*p1779 01 05 dl Much Ado about Nothing. ^As17781104^, but Benedick-Lewis [of <i>cg</i>]; Balthazer-Mattocks [of cg]; Borachio-Wrighten; Dogberry-Moody; Sexton-.*a1779 01 05 dl The Irish Widow. ^As17780919^.*d1779 01 05 dl ^As17780919^.*c1779 01 05 dl [Mainpiece in place of <i>Merope</i>, announced on playbill of 4 Jan. "We played last night <i>Much Ado about Nothing</i>, and had an apology to make for the change of three principal parts. About twelve o'clock $Mr Henderson= sent word he was not able to play. We got $Mr Lewis= from Covent Garden, who supplied the part of <i>Benedick</i>r. Soon after $Mr Parsons= sent word he could not play. $Mr Moody= supplied the part of <i>Dogberry</i>r; and about four in the afternoon $Mr Vernon= sent word he could not play. $Mr Mattocks= supplied his part of <i>Balthazar</i>r...In the middle of the first act, a message was brought me that $Mr Lamash= (who was to play the part of <i>Borachio</i>r) was not come to the House. I had nobody there that could go on for it, so I was obliged to cut his scenes in the first and second acts entirely out, and got $Mr Wrighten= to go on for the remainder of the part. At length we got the play over without the audience finding it out. We had a very bad house. Mr Parsons is not able to play in <i>The School for Scandal</i> to-morrow night; do not yet know how we shall be able to settle that" (<i>Garrick, Private Correspondence</i>, II, 328-29: $Hopkins=, prompter,in letter to $Garrick=, 6 Jan. 1779. He does not state who took Wrighten's place as the <i>Sexton</i>r.).] On account of the sudden Illness of a Principal Performer, the new Pantomime [<i>The Wonders of Derbyshire</i>, announced on playbill of 4 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred till Friday. Receipts: #74 11s. (48.19; 25.10; 0.2).