional Prologue praising Cumberland is in the Larpent Collection.

Event Comment: [Whereas, from various accidents and disappointments the Undertaking an opera for the next year was resolv'd upon too late in the season to permit of solliciting the Subscriptions in the Usual Manner; and as the Proposals for the ensuing year are of a different nature, and, as it is presumed, much more to the Advantage of the Subscribers than any hitherto offered, it has been thought proper to take this method of informing the Publick, that attendance will be given at the Opera-Office in the Haymarket, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, from ten o'clock in the Morning till three in the afternoon, in order to shew the Proposals, take in subscriptions, and deliver our proper receipts.

Event Comment: [Full column in Daily Advertiser describing Barry's and Mrs Macklin's acting techniques.] Barry from the Theatre in Dublin, perform'd the part of Othello, at Drury Lane, before a numerous and polite audience; and met with as great Applause as could be express'd.--General Advertiser, 6 Oct. Thomas Gray to Horace Walpole: You have probably been there since I left you, and consequently have seen the Mr Barry you desired some account of; yet as I am not certain of this and should be glad to know whether we agree about him, I will nevertheless tell you what he is, and the impression he made upon me. He is upwards of six feet in height; wdll and prortionably made, treads well and knows what to do with his limbs; in short a noble graceful figure. I can say nothing of his face but that it was all black, with a wide mough and good eyes. His voice is of a clear and pleasing tone, something like Delane's, but not so deep-mouthed, not so like a passing bell. When high strain'd it is apt to crack a little and be hoarse, but in its common pitch, and when it sinks into any softer passion, particularly expressive and touching. In the first scene, especially when he recounts to the Senate the progress of his love and the means he used to win Desdemona, he was quite mistaken, and I took a pique against him; instead of a cool narration he flew into a rant of voice and action, as though he were relating the circumstance of a battle that was fought yesterday. I expected nothing more from him, but was deceiv'd: in the scenes of rage and jealousy he was seldom inferior to Quin in the parts of tenderness and sorrow far above him. These latter seem to be his peculiarly; his action is not very various, but rarely improper, or without dignity, and some of his attitudes are really fine. He is not perfect to be sure, but I think may make a better player than any now on the stage in a little while. However, to see a man in one character, and but once, is not sufficient, so I rather ask your opinion by this, than give you mine.--Horace Walpole's Correspondence with Thomas Gray, II, 6-7

Event Comment: No Person to be admitted behind the Scenes. [The theatre is termed the Late Wells until 13 Nov.

Event Comment: 1 GGeneral Advertiser: Mademoiselle Violette humbly begs leave to acquaint the Publick, that she is very much concern'd to hear that she is charg'd with having been the occasion of the Noise at the Playhouse in Drury Lane on Wednesday night. That she was entirely ignorant that three Dances had been advertised, until it was too late to prepare herself; and as she cannot possibly be guilty of any Intention to disoblige, or give offence to an English Audience (from whom she has receiv'd so much Applause) she presumes to hope they will not impute to her a fault which she is not capable of committing, and especially where she has met with so much indulgence, for which she retains all possible gratitude