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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
There has long existed a need for a full and definitive calendar of theatrical performances in London during the eighteenth century. If the modern scholar does not have access to the original sources—the theatrical advertisements, the playbills, and manuscript diaries and account books—he must turn to a number of modern histories, of the eighteenth century stage, no one of which is complete and all of which combined do not offer a full listing of day-to-day performances. The account of the stage published in 1832 by John Genest is still the most comprehensive for the entire century, but Genest made a selection, not a complete listing, of performances, and that fact alone makes it impossible to find in his pages the stage history of a play or its casting or the vogue of the works of a single dramatist. The handlists in Allardyce Nicoll's works are also very valuable, but they too have the limitation of recording only selected performances, primarily those of plays first performed in the century. Dougald MacMillan's calendar of Drury Lane offerings from 1747 to 1776 is a more complete listing, but it is a record of only one theater, and although it offers the casts, it does not reflect the rôle of the entertainments in the theatrical programs.
1 It is uncertain when the theaters opened for the season of 1700–1701. On Aug. 6, 1700, Luttrell (iv, 674) stated that the “lord chamberlain has ordered that no playes be acted for 6 weeks while the mourning continues.” If the order was not changed, the theaters could not have opened before September 17, but the performance for October 19 is the first certainly known.
2 On Friday, November 8, The Old Batchelor was scheduled for Drury Lane but was dismissed. See Jackson, RES, p. 294.
3 This performance is conjectured upon the fact that Henry VIII was acted at LIF on M 25 and that Luttrell (iv, 712) states: “Saturday, at the new playhouse in Lincolns Inn Feilds, the actors ridiculed a christning, and Underhill represented the archbishop; which has given offense.” The points mentioned by Luttrell could well refer to Henry VIII.
4 According to Luttrell (iv, 711) under date of Th 26, “The lord chamberlain has ordered that no women maskt shal be permitted to come into the playhouse.”
5 According to Luttrell (iv, 712) on F 29 there “was a tryal at the common pleas against one Hodgson, a player, for using prophane words upon the stage : he was indicted upon the statute 3 Jac. 1st, which sayes, every such offender shal pay 10 l; and the jury gave a verdict accordingly.”
6 Jackson, RES, p. 294, quotes from the Post Boy, December 5/7, 1700, a notice to the effect that the actors of the Theatre Royal intend to begin their plays at five o'clock each afternoon.
7 Jackson, RES, p. 294, quotes an item from the English Post, December 13/16, 1700, concerning a disturbance at Drury Lane on F 13.
8 Luttrell, iv, 720, under date of Th 19, reports that the grand jury of Middlesex “have presented as nusances the two playhouses.” See also Jackson, RES, xiv (1938), 57.
9 This performance, apparently based on the Burney MSS, seems very similar to that for January 28 listed by Jackson. Sprague, p. 271, gives the date as June 24, 1701.
10 A letter from William Congreve to Joseph Keally, dated this day, reports that recently two new plays—The Ambitious Stepmother and The Lady's Visiting-Day—had been acted, but the first day of performance for each is uncertain. See The Mourning Bride, Poems, & Miscellanies, ed. Bonamy Dobree (Oxford, n.d.), p. 486.
11 James Brydges went to a “musick meeting at Dorset Garden,” which Lucyle Hook conjectures to be The Judgment of Paris. See Huntington Library Quarterly, viii (1945), 309, 311.
12 On W 26 there was in York Buildings a “Consort of Vocal and Instrumental Musick” as a benefit for Mr. Dean and Mr. Mainshipp. See Jackson, RES, p. 295.
13 On W 21 a concert was given at Dorset Garden. For details, see Jackson, RES, pp. 295–296.
14 On 3 there was given at Dorset Garden a concert, which included the pieces of music contending for the prize, as a benefit for Dogget and Wilks. See Jackson, RES, p. 296.
15 There was advertised for S 7 Love Makes a Man—Nicoll, p. 307, lists the performance—but presumably it was not given. Jackson, RES, p. 296, quotes an announcement to the effect that Love Makes a Man, for the benefit of Penkethman, was deferred to June 13.
16 On August 2 William Morley wrote to Thomas Coke: “... and I believe there is no poppet shew in a country town but takes more money than both the play houses. Yet you wonder that immorality and profaneness should reign so much as it does.” HMC, 12th Report, Part ii, Cowper MSS. (London, 1888), ii, 434.
17 The announcement which Jackson quotes states that the company will continue to act three times a week during Bartholomew Fair, but no further performances before October seem to be known.
18 There seem to be no performances known for the rest of the year, though the playhouses were open. Luttrell, v, 111, on November 20, 1701, records that an information was brought in the King's Bench against some of the players for acting in “some late plays, particularly The Provok'd Wife,” and on December 27 there was a disturbance at LIF. See Jackson, RES, p. 296.
19 There seem to be no surviving notices of daily performances between the end of January and the first of June, 1702, though the theaters were open part of that time. Luttrell, v, 143, on February 16 notices the trial of the players at LIF and DL for “uttering several blasphemous expressions.” On the death of King William the theaters closed; on March 11 Sir John Perceval wrote to Thomas Knatchbull: “None will suffer by the King's death but the poor players, who are ready to starve; neither are they to act till the coronation. One cannot pass by the Play-house now when it is dark but you are sure to be stripped. I accidentally met yesterday the boxkeeper, who swore to me he had not drunk all day, for that now they are all out of pay, none will trust them so much as for a pot of ale.” HMC, Egmont MSS (London, 1909), ii, 208. The Earl of Chesterfield, writing to Lady Mary Coke, March 18, reports also “there are no plays, as being all forbid.” HMC, Cowper MSS. 12th Report, Part iii (London, 1889), iii, 2.
20 According to the notice which Jackson quotes, Tamerlane was once intended as the play to be given for Mrs. Hodgson's benefit.
21 Hereafter, for the announcements taken directly from the Daily Courant, the abbreviation DC will be used; it will be followed by the date of the latest issue in which the advertisement appears unless the issue is that of the day of performance.
22 The DC:21 contains an announcement of a troupe of rope-dancers, “including an Italian Scaramouch,” to act in a booth at Bartholomew Fair.
23 A “Medley” of several short pieces was advertised for DL for S 24, as a benefit for Penkethman, but the DC:23 indicates that the medley was not given.
24 A concert for York Buildings on Th 19 was advertised (DC:17) as being postponed from November 3.
25 There is no advertisement of this performance in the DC, though on M 7 it carries an announcement of the publication of the play, “As it is Acted at the Theatre Royal in Lincolns-Inn-Fields.” There was a concert advertised for December 3 at York Buildings (DC: 3).
25 According to the DC 17 there was a disturbance at DL on M 14: “a Rencounter... on the Stage... between Mr. Fielding and Mr. Goodyar, in which the former was Wounded.”
27 The advertisement in the DC: 20 differs by giving the singer as “Signiora Joanna Maria Lindebleim” and having the songs “compos'd by Signior Sajoni lately arriv'd from Italy.”
28 This performance of Tunbridge Walks is not listed in the DC, though advertisements of its prospective publication had been appearing in the DC for about two weeks previously. The DC: 29 advertises it as published “This day.” The comedy may have been acted as early as January 15, for that is the first day on which the advertisement of its early publication “As it is Acted at the Theatre Royal” appears. There was also a concert advertised (DC: 28) for York Buildings on January 28.
29 The DC: 4 advertised a concert, “including a Scene between Harlequin and Scaramouch,” for York Buildings for February 5.
Note 29a in page 124 A concert was advertised (DC: 24) for York Buildings for W 24 as a benefit for Mrs. Bicknell.
Note 29b in page 124 For March 3 a concert was advertised for Stationer's Hall, Ludgate Street, consisting of “an Ode in Praise of Musick, written by Mr. Hughes.” For March 5 a concert was advertised for York Buildings as a benefit for Signior Francisco with songs by the “Famous Seniora Anna, lately come from Rome.” And for March 12 a concert as a benefit for Edward Keene was advertised for York Buildings.
30 For March 17 a concert was announced for York Buildings as a benefit for Wilks, and one for March 19 as a benefit for Richard Elford.
31 The DC: 14 advertised for “Barnes and Finley's Booth” during May Fair “that Variety of Rope-dancing and Tumbling, so far exceeds all that has ever yet been publickly seen; where the Lady Mary, who has given such great Satisfaction to the Highest Nobility of the Kingdom, will outdo whatever she has perform'd before.”
32 A concert at York Buildings was advertised for April 28 (DC: 26).
33 “The Queen's Theatre in Dorset-Garden is now fitting up for a new Opera; and the great Preparations that are made to forward it and bring it upon the Stage by the beginning of June, adds to every body's Expectation, who promise themselves mighty Satisfaction from so well order'd and regular an Undertaking as this is said to be, both in the Beauties of the Scenes, and Varieties of Entertainments in the Music, and Dances.” DC: 13.
34 Because the performance advertised for S 15 is so nearly identical with that offered for 18 in the playbill reprinted by Thaler, it seems likely that the performance advertised for S 15 was posponed to 18.
35 For May 18 a concert was advertised for the “Great Room” in Hamstead.
36 According to the DC : 24 Volpone was once intended for M 24 but was deferred to 25.
37 The DC: 29, announcing this performance, advertised “the Famous Sigmoid Francisco. Margarita de l'Epine” to sing for her last appearance “whilst she stays in England,” but in DC: 31 the advertisement was changed to the entertainments listed above.
38 Although it is not listed in the DC, this performance seems certain because that on M 7 is advertised as the third one.
89 For June 11 a concert was advertised for LIF as a benefit for Mrs. Boman.
40 The performance on F 16 is the last one advertised for the season, though in Hotson, p. 308, the season is given as lasting until July 24. The Drury Lane company acted at Bath later (Genest, ii, 275). There were also some concerts given during the summer: at York Buildings on July 27 “several Italian Interludes” with dancing, performances on the “Manag'd Horse,” and rope dancing. At York Buildings for July 30 much the same program was advertised. At Richmond Wells for August 12 a concert was announced. In addition, these entertainments were advertised for Bartholomew Fair:
“At Parker's and Dogget's Booth near Hosier-Lane... the celebrated History of Bateman, or, The Unhappy Marriage. With the comical Humours of Sparrow his Man Performed by Mr. Dogget. With variety of Scenes and Machines, Singing and Danceing, never seen before in the Fair.” (DC: Aug. 21.)
“At Parker's Booth... The Famous, History of Dorastus and Fawnia. With several Entertainments of Vocal and Instrumental Musick. With very pleasant Dialogues and Antick Dances. Never before seen in the Fair.” (DC: Aug. 23.)
“At Pinkeman's, Bullock's, and Simpson's BOOTH... an extraordinary Entertainment after the best Manner, call'd, Jephtha's Rash Vow, or, The Virgin Sacrifice. With the Comical Humours of Nurse and her Two Sons, Toby and Ezekiel. Together with the Pleasant manner of Didimo Toby's Man: Also several Diverting Performances of Singing and Danceing. The Comedy being all new Writ. And the Parts of Toby and Ezekiel perform'd by the Two Famous Comedians, Mr. Pinkeman, and Mr. Bullock.” (DC: Aug. 24.)
41 In the DC: 14 The Rover was advertised as “acted there but once these Ten Years,” but that note did not appear in the DC: 15.
42 The DC: 25 had advertised for 26 The Funeral, or Grief A la Mode as a Benefit for Mrs. Moore, but the play was changed in the next advertisement.
43 In the DC: 26 the benefit notice read, “For the Benefit of Mr. Bullock, and Jubilee Dicky,” but it was changed in DC: 27 to that given above.
44 See Nicoll, p. 289, for a notice to the effect that this play was stopped so that the best part of the audience was lost; the advertisement for the next day, however, gives no indication that the play was not performed on S 6.
45 In tie DC: 15 The Fair Example was advertised for 16.
46 In the DC: 23 The Emperor of the Moon was advertised for W 24.
47 There was announced for DL on 30 a concert in which Mrs. Tofts was to sing and Monsieur Labbe was to dance.
48 The DC: 29 had advertised the première of The Lying Lover for W December 1, but the DC: 1 changed it to Th 2.
49 There was advertised for S 11 a concert at York Buildings with sonatas on the violin by Signior Gasperini, music for flutes to be performed by Mr. Paisible and Mr. Banister, and a piece for the hoitboy and violin to be performed by Mrs. Hodgson and Mr. Cook.
60 There was announced for 14 at DL the “Subscription Mustek” with Mrs. Tofts singing in Italian and English, a new piece of music composed by Mr. Leveridge, and dancing by “Monsieur l'Abbe, Monsieur Du Ruell, Monsieur Cherrier, Mrs. Campion, Mrs. El ford, the Devonshire Girl and others.” DC: 14.
61 There was advertised for 21 at LIF “The Subscription Musick,” with Mrs. Tofts singing. The announcement implies that the concert for 14 may not have been given, certainly Mrs. Tofts did not then sing, “by reason of a great Cold she had then.”
52 There was advertised for T4 at DL a subscription music, in which Mrs. Tofts was to sing in Italian and English and several pieces of music by Henry Purcell were to be played.
53 The data of the première of Abra Mule is difficult to determine. In the DC: 18 it is advertised for 18 as “a New Play” and on Th 20 as “The Sixth day of Acting.” Because W 19 was a fast day (Luttrell, v, 369), the première would have been on Th 13 had the play been given consecutively on each acting day.
54 There was advertised for 18 at DL a subscription music, with The Judgment of Paris as part of the program.
55 There are no advertisements for W 19, which was a fast day.
56 In DC: 21 and 22 there was advertised a new play Love the Leveller for DL on S 22, but there was apparently a last-minute postponement. See this calendar for W 26.
57 There was advertised for 1 at LIF “The Subscription Musick” with The Judgment of Paris the principal piece.
68 The DC: 8 and 9 contains a notice from Mrs. Katherine Tofts stating that her servant Ann Barwick “occasion'd a Disturbance” at DL on S 5 and printing Mrs. Tofts' apology for her servant's conduct. Apparently Ann Barwick was defending her mistress' singing by hissing a rival singer.
69 The DC: 4 but not DC: 5 advertises The Chances “as newly corrected.”
60 Apparently All for Love was acted at St. James's Palace on M 7, for the DL advertisement for 8 refers to du Ruel's dancing “yesterday before Her Majesty at St. James's” The play is referred to by Downes (pp. 46-47) as being the first of a series given at Court; when next presented, at LIF on May 20, 1704, All for Love was advertised as “it was perform'd before Her Majesty at St. James's.”
61 In DC: 14 and 15 Liberty Asserted was advertised for LIF on S 19, but by DC: 17 the première was changed to Th 24.
62 There was advertised for DL on 22 a subscription music, with Mrs. Tofts singing and a piece “(after the manner of an Opera)... call'd, Britain's Happiness.”
83 The DC: 28 states that “The Reason of deferring [Liberty Asserted] till then is, This day the Company is commanded to Play at Court.” Downes, pp. 46–47, gives Sir Solomon as the second play at court, and Elizabeth Coke, writing to Thomas Coke, states: “There was a play last night at Court, as it was said there would be. It was Solomon Jingle: they say the Queen and Prince was both extremely diverted with it. There was a great deal of company, but no finery, the Court being in Mourning.” HMC, Cowper MSS, iii, 163.
64 There was a subscription music advertised for LIF for 7. 65 There was announced for DL on 14 a subscription music.
66 There was advertised for F 24 a concert at York Buildings as a benefit for Mr. Berenclow (DC: 24).
67 The phrase “By Her Majesty's Sworn Servants,” which rather regularly ended the LIF advertisements to the end of this season, is hereafter omitted in this calendar.
68 For W 29 there was advertised for York Buildings a concert as a benefit for Mr. Corbett (DC: 29).
69 A concert was announced for York Buildings on Th 20 as a benefit for “Seigniora Maria Margarita Gallia” (DC: 20).
70 “The New THEATRE in BATH will be open'd the first Week in May next.” DC : 22.
71 In DC: 24 there is a notice that tickets given out for a subscription music in York Buildings for M 24 will be taken for one on W 26.
72 Downes, p. 47, gives this for April 23, but the advertisements indicate M 24 rather than Su 23.
73 There was advertised for F 28 in York Buildings a concert (DC: 28).
74 In DC: April 27 William Penkethman advertised that he would have a “Droll-Booth” in “Brookfield Market-place at the East Corner of Hide Park” in the fair “to be kept for the space of Sixteen Days, beginning the First of May.”
76 There was announced a concert for York Buildings on Th 18 (DC: 18).
78 There was advertised for W 7 at Chelsea College a concert in which Signiora de l'Epine was to sing several English songs by Mr. Henry Purcell.
77 In DC: 18 there is an advertisement of “Mr. PINKEMAN'S Company of Rope-Dancers” to perform at the “Great Booth in the Coach-makers Yard near St. George's Church in Southwark” during Southwark Fair.
78 The phrase “By Her Majesty's Sworn Servants” concludes this and nearly every other advertisement of LIF during this season.
79 There was advertised for M 6 at LIF Henry the Fourth, with Betterton as Falstaff for his first appearance of the season, but the performance seems to have been postponed. See LIF, Th 9.
80 A concert was advertised for W 8 at York Buildings as a benefit for Mr. Dupree (DC: 7).
81 In the advance notice in DC: 7 Estcourt was advertised to play Bulfinch, but this point was not repeated in the next day's advertisement.
82 A concert was announced for Th 16 at York Buildings as a benefit for “Seigniora Maria Margarita Gallia” (DC: 16).
83 A concert was advertised for Th 7 at York Buildings (DC: 7).
81 In DC: 27 The Committee was advertised for DL for Th 28.
86 A concert for the benefit of Henry Eccles, Jun., was advertised for 2 in Mr. Hill's Dancing Room in Crosby Square (DC: 2).
86 A concert for the benefit of Mr. Smith and Mr. Isaac was advertised for Th 4 in York Buildings (DC: 4).
87 In DC: 13 there was advertised for DL on 13 Gibraltar, or The Spanish Adventure, but it was deferred. For the same day was announced a concert at York Buildings as a benefit for Mr. Corbett (DC: 12).
88 There was advertised for W 7 a concert at York Buildings as a benefit for Mrs. Hodgson (DC: 6).
89 For W 21 there was advertised a concert at York Buildings as a benefit for Mr. Dupree (DC: 21). For Th 22 (DC: 22) there was advertised for DL The Quacks as a benefit for Ben. Johnson. For its deferment, see Nicoll, p. 289.
90 Presumably by error, The Quacks was advertised in DC: 28 for W 28.
91 In DC: 30 Richard III was advertised for S 31 at DL.
82 On M April 2 there was given at York Buildings a concert as a benefit for Signora Juliana Celotti (DC: 2).
93 Title taken from the libretto; also cf. the notice for April 24. For an account of the identification of the opera with which this theater was opened, see A. Loewenberg, Annals of Opera 1597-1940 (Cambridge, 1943), pp. 58–59.
94 Downes, p. 48, states that the opening opera “lasted but 5 Days”; Cibber (An Apology, p. 185) gives the total performances as three. Downes states that the “first Play” was The Gamester. None of these statements are supported by extant records.
95 In DC: 20 there was advertised for DL on April 23 a new comedy without a name. In DC: 21 the advertisement states that the comedy is to be The City Nymph, or The Accomplished Fools. The receipts for some performances of this comedy are given in Hotson, p. 383.
96 Nicoll, p. 368, accepts W 25 as the second performance. The advertisement seems to have repeated “Never Acted before” by error.
97 In DC: 28 (and May 1, 2, and 3) appeared an advertisement: “This is to satisfy the Town, that during the Time of May-Fair, ensuing, ”Mr. PINKETHMAN and Mr. FINLY, for Time past having had the honour to give Satisfaction to the Quality, in their separate Booths, and still being willing to keep up the Grandeur of the said Fair, have continu'd to the utmost of their Endeavours to divert the Town with some new and surprising Entertainments, which they hope will give Satisfaction in general.
“Their separate Entertainments will be erprest upon their Bills, in and about town. And their Booths will stand as usual.”
88 For several reasons this performance is doubtful. It is the only performance listed in the DC during the time of May-Fair, during which DL had announced its intention of not acting and the Queens seems otherwise not to have been acting, and the advertisement is not repeated after May 1. In addition, when Henry VIII was revived at the Queens on February 15, 1707, it was advertised as “Never Acted there before.”
99 The phrasing of the advertisement of The Soldier's Fortune for May 29 suggests that it may not have been performed on May 28; however, the repetition of the phrase “Not Acted these Five Years” on 29 may have been accidental.
100 The DC: 27 announced for June 28 at DL Arsinoe and The Quacks.
101 The DC: 29 advertised for June 30 at DL The Committee as a benefit for Newman, with the statement: “All the Tickets given out for Hamlet Prince of Denmark will be taken at this Play.”
102 The DC does not advertise this performance, but it probably occurred. The Cares of Love was advertised for its third performance on 7, and the second performance would probably fall on the preceding Friday.