Event Comment: Both pieces By Command of their Majesties. Present their Majesties. Gave Yeomen of Guard #2 2s. Paid one year's Assurance on #3000 in Royal Exchange to 15 Dec. 1773, #6. Paid Raban & Kime (coal merchants) #91 10s. Paid Dr Arne for the Music for Elfrida #90 (Account Book). Receipts: #233 11s

Event Comment: A New Pantomime of Mr Messinks went off with great Applause (Hopkins Diary). Music By Dibdin. New Scenes, Habits, and Machines. Nothing under Full Prices will be taken. [Repeated.] Paid 4 days salary list at #85 12s. 11d., #342 11s. 8d.; Miss Mansell on acct #5 5s.; Mr Clinch ditto, #6 6s.; Dr Arne for Mrs Bradley 2 nights per order #5 5s.; Stopages nil (Treasurer's Book). [Full description of the New Pantomime is given in the Westminster Magazine (January 1773): Harlequin born to the Pigmies comes to manhood, gets a job from the Register Office in a Nobleman's family where he meets Colombine. They love, and elope, a chase ensues through several noted places in London, which are detailed in the review. The union of the lovers is finally consended to, and all closes with dancing. "Some of the paintings in the scenery are well executed; and the generality of Mr Dibdin's music deserves equal praise." In it Mrs Wrighten gives a ludicrous imitation of Miss Catley's manner of singing. The reviewer's general thesis about the London stage of this period, given first in the preliminary number, 1 Jan. 1773 continues: "The Stage seems now buried in universal darkness...The Publick for several weeks, has been fed with the lean carcass of two villainous pantomimes."] Receipts: #162 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Oratorio composed by Dr Arne. Not performed these eight years. Boxes 5s. Pit 4s. First Gallery 3s. Upper Gallery 2s. Tickets and places for the boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjeant (only) at the Stage Door. Books of the Oratorio to be sold at the theatre. Doors opened at Five o'clock. To Begin at Half past Six. [Note on prices, time, and books repeated each performance this season.] Charges: #35

Event Comment: Sacred Oratorio composed by Dr Arne. Charges #35

Event Comment: Sixth Night. For the Author. Charges #64 5s. Profit to author #171 17s. Rec'd for the use of Organ this season in Oratorios #21 and for Coals burnt in Oratorios #2 2s. Paid Garton 11 Oratorio Nights for the Renters #110. Paid Dr Arne for Music for Alzuma #15 15s. (Account Book). Receipts: #236 2s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 16 years. [See 19 April 1751.] New Scenes, Machines, Decorations &c. The Characters dress'd in The Habits of the times. This Masque is very well got up with New Scenes & Decorations particularly a Representation of the Grand Naval Review design'd by Mons DeLoutherberg & vastly well Executed had great Applause the piece is very dull (Hopkins Diary). [Macmillan's note from Kemble differs slightly in wording.] Paid five day's salary at #86 13s. 10d. per diem, #433 9s. 2d.; Miss Younge 6 days not on the list #1; Mr Courtney 3 days not on list 7s. 6d.; Mr J. French on Act #10 (Treasurer's Book). The Songs, Chorusses, &c. in the Masque (in the order they are now performed) to be had at the Theatre. The Music by Dr Arne and other masters (playbill). Receipts: #158 12s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Music for Masque by Dr Arne and Mr Augustus Smith. Masque publish'd 1s. 6d. Paid Chorus 3 nights (this incl.) #5 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #176 6s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid Younger for writting parts #10 4s. 9d.; Paid Mrs Giles for a Blue & Silver suit of women's cloaths #9 9s. (Account Book). To Covent Garden. Beggar's Opera and Commissary. Found the Pit not over fifth full, and on the 4th bench from orchestra orange woman showed me Pol. Kennedy alias Mrs Bevon, on which I went and sat immediately before her, and talked with her much during the play. Pol. Kennedy in cloak and large hat. She is tall, large and raw-boned. Irish features, yet had something in her face and person necessarily attracting notice--was very civil, curteous, and chatty (Baker, Diary, p. 270). [Pol. Kennedy was the Irish actress and contralto who later appeared as Mrs Farrell at dl in 1776 in Arne's Caractacus.] Receipts: #122 6s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid Dr Arne the balance of his night for Achilles the 30 Dec. last #86 18s. 6d. Receipts: #209 9s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: 7:00 p.m. Benefit for Dr Arne. [Before and after Timotheus vocal and instrumental music.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written on the model of Ancient Greek Tragedy. The Overture and all the Music composed by Dr Arne

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Palmer. The Entertainment, a New Poetical Interlude (never perform'd there) Alter'd from Prior's Nut Brown Maid, by Mr Bates, With a New Air and Chorus. Music by Dr Arne. Receipts: #203 12s. Charges: #68 2s. 6d. Profits to Palmer: #13 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [Opera advertised as Under the Direction of Dr Arne.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid Mr Garrick's note to Dr Arne #50 (Treasurer's Book). [This was an unrecorded benefit night for Bickerstaff as author of the afterpiece. See payment on 27 Feb. 1776.] Receipts: #129 9s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never Performed There. On account of the Additional Airs, contracted into 3 Acts. [Public Advertiser, 30 Dec., notes that the principal omission was the conspiracy of Alonzo, Antonio, &c., and that the Masque in Act IV was removed to the concluding scene of the play.] With New Dresses, Scenery and Decorations. The Music by Purcell, John Christopher? Smith, Dr Arne and Fisher. [In afterpiece the playbill retains Delpini as Pierrot, but "[Hull] made an apology for the illness of Delpini, telling the audience that the Signor had hurt himself so much the preceding evening in performing the part of Pierrot that he could not come out of his room; the managers therefore hoped that the audience would accept of Wewitzer in the character" (Morning Chronicle, 28 Dec.). The playbill also adds Wewitzer as the Gardener; this part was perhaps omitted.] Paid Enderby, Oil Merchant, #258 17s. Receipts: #245 18s. (244.15; 1.3)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: The orchestra will be considerably augmented. [Public Advertiser, 24 Jan.: Mrs Farrell's new air, with recitative, composed by Dr Arne.] Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years. Receipts: #273 4s. (272.2.6; 1.1.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; PAST 3]: Taken from [The Winter's Tale, by] Shakespeare [altered by George Colman elder]. Afterpiece: Likewise taken from [A Midsummer-Night's Dream, by] Shakespeare. Books of both pieces to be had at the Theatre. The Musick of both pieces by the most eminent Composers [i.e. Michael Arne, Dibdin, Dr Burney, Hook, Theodore Smith, Dr Arnold]. The Characters new dressed

Event Comment: New Scene [1st time; by Edward Thompson, with music by Dr Arne. Larpent MS 438; synopsis ("Macheath, after trial, is sentenced to work on the Thames" in London Chronicle, 18 Oct.]. Paid Hull on Acct. of salary as Acting Manager #30. Account-Book, 23 Mar. 1778: Paid Capt. Thompson for writing the new Scene in The Beggar's Opera #25. Receipts: #240 9s. (240.2.6; 0.6.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Thomas Hull, altered from The School for Guardians by Arthur Murphy. Not in Larpent MS; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser 19 Nov.]: With New Dresses, &c. The Music chiefly compiled; the rest composed by Dr Arne, Sacchini and Fisher. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 18 Nov. 1777: This Day is published the Airs in Love Finds the Way (6d.). [Miss Courtenay is identified in the Airs.] Receipts: #233 8s. 6d. (232.5.0; 1.3.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; burl 2, by Charles Dibdin, based on The Loves of Mars and Venus, by Peter Anthony Motteux]: With New Scenes and Dresses. The Music chiefly composed by Dibdin. [Dr Arne and Dr Arnold each wrote one air.] Books of the Burletta to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 5 Feb. 1778: This Day at Noon is published Poor Vulcan! (1s.). [The playbill lists Reinhold in place of Mahon, but on the Kemble playbill his name is deleted and a MS annotation substitutes Mahon's.] Receipts: #232 5s. 6d. (230.2.6; 2.3.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kennedy. Tickets delivered for Love Finds the Way will be taken. Public Advertiser, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had at the late Dr Arne's, No. 5, Bow-street, Covent Garden