Event Comment: At the Foundling Hospital. To begin at 12:00 noon. Tickets half a Guinea. No collection. The Chapel will be matted, and every attention paid the same shall be warm

Event Comment: Mainpiece. By Particular Desire. Paid half years Land and Window tax, #3 3s. 6d. Licensing Little Gipsey, City Manners, New Epilogue to Maid of the Oaks and Sultan #7 7s. Receipts: #198 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Pantomime Entertainment, never performed. With New Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Machinery. The Overture composed by Fisher. The scenes painted by Messrs Dahl and Richards. Nothing under FULL PRICE will be taken. The Words of the songs to be given at the Doors. [This information included in all subsequent bills for the pantomime this season, until 25 March when the half-price practice is announced. Full account of the content of the afterpiece is given in The Westminster Magazine for Dec. The reviewer was delighted with the adherence to the classical myth in the first and last scenes, and with the variety of action and excellence of the machinery and painting in the interventing comic portion.

Event Comment: Garrick put the finish hand to the sale of half the patent &c. to Dr Ford, Linley, Ewart, and Sheridan for #35,000 to be delivered over in June next. Garrick it was said rais'd #12,000 last year by subscription to pay New Ornamentation, which cost #3000, so that the remaining #4500 and #35,000 was no bad interest for the #5,000 he gave in 1747. New property valuation giving him a...(Winston MS 11, from Burney News Cuttings). Paid Mr Palmer, spermacetti candle Bill #186 13s.; Mr Machin, Chorus, 19 times #4 15s. Rec'd Mr Percy's rent 1 year to Mich Last, #10; Stopages #14 5s. Receipts: #167 2s. (Treasurer's Book). From the Morning Chronicle, 19 Jan.: "David Garrick, Esq., has signed and sealed for the sale of his share in the patent and Property of Drury Lane Theatre. The purchasers are Dr Ford, Mr Ewart, Mr Linley, and Mr Richard Sheridan. The purchase money is #35,000. The public may now therefore depend upon it that this will be the last season of Mr Garrick's performing. The new proprietors as an act of their own, have stipulated that Mr Garrick shall continue to keep that box which has of late years been set apart for the accomodation of his family. Mr Garrick intimated last night to the audience his having sold his share in Drury Lane Theatre, by answering in the part of Abel Drugger , on being asked if he had any interest at the theatre, 'I had some, I don't know what I may have.'

Event Comment: Street Ballad, The Duenna or the Double Elopement, a new song to an old Tune: @In the days of Gay, they sing and say,@The town was full of folly:@For all day long, its sole sing-song@Was pretty, pretty Polly.@So now-a-days, as it was in Gay's,@The world's run mad again-a@From morn to night its whole delight@To cry up the Duenna.@One half the town still talks of Brown@The other of Leoni,@While those sly curs, the managers,@Keep pocketing the money... [Brown was the original Clara in the opera. See 16 Dec. 1775 (Hampden, Journal).

Event Comment: Rec'd stopages #11 18s.; Paid Daniel Maltoss [sic] Esq one year's rent due Xmas #31 10s. 10d. (Treasurer's Book). [Evidently Daniel Malthus. Although Victor was still Treasurer and Evans sub-treasurer this season, some new bookkeepers seem to be recording the financial transactions, for several different hands appear in the manuscript. The spelling by one of these bookkeepers is bad even by eighteenth-century standards. DeLoutherbourg's name is spelled a half-dozen different ways, including Lutenborgh, Lutterbourg, and Latherbourg.] Receipts: #266 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Vernon. Rec'd Mrs Johnston's rent 1 year to Lady Day #6. Paid Powney (stationer) #7 2s. 6d.; Ray (linen draper) #25 6s. 6d.; Vaughan (haberdasher) #4 10s. 6d.; Norfolk (glazier) #2 3s.; Barrow and Co. Oil #54 15s. 6d.; Pryer (turner) #5 18s. 6d.; Carter (scowerer) #9 8s. 6d.; Evans for Spermacetti Candles #5; Watch Rate half year #18 15s.; Cubit (tinman) #2 6d. Receipts: #160 10s. Charges: #66 16s. Profits to Vernon: #93 14s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mattocks. N.B. HALF PRICE will be taken to the latter account [i.e., for those who came to see the pantomime only]

Event Comment: At the Foundling Hospital. Under the Direction of Mr Stanley. At Noon. Tickets Half a Guinea. There will be no Collection

Event Comment: An Oratorio set by Giardini. Benefit for the Lock Hospital. Tickets half a Guinea. Twelve Noon. At the Lock Hospital

Event Comment: Benefit for Leoni. Last Time of performing the Mainpiece this season. N.B. Half Price will be taken to the latter Account

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull. N.B. Half Price will be taken to the latter account

Event Comment: Mrs Yates imperfect in Violante . House (Hopkins Diary). Paid half yrs. poor's rate #2 13s. 4d. Receipts: #260 7s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Mrs Davies Miss Tittup--La! La! King sent a letter to $Sheridan desiring to be off his Engagement--all made up at night. Mattocks came and told me that Lacy had sold Half his Share of the Patent to Mr Langford (The Auctioneer) and Captain Thomson (Authour of the Syrens &c.). I acquainted Sheridan of it--he had not heard it before (Hopkins Diary). Receipts: #267 6s

Event Comment: A new Serious Opera. The Music by several eminent Masters; under the Direction of Giardini [who also composed the overture (see 14 Dec.)]. With magnificent new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations, both for the Opera and Dances. Tickets will be delivered at the Office in Union-court, Haymarket, at Half a Guinea each. 1st Gallery 5s. 2nd Gallery 3s. By Their Majesties' Command, No Person can be admitted behind the Scenes. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin exactly at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Care will be taken that no Inconvenience shall arise from the Pavement not being compleated in the Haymarket, the Commisioners having promised to leave the Way safe for Carriages. The Nobility and Gentry will be so obliging to give Orders to take up and set down with their Horses Heads towards Pall-mall. The Door in Market Lane for Chairs only. Public Advertiser, 21 Sept.: Subscriptions are received by Messrs Hoare, in Fleet-street, and by Johnson at the Office in Union-court, Hay-market

Event Comment: [The playbill lists Mattocks in place of Robson, but "Mattocks being really ill, Robson, at short Notice, supplied his Place' (Morning Post, 11 Nov.).] Mainpiece: With New Dresses and other Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Afterpiece in place of The Apprentice, announced on playbill of 8 Nov.] Paid one-half year's Land Tax #61 5s. Receipts: #283 (282.9; 0.11)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With a New Scene and New Dresses. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Charles Dibdin and Edward Thompson. Thompson's name does not appear on the title-page of the text; it has been added by J. P. Kemble on the half-title of his copy now in the Huntington Library]: The Music chiefly composed by Dibdin [Public Advertiser, 15 Nov.: Three of the airs and the finale were composed by Samuel Arnold; one air by John Abraham Fisher]. With New Scenes [ibid: by Dall, Richards, and Carver], Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 7 Feb. 1777: Paid Dibdin in full for copyright of the Seraglio #20; ibid, 2 June 1777: Received of Cooper for Songs & Books sold of The Seraglio #19 10s. 9d. [Mrs Ward was from the Birmingham theatre]. Receipts: #221 11s. 6d. (219.7.0; 2.4.6)

Event Comment: Paid Harris for his Trouble and Expenses in half a year's superintendence of the Business of the Theatre #250. Receipts: #181 11s. 6d. (181.2.0; 0.9.6)

Event Comment: "[Henderson] appears to have cultivated the gifts of nature, with great industry; he promises better to attain the character of a player of consummate judgment than a great player, properly so called. Edwin, in spite of his thin voice and disgusting articulation, is at least equal to half his London contemporaries; and exhibited proofs that neither his conception, nor style of playing, is limited to a particular cast of parts, or mode of acting" (London Magazine, June 1777, p. 288). [ Miss Barsanti was from the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin.