Event Comment: Benefit for Jewell, treasurer. 2nd piece: Taken from The Devil upon Two Sticks. 3rd piece: Never performed here. Public Advertiser, 8 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Jewell, No. 26, Great Suffolk-street, Hay-market

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. Tickets delivered for the 26th will be admitted. Public Advertiser. 11 May: Tickets [for 26 May] to be had of Mrs Ward, No. 12, Catherine-street, Strand. Mainpiece: Never performed there. Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years. Receipts: #234 13s. 6d. (29.3.0; 15.2.0; 1.0.6; tickets: 189.8.0) (charge: #108 0s. 4d.)

Event Comment: [The playbill retains Byrne as Harlequin, but "We were sorry to find a substitute for Byrne in Harlequin, but more particularly to understand that he had again [see 29 Oct.] unfortunately broken his right arm" (Public Advertiser, 31 Dec.).] Receipts: #249 19s. (248.3; 1.16)

Event Comment: The Prelude The Theatrical Candidates By Desire, and for the last Time. Paid Mr Brereton on Mr G. draft #60. Receipts: #136 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dumay, Harris & Holloway. Public Advertiser, 16 May: Tickets to be had of Dumay at Sandhill, behind the Foundling Hospital; of Harris, No. 12, Duke's-court, Bow-street, Covent Garden; of Holloway, Great Maddox-street, Hanover-square. Receipts: #263 15s. (69.2; tickets: 194.13) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Brett. Public Advertiser, 18 July: Tickets to be had of Brett, No. 73, Long-acre

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Forster. Public Advertiser, 21 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Forster, the corner of Castle-street, opposite Hart-street, Bloomsbury. Receipts: #174 4s. 6d. (39.15.0; 21.3.0; 1.0.6; tickets: 112.6.0) (charge: #105 16s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Brunton. Mainpiece: Written by Sheridan. Public Advertiser, 13 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Miss Brunton, No. 5, George-street, York-buildings. Receipts: #260 18s. 6d. (156.12.0; 7.1.6; tickets: 87.5.0)

Event Comment: Rec'd stopages #11 18s. Paid Mr Farren 40 nights at 30s. per week, #10. Receipts: #133 12s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Last time of company's performing this season. Benefit for Bowers and Widow Veal. Tickets deliver'd by Berrisford, Hodges, and Burroughs will be taken. Thus Ends the Season-63 different plays-36 different Farces-186 Nights in all (Hopkins Diary). Paid Watch, Rector, Cleansing, &c., cg to Lady Day last #5 18s. 4d. (Treasurer's Book). After Season Receipts: 11 June: Box Office Keeper's cash #25; Condill's 3rd and last payment for Fruit Office #20. 16 June: Candles, Oyl and Lampmen of Theatrical Fund Night 2nd inst. #3 18s. 6d. 23 June: Mr Johnston for Candle ends sold to sundry #11 7s. 6d.; Ditto for Lace burnt form the Wardrobe #205 8s. 26 June: Harrison's rent 1 yr to Lady Day last #46 but with #12 5s. in taxes deducted amount rec'd #33 15s.; Williams rent ditto (#48 with #8 6s. 8d. taxes deducted) #39 13s. 4d.; From Public Advertiser this season #50; From Daily Gazetteer #50. 3 July: Remainder of Sinking Fund #160 2s. 6d. 6 July. Mr Rowland 1 yrs rent to Lady Day last with #3 8s. in taxes deducted, #139 12s.; Mr Pope 1 yrs rent to ditto with #3 11s. 2d. taxes deducted #26 8s. 10d. 10 July: Benefit deficiencies cleared and Cash taken up by Evans as per acct. #89 7s. (Treasurer's Book). After Season expenditures: 11 June: Hopkins, Prompters Bill #8 15s.; Miss Hopkins 18 Nights full #2 5s. 13 June: 2 days salary list at #72 6s. 5d. per diem #144 12s. 10d.; S. French 6 days #1 10s. 16 June: Davies on note #7 6s.; Printer's 2 bills #11 14s.; Mas. Thomson 3 nights in full 15s.; Mrs Mann on note #2 2s.; Tallow chandler's 9th bill (#30 14s. 4d. with a discount of #26 15s. 6d. on all bills for season) #3 18s. 10d. 19 June: Miss Berkley on note #5 5s. 3 July: J. Stevens 2 weeks as usual #1 16s; Sandys & Co. for Colours #10 4s. Dorman for Coals #20 10s. and for attending practices of dances, as usual #10 10s.; Cole (turner) #14 3s.; Bibb (sword cutler) #3 12s.; Barret (wax chandler) #20 6s. 6d.; Blakes, (hatter), #5 12s.; Lowe and Co (glaziers) #16 6d.; Cropley, (linen draper) #14 7s. 6d.; Chamberlain & Co. (ironmongers), #25; Carter (scowerer) #14 12s.; Jennings (glover and furrier) #18 6d.; Scott (copper laceman), #51 19s.; Carpue, (silk dyer) #9 1s. 6d.; Mrs Chitty (coals) #28; Carver's bill #2 1s.; Chettell (timber) #14 9s.; Cubitt (Tinman) #18 2s. 6d.; Waller (hosier) #24 19s. 6d.; Barrow & Co. (only) #118; Vaughan (haberdasher) #3 6s.; Hatsell (mercer) #28 2s.; Thomson (smith) #10 15s. 6 July: B. Lyon, Wardrobe & Carp Bills #10 10s. 6d.; Stephens (manson) #6 4s.; Pope (peruke maker) #29 6s. and #3 16s. for 38 extra nights dressing &c.; Mrs Slaughter's Bill #9 2s. 6d.; Roberts (shoemaker) #3 12s. 6d.; D. Richards, 30 weeks 5 days extra salary in full for this season #30 16s. 8d.; Hewetson (laceman) #17 6s.; Mr Page in full of #25 this season #1 17s. 6d. 8 July: J. Johnston's Music Bill #37 13s. 6d.; Powney & Co., (stationers) #3 14s.; Landall for Mrs Cape's Funeral per order #4 7s. 6d.; Kirkman, (harpsichord maker) #18 14s.; John French, painter's bill #5 3s. 10 July: Palmer for Spermacetti Candles #255 8s.; Miss Collett's schooling #2 8s. 10d.; Stafford (glassman) #4 19s.; A. Johnston's bill for feathers &c. #15 6s. 6d.; Ditto four Housekeeping Bills #10 1s. 4d.; Chapman (Jubilee horsekeeping) #3 13s. 6d.; Victor 2 weeks salary as usual #5; Victor gratuity as usual #30; Evans 2 weeks salary as usual #3 and #42 in lieu of a Benefit. Books Closed 10 July. Total income #32,538 6s. 1d. Total outgo #26,410 8s. 8d. Profit #6,127 17s. 5d. paid To Managers #5,040 To Clutterbuck #1,087 17s. 5d

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft; in 1796 altered by the author and acted as The Mask'd Friend. Prologue by William Nicholson (see text). Epilogue attributed to Frederick Pilon (Public Advertiser, 15 Oct.)]: With New Dresses, Scenery, &c. Public Advertiser, 12 Nov. 1781: This Day will lie published Duplicity (price not listed). Paid Music #8 4s. 8d.; Chorus Singers #3 15s. Receipts: #204 16s. (202/7/6; 2/8/6)

Event Comment: Full Prices. Afterpiece: A Pantomimic dance by Love (Biographia Dramatica). Much followed and brought several crowded houses, and the success chiefly owing to the reports our newspapers were, at that time, daily filled with, of the French wild Beast that was devouring (and yet pursued by) children. This wild beast was happily introduced in this pantomime, pursued by boys led on by a Frenchman. At last the Beast made his Re-entry, and ran across the stage with the poor Frenchman in his mouth, to the great joy of the Pit, Box and Galleries (Victor, History of Theatres, III, 72). Dorilas for the first time by Mr Cautherly--very decent, but wanted spirit. This pantomime is fathered by Mr Lowe [?]--went off with applause, --Mr Garrick made most of the Business to it, which is very good (Hopkins Diary). [Letter from C. V. Theatricus on ladies' removing their hats in the theatre. A Gentleman had requested it and a debate ensued in the Public Advertiser, as to whether he wished to see the play better or to gaze more audaciously on many pretty faces. Long letter also from G. F. Theatricus to the Public Advertiser, commenting on the excellence of Powell, Mrs Yates, Holland, the Palmers, Cautherly and Bensley for their performance in Venice Preserved, Romeo and Juliet, and Mahomet respectively.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Robert Jephson. Prologue by the author (Gentleman's Magazine, Jan, 1782, p. 36). Another Prologue, by the Right Hon. Luke Gardiner, "not arriving in London time enough for the first exhibition of the Count of Narbonne, was not spoken" (ibid.). Epilogue by Richard Josceline Goodenough, but beginning with 20 Nov. it was superseded by a new Epilogue written by Edmond Malone (see text)]: With new Scenery and Dresses. Public Advertiser, 1 Nov.: The Management of The Count of Narbonne is . . . under very good Care: Mr Horace Walpole, with a Fondness nothing less than fatherly, directs that part of the Affair which respects the Scenes and Dresses, while Henderson takes Charge of the Rehearsals and the casting of inferior Parts... [Henderson] is to wear a Dress which is lent him from among the Antiquities at Strawberry Hill. "I have been at the theatre, and compromised the affair of the epilogues: one is to be spoken to-morrow, the friend's on the author's night. I have been tumbling into trap-doors, seeing dresses tried on in the green-room, and directing armour in the painting-room" (Walpole [16 Nov. 1781], XII, 95). "I never saw a more unprejudiced audience, nor more attention. There was not the slightest symptom of disapprobation to any part ... It is impossible to say how much justice Miss Younge did to your writing. She has shown herself a great mistress of her profession, mistress of dignity, passion, and of all the sentiments you have put into her hands. The applause given to her description of Raymond's death lasted some minutes, and recommenced; and her scene in the fourth act, after the Count's ill-usage, was played in the highest perfection. Mr Henderson was far better than I excepted from his weakness, and from his rehearsal yesterday, with which he was much discontented himself. Mr Wroughton was very animated, and played the part of the Count much better than any man now on the stage would have done. I wish I could say Mr Lewis satisfied me; and that poor child Miss Satchell was very inferior to what she appeared at the rehearsals, where the total silence and our nearness deceived us. Her voice has no strength, nor is she yet at all mistress of the stage. I have begged Miss Younge to try what she can do with her by Monday. However, there is no danger to your play: it is fully established" (Walpole [to the author, 18 Nov. 1781], XII, 95-96). Public Advertiser, 28 Nov. 1781: This Day is published The Count of Narbonne (price not listed). Receipts: #164 10s. 6d. (163/0/6; 1/10/0)

Event Comment: [As afterpiece Public Advertiser announces The Rival Candidates, but see Hopkins Diary, 12 Oct.] The Managers met again to-day, but nothing settled. Hamlet was given out. I saw Mr Sheridan, he told me that Mr Lacy and he had agreed that no Play should be given out, nor any Bills put up, till they had settled this Affair, which was to be done to-Morrow at Mr Wallis's (the Attorney's) where they were all to dine. I waited on Mr Lacy, who agreed to the same, and no Bills or Paragraph were sent to the Papers. All the Business of the Theatre is at a Stand, and no Rehearsal called. Wed. 16th--Mr Sheridan, Dr Ford and Mr Linley dined today by Appointment with Mr Wallis where Mr Lacy was to have met them; about four o'clock he sent a verbal Message that he could not come to Dinner, but would wait upon them in the Evening, and about nine o'clock he came, and everything was settled to the Satisfaction (of them all) and a Paragraph sent to the Papers, and the Hypocrite and Christmas Tale was advertised for Friday, but no Play was to be done on Thursday--Covent Garden did not play on Friday (Hopkins Diary). Public Advertiser, 16 Oct., summarizes the proprietors' dispute: the Drury Lane patent had been purchased [in 1747] by David Garrick and James Lacy. On his death Lacy had devised his half-share to his son, Willoughby Lacy; on his retirement from the stage Garrick had sold his half-share to Sheridan, Ford and Linley. The original agreement between Garrick and Lacy, as recited in a document retained by the attorney Albany Wallis was that, in case of the sale of either share of the patent, or any part of either share, the seller was obligated to offer the first refusal to purchase to the other partner, and that this was to be done only when the theatre was closed for the summer. In selling one half of his share to Robert Langford and to Edward Thompson, Willoughby Lacy was--so argued his three partners--acting illegally: he had not offered to them the first refusal, and he was negotiating the sale at a time when the theatre was open. Public Advertiser, 17 Oct.. prints a statement from Lacy saying that he did not feel himself bound by the original agreement between his father and Garrick, but that, in the interest of the business of the theatre, he had asked Langford and Thompson to withdraw their claim to partnership, to which request they had acceded. Receipts: #130 9s. 6d

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time at a public theatre; C 3, by Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven, afterwards Margravine of Anspach, 1st acted privately at the Town-Hall, Newbury, 6 Apr. 1780. Text (G. Riley, 1781) assigns no parts. Prologue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Epilogue by Joseph Jekyll (see text)]: With new Dresses, &c. "The Prologue [the first 30 lines and the concluding couplet of which were used by Sheridan as the Prologue to Pizarro (see dl, 24 May 1799)] was so much admired that at the request of the Duchess of Devonshire and several other of the nobility it was respoken after the piece; but as King was absent from the theatre, it was delivered by Palmer" (Town and Country Magazine, May 1780, p. 23 ). "The chief singularity was that [Lady Craven] went to it herself the second night, in form; sat in the middle of the front row of the stage-box, much dressed, with a profusion of white bugles and plumes, to receive the public homage due to her sex and loveliness. The Duchess of Richmond, Lady Harcourt,...Mrs Damer, Lord Craven,...and I were with her. It was amazing to see so young a woman entirely possess herself-but there is such an integrity and frankness in her consciousness of her own beauty and talents, that she speaks of them with a naivete as if she had no property in them, but only wore them as gifts of the gods. Lord Craven on the contrary was quite agitated by his fondness for her and with impatience at the bad performance of the actors, which was wretched indeed, yet the address of the plot, which is the chief merit of the piece, and some lively pencilling carried it off very well, though Parsons murdered the Scotch lord, and Mrs Robinson (who is supposed to be the favourite of the Prince of Wales) thought on nothing but her own charms, or him. There is a very good though endless prologue written by Sheridan and spoken in perfection by King, which was encored (an entire novelty) the first night: and an epilogue that I liked still better and which was full as well delivered by Mrs Abington, written by Mr. Jekyl. The audience, though very civil, missed a fair opportunity of being gallant, for in one of those ----logues, I forget which, the noble authoress was mentioned, and they did not applaud as they ought to have done, especially when she condescended to avow her pretty child and was there looking so very pretty...Yet Lady Craven's tranquillity had nothing displeasing;...and it was tempered by her infinite good nature, which made her make excuses for the actors instead of being provoked at them" (Walpole [28 May 1780], XI, 178-80). Public Advertiser, 14 July 1781: This Day at Noon will be published The Miniature Picture (price not listed). Receipts: #144 9s. (94.9; 48.3; 1.17)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft. Prologue by the author (Public Advertiser, 19 Mar.). Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (Knapp, 81)]: With new Scenery, Dresses, &c. Public Advertiser, 31 Mar. 1787: This Day is published Seduction (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #187 15. (162.14.0; 24.1.6; 0.17.0; ticket not come in: 0.2.6)