# Theatre and Public Entertainment in The Diary > Theme guide for The Diary by Samuel Pepys. Pepys frequently attends plays, operas, and puppet shows, offering detailed commentary on performances, actors like Nell Gwyn, and the social dynamics of the theatre as a space for leisure and intrigue. ## Where it surfaces - [January 1660–61](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1660-61): Pepys attends plays such as 'The Silent Woman' and 'The Widdow,' and comments on performances and actors. - [February 1660–61](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1660-61): Pepys attends performances of 'The Scornful Lady' and 'The Virgin Martyr,' and hears trumpets and drums at Whitehall. - [March 1660–61](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/march-1660-61): Pepys attends multiple plays including 'Love's Mistress', 'King and No King', 'The Spanish Curate', 'The Bondman', and 'Rollo'. - [April 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1661): Pepys attends several plays ('Rule a Wife and Have a Wife,' 'The Little Thiefe,' 'The Humersome Lieutenant') and enjoys music and social gatherings. - [July 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/july-1661): Pepys attends the opera 'The Siege of Rhodes' and the play 'Claracilla', noting the shift in audience from traditional theatres to the new opera. - [August 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1661): Pepys attends several plays including 'The Joviall Crew' and 'The Witts', visits Bartholomew Fair, and expresses guilt over his love of plays. - [September 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1661): Pepys attends multiple plays this month, including 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' and 'King and No King', noting their quality. - [October 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1661): Pepys attends plays including Victoria Corombona and Argalus and Parthenia, commenting on the performances. - [November 1661](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1661): Pepys attends plays such as 'The Joviall Crew', 'The Bondman', and 'Father's Own Son', and visits Bartholomew Fair and a gaming house. - [April 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1662): Pepys frequently attends plays, such as 'The Maid in the Mill' and 'The Bondman', and enjoys walks and cheesecake outings. - [May 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1662): Pepys sees 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle' and 'Doctor Faustus' (poorly done), and watches wrestling in Moorefields. - [November 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/november-1662): Pepys attends a performance of 'The Scornful Lady' at the Cockpit with the royal family present. - [December 1662](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1662): Pepys attends plays ('The Villaine' and 'The Second Part of Rhodes') and comments on the audience and performances. - [January 1662–63](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1662-63): Pepys attends performances of 'The Villaine' and 'Twelfth Night', noting audience composition and his own evolving taste. - [May 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1663): Pepys visits the newly opened Theatre Royal, critiques the play 'The Humerous Lieutenant,' and notes the fashion of ladies in the pit. - [June 1663](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/june-1663): Pepys attends 'The Faithful Shepherdess' and notes the fashion of vizards. - [August 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1664): Pepys attends 'Bartholomew Fair' and 'Henry the Fifth'; hears of actor Clun's murder; Killigrew's plan for a nursery. - [September 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1664): Pepys attends The Rivalls at the Duke's house and visits Bartholomew Fair, enjoying rope dancing and shows. - [December 1664](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1664): Pepys attends The Rivalls at the Duke's House, noting the good acting of Betterton and his wife and Harris. - [May 1665](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1665): Scientific experiments at Colonel Blunt's and Gresham College serve as intellectual entertainment. - [January 1665–66](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1665-66): Pepys enjoys music and singing with Mrs. Knipp and others, and praises Sir J. Minnes's mimical talents, which would suit the stage. - [August 1667](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/august-1667): Pepys attends multiple plays, notes the empty houses, and gossips about Nell Gwyn's fall from favor, illustrating the social role of theatre. - [February 1667–68](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1667-68): Pepys attends 'The Tempest' and 'She Would if She Could,' noting the crowded house and the play's reception. - [April 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/april-1668): Pepys attends plays including 'The English Monsieur' and 'The Black Prince', and visits Knipp after the play. - [May 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/may-1668): Pepys attends multiple plays including 'The Surprisal', 'The Sullen Lovers', 'The Tempest', and 'The Committee'. - [September 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/september-1668): Pepys attends 'The Maid in the Mill', a puppet show of Whittington, and Jacob Hall's rope dancing. - [October 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/october-1668): Pepys attends multiple plays, including 'The Faythful Shepherdess' and 'The Queen of Arragon', and praises a French eunuch singer. - [December 1668](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/december-1668): Pepys attends several plays, including 'The Usurper', 'Catiline's Conspiracy', and 'King Harry the Eighth', commenting on their quality. - [January 1668–69](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/january-1668-69): Pepys attends plays (Macbeth, The Maiden Queen) and discusses playhouse management with Tom Killigrew. - [February 1668–69](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/chapters/february-1668-69): Pepys watches a French showman, attends a play, and sees a Spanish dancer. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/themes/theatre_and_public_entertainment - Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_diary_se/themes