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The London Stage Database, 1660-1800

The London Stage is a key reference work documenting theatrical performances in eighteenth-century London. This information has been compiled from the playbills, newspapers and theatrical diaries of the period.

Within this database, it is now possible to search all the performances of The London Stage between 1660-1800 using the title of the performance, names of performers, date ranges and theatres.

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Date Theatre Performance
29 Oct 1659
Saturday 29 The City, London London's Triumph Description Celebrated the Nine and Twentieth day of October, in the Year 1659. In Honour of the much Honoured Thomas Allen, Lord Mayor of the said City. Presented and personated by an Europian, an Egyptian, and a Persian. And done at the Costs and Charges of the ever to be Honoured Company of Grocers. Comment COMMENT. The Lord Mayor's Show. By John Tatham. The author mentions as his assistants: Andrew Dakers and William Lightfoot, painters; Thomas Whiting, joyner; and Richard Clear, carver.
1 Nov 1659
Middle Temple The Countryman or Clown Description Author not known. Cast not known. Comment COMMENT. On 23 Nov. 1639 John Page, the Treasurer of the Middle Temple, entered in his records: Music, four nights at 30s., and acting “The Clown” four nights at 10s. (See A Calendar of the Middle Temple Records, ed. Hopwood, p. 167. See also Bentley, Jacobean and Caroline Stage, v, 1314.)
18 Dec 1659
Sunday 18 An Epilogue Description or, Representation in Four Parts. [By Thomas Jordan.] Sung by the City Musick. Comment COMMENT. Representation in Parts, to be Habited, Sung, and Acted, as they have oftentimes with Great Applause performed before the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs of London. An Eclogue, or Representation in Four Parts, Composed for the Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Allen, and Sung by the City Musick, December 18th, 1659
1 Feb 1660
Middle Temple The Countryman or Clown Description See Nov. 1659. Comment COMMENT. 6 Feb. 1659/60: Music, three nights, and acting “The Clown” £6. (A Calendar of the Middle Temple Records, ed. Hopwood, p. 168).
28 Mar 1660
Wednesday 28 Drapers' Hall ENTERTAINMENT Comment COMMENT. At Drapers' Hall. (See J. Paine Collier, “Monk and the Restoration,” Gentleman's Magazine, New Series, xxxvi (1851), 347-52. See also 13 April 1660.)
12 Apr 1660
Thursday 12 Vintners' Hall Bacchus Festival Description or, A New Medley. [By Thomas Jordan.] Cast not known. Comment COMMENT. Edition of 1660: Being a Musical Representation at the Entertainment of his Excellency the Lord General Monk at Vintners Hall 12 April 1660.
1 May 1660
The Red Bull Theatre Love Hath Found Out His Eyes Description or, Distractions. [By Thomas Jordan! Cast not known. Comment COMMENT. This play was entered in the Stationers' Register, 29 June 166O, but not printed. A Prologue and Epilogue (Epilogue spoken by Cupid) to a play of this title were printed in Jordan's A Rosary of Rarities, p. 17, but these may refer to an earlier performance. (See Bentley, Jacobean and Caroline Stage, iv, 684-85.)
1 Jun 1660
Dorest Court The Rump Description or, The Mirrour of the late Times. [By John Tatham.] Cast not known. Comment COMMENT. The edition of 1660, which has a Prologue and an Epilogue but no actors' names, was entered in the Stationers'' Register, Aug. 1660, and apparently followed closely upon the return of Charles II. Edition of 1660: Acted Many Times with Great Applause, At the Private House in Dorset-Court.
Early June The Red Bull Theatre Madam Epicene Description [The Silent Woman. By Ben Jonson.] Cast not known. Comment COMMENT. Pepys, Diary, 6 June 1660: My letters tell me . . . that the two Dukes do haunt the Park much, and that they were at a play, Madam Epicene, the other day.
23 Jun 1660
Saturday 23 The Red Bull Theatre The Tamer Tamed Description [The Woman's Prize. By John Fletcher.] Cast not known. Prologue. The Epilogue, spoken by the Tamer, a Woman. Comment COMMENT. This performance is known by the Prologue and Epilogue printed in Thomas Jordan's A Nursery of Novelties or Variety of Poetry. The Prologue is dated 24 June 1660, but as this date falls on Sunday, the performance has been entered as Saturday 23 June 1660, for in this same work (p. 19) Jordan mentions: A Speech by way of Epilogue to those that would rise out of the Pit at the Red Bull in the last Scene, and disturb the conclusion by going on the Stage, June 23d 1660. [The Prologue and Epilogue have been reprinted in the Shakespeare Society Papers, iv 1849), 140-42, and in Sprague, Beaumont and Fletcher on the Restoration Stage, PP. 9-10. See also the list at the beginning of the season 1659-1660.]
5 Jul 1660
Thursday 5 The City, London London's Glory Represented by Time, Truth, and Fame Description At the Magnificent Triumphs and Entertainment of His Most Sacred Majesty Charles the II ... At Guildhall on Thursday the 5th day of July 1660. [By JohnTatham.] Comment COMMENT. According to Robert Withington (.English Pageantry, An Historical Outline, Cambridge, Mass., 1918,1, 242n), the expense of the entertainment came to £7888 2s. 6d. (See also Pepys, Diary, and other accounts.)The Diurnal of Thomas Rugg, ed. Sachse, pp. 98-99: A lane [was] made in the Citty, made by the livery men of several companyes; and many pageants in the streets. . . . Att Cheap sid his Majesty beheld a famous pagien, and staid there for som littl space, where were speeches made by the lady paganetts. Evelyn, Diary: I saw his Majestic go with as much pompe & splendor as any Earthly prince could do to the greate Citty feast . . . but the exceeding raine which fell all that day, much eclips'd its luster: . . . the streetes adorn'd with Pageants &c: at immense cost.
8 Aug 1660
[Wednesday 8] Cromwell's Conspiracy Description Author not known. Comment COMMENT. Edition of 1660: A Tragy-Comedy. Relating to our latter Times. Beginning at the Death of King Charles the First. And ending with the happy Restaurant of King Charles the Second. Written by a Person of Quality. [This work was probably not acted. The British Museum copy (E 1038) has a MS date 8 Aug. 1660.]
18 Aug 1660
Saturday 18 The Cockpit in Drury Lane The Loyal Subject Description [By John Fletcher.] Pepys: Duke's Sister - Kynaston. Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 17-19: Loyal Subject - Betterton, Thomas; Theodore - Sheppy. Comment COMMENT. Pepys, Diary: Captain Fererrs, my Lord's Cornet, comes to us, who after dinner took me and Creed to the Cockpitt play, the first that I have had time to see since my coming from sea, “The Loyall Subject,” where one Kinaston, a boy, acted the Duke's sister, but made the loveliest lady that ever I saw in my life, only her voice not very good.
10 Sep 1660
Monday 10 Southwark Fair Entertainments Description Pepys, Diary: So we returned and landed at the Bear at the Bridge foot, where we saw Southwark Fair (I having not at all seen Bartholomew Fair).
13 Sep 1660
Thursday 13 Southwark Fair Entertainments Description Evelyn, Diary: I saw in Southwark at St Margarites faire ... we saw also Monkyes & Apes daunce, & do other feates of activity on the high-rope, to admiration: They were galantly clad alamode, went upright, saluted the Company, bowing & pulling-off their hatts: They saluted one another with as good grace as if instructed by a Dauncing Master. They turned heales over head, with a bucket of Eggs in it, without breaking any: also with Candles (lighted) in their hands, & on their head, without extinguishing them, & with vessells of water, without spilling a drop; I also saw an Italian Wench daunce to admiration, & performe all the Tricks of agility on the high rope, all the Court went to see her: (likewise here was her Father) who tooke up a piece of Yron Canon of above 400 pounds weight, with the haires of his head onely.
11 Oct 1660
Thursday 11 The Cockpit in Drury Lane Othello, The Moor of Venice Description [Othello, by William Shakespeare.] Othello - Burt; Iago - Clunn. Comment COMMENT. Pepys, Diary: We met with Mr Salisbury, who took Mr Creed and me to the Cockpitt to see “The Moore of Venice,” which was well done. Burt acted the Moore; by the same token, a very pretty lady that sat by me, called out, to see Desdemona smothered. Possibly Clun acted Iago. Pepys (6 Feb. 1668/9) refers to his playing that role, and a reference to Clun as Iago appears in A Most Execrable Murther in A Little Ark, ed. G. Thorn-Drury, pp. 30-31. See also entry of 14 Aug. 1660.
16 Oct 1660
Tuesday 16 The Cockpit in Drury Lane Wit without Money Description [By Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher.] Cast not known. Comment COMMENT. Pepys, Diary: Mr Moore coming to me, my wife staid at home, and he and I went out together . . . and so home with him to the Cockpit, where, understanding that “Wit without money” was acted, I would not stay.
29 Oct 1660
Monday 29 The City, London The Royal Oake Description [By John Tatham.] Cast not known, except that Dyanmond tumbled Comment COMMENT. Edition of 1660: The Royal Oake, with Other various and delightfull Scenes presented on the Water and the Land, Celebrated in Honour of the deservedly Honoured Sir Richard Brown, Bar. Lord Mayor of the City of London, The 29th day of October . . . and performed at the Costs and Charges of the Right Worshipful Company of Merchant-Taylors. [Tatham refers to Dyamond, a tumbler, and acknowledges the assistance of Andrew Dakers, Paynter; william Lightfoot, Paynter; Thomas Whitein, Joyner; and Richard Cleere, Carver.] Pepys, Diary: And I ... at the Key in Cheapside; where there was a company of fine ladies, and we were very civilly treated, and had a very good place to see pageants, which were many, and I believe good, for such kind of things, but in themselves but poor and absurd. Evelyn, Diary: My Lord Majors shew stop'd me in cheape-side: one of the Pageants represented a greate Wood, with the royal Oake, & historic of his Majesties miraculous escape at Bosco-bell &c:
2 Nov 1660
Friday 2 Middle Temple Wit without Money Description [By Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher.] Cast not known. Comment COMMENT. According to A Calendar of the Middle Temple Records, ed. Hopwood (p. 168) the charges came to £11 and the receipt was signed by Will Burgon. The Diary and Will of Elias Ashmole: This day was kept solemnly at the Middle Temple and after the auncient manner. The Lord Chancellor, Judges and Sergeants that were of the Society dined in the Hall, after dinner they had a play, viz. Witt without Money [ed. R. T. Gunter, 1927, p. 76]. Ashmole lists the performance for 1 Nov. 1660, but the records of the Middle Temple point to 2 Nov. 1660 as the proper date.
5 Nov 1660
Monday 5 The Red Bull Theatre Wit without Money Description [By Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher.] Cast not known. Comment COMMENT. See Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 116. This was the King's Company (under Killigrew), split off from the United Company. According to Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 2) the roster included: Theophilus Bird, Hart, Mohun, Lacy, Burt, Cartwright, Clun, Baxter, Robert Shatterel, William Shatterel, Duke [Marmaduke Watson], Hancock, Kynaston, Wintersel, Bateman, Blagden. (But see also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 295.) According to the articles of agreement, 5 Nov. 1660 (Herbert, Dramatic Records, pp. 96-100), the Duke's Company (under Davenant) included Thomas Batterton, Thomas Sheppey, Robert Noakes, James Noakes, Thomas Lovell, John Moseley, Cave Underhill, Robert Turner, Thomas Lilleston.

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