A NOTE ON THE CALENDAR
THE format in general follows tlrat published in Parts 2 anti 3 oftliis Work.
The theatrical season is the unit of organization, and entries are arrangetl
chronologically with the major patent tlieatres leading tlte list eacli day.
Each season is a self-contained unit, prefaced with a list of the principal
performers in eaclr organized company: actors and actresses, followed hy
dancers, singers, and specialist musicians. The seasonal prefaces comment
on leading trends in criticism, major topical events reflected on tile stage,
and make running comment upon tlie appearance of new plays and after-
pieces. Full information is given for the first performance of a play; for
successive ones a reference to a previous entry. Thus tlie “ladder" system
familiar to readers of Parts 2 and 3 oftlie Work is followed, wliereby only
the changes in casts, dancers, singers, etc., are noted in seasonal references
to performances fully recorded on their first appearance. Occasionally, wlren
cast changes have become numerous and complicated a ftesh ladder is
started in mid-season, but eaclt play can lie traced back up tlie ladder to its
original performance tliat season.
The regularized format, listing seriatim tile mainpiece, ؛tfterpiece,
entr'acte dancing, singing, specialty entertainment, and comment, pre-
eludes exact typograpliical reproduction of tlie playbill. Newspaper ad,-
vertisements and playbills generally include tlie admission charges, time
of performance, and locations wliere tickets may be procured. For concise-
ness we have entered such information tlie first time it occurs in our sources;
tliereafter we enter only significant variations. (Rotation marks have in
general been avoided. Stjuare brackets have been used to indicate para-
phrasing of a bill, or a critical comment wliere confusion is likely between
summary and reproduction of the language of the source.
Sources for information unless otherwise noted are tile General Adver-
tiser, whicli was continued as the Public Advertiser from I December 1752.