Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Not Acted in 3 years. [See 17 May 1770.] Paid salary list #520 7s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #192 7s. 6d. Charges: #64 12s. Profit to Bannister: #127 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 10 May 1771.] Benefit for J. Bannister and W. Barry. Paid Easter Offering for St Martin's one year 10s. 6d.; Chorus 2 nights (this incl.) #3 6s. (Treasurer's Book). Tickets delivered by Kear will be taken. Receipts: #135 11s. Charges: #84. Profits to J. Bannister and W. Barry: #51 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Public Advertiser, 23 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister at Starzaker's, the Upper End of Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #246 12s. 6d. [77.0.0; 13.1.6; 0.10.0; tickets: 156.1.0) (charge: #65 17s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 8, Air-street, Piccadilly

Event Comment: [In afterpiece the playbill lists Reinhold, but he "being too much affected with a cold to appear in the part of Arionelli, Bannister of Drury Lane Theatre, who originally performed it, was procured to supply his place" (London Courant, 6 Dec.).] Receipts: #158 9s. 6d. (152/3/6; 6/6/0)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Miss Linley still continuing so ill [see 7 Mar.] as not to be able to perform this Evening, Mrs Bannister has been so kind as to undertake to supply her Place. Tickets to be had and Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at half a guinea each. Pit 5s. 1st Gallery 3s. 6d. 2nd Gallery 2s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. [Kean's 1st appearance was at this theatre, 22 Mar.] 2nd piece: The Music compiled by Dr Pepusch. 4th piece: A Ballet Tragi-Comique, composed by Signor Novestris [i.e. George Colman, the elder]. Gazetteer, 23 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Charing-cross

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bannister. Public Advertiser, 10 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Bannister, No. 29, Bow-street, Covent Garden

Event Comment: "The farce waited some time for Bannister, who performed at Covent-Garden Theatre in The Woodman. An apology was made for his absence, and, in a few minutes after, he came" (Gazetteer, 14 June)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Morning Chronicle, 9 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Charing Cross

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Read ye parts of Varanes and Athenais before I went into ye Pit to see ye Play of Theodosius. Barry and Mrs Dancer are excellent in Varanes and Athenais. Young Barry did Theodosius, and Sowdon Marcian, who, tho' ugly, has a pretty good person and is a tolerably good player. Liontine by Bannister

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Went to ye Pit to see ye Beggar's Opera-oblig'd to stand till ye play was over-Read some parts of ye Opera which I borrowed at Davies's, before it began and between the acts. Barry is a good Macheath, but most persons who have seen him when young observe that he has not ye activity and fire he then had. He sings tolerably as does Mrs Dancer; but both are greatest in ye acting part. Mrs D. is ye best Polly I ever saw, having that sensibility which your mere singing Pollys generally want. Mrs Mahon did Lucy with great ease and propriety, and has a good deal of expression in her countenance. Thomson has a force and mellowness of voice very suitable to ye character of Lockit. I do not think Weston excels in Filch. Shuter raised vast applause by adding, after Trapes has said "done under the Surgeon's hand'--"Oh dreadful and in such weather too!" Bannister in Mat added--"Die hard"--and Palmer in Budge--"Die game--" Mrs Gardner's pretending to get drunk in Mrs Slam is new. We had at ye end of Act 2 the Fing., of Act 3 a New Hornpipe, and at ye end of ye Opera the H. Peasant by $Miss Froment, with Duke and No Duke-of which I am tired

Event Comment: MMr Bannister made his first appearance on this stage in Merlin with a new Song introduced.--He was received with applause, --is a tall figure, good voice and sings well (Hopkins MS Notes). [The grand procession of the orders of chivalry hereafter a regular feature of Cymon.

Event Comment: Benefit for Reddish. Neville MS Diary: Went to see the Maid of the Mill played for the first time at Drury Lane. Bannister is the best Giles I have seen since Beard left the stage. The farce was No Wit like a Woman's, played but once before. Assisted in hissing it as both foolish and immoral

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Afterpiece: In Two Acts by Foote

Event Comment: Benefit for Piguenit, Treasurer. Price 3s. [No vocalists in concert, but musical imitations by Bannister.]

Event Comment: marly Benefit for Bannister. A new Burletta (music-Piccini, Arne, Arnold, Burney, Dibdin, &c.) in which will be introduced a variety of imitations by Mr Bannister

Event Comment: Queen Mab is reviv'd with Alterations and Additions particularly Grand New Scene with a Representation of a Regatta very well executed but is too much like The Naval Review (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Hopkins differs slightly. He also adds from the Public Advertiser, 13 Nov., The last grand scene is a Representation of the whole Regatta sailing by Ranelagh. That and the Red House were invented and drawn by Mr deLoutherberg, and painted by Messrs French, deRoy, Greenwood, and others."] Rec'd stopages #11 12s. 6d. Paid Salary list #626 16s. 6d. Receipts: #152 12s. (Treasurer's Book). [Fuller descriptions of the Regatta scene appeared in the Westminster Magazine for Nov.: The Scene affords a picturesque view of the Thames on the Surry Side to Ranelagh Gardens representing the procession of barges etc., of the different squadrons, previous to their landing the company. The effect produced by this united scenery and machinery was very pleasing; every barge appeared to be rowed to the time of the band of music which is supposed to be upon the water, and evepy man and oar keeps a regular stroke: the sky, flat behind, was finely designed and executed for the general relief, and disposition of the men and boats near shore, in the foreground, was beautiful and did the painter great credit. The whole concluded with a Tar 's song in character, by Mr Bannister, and a dance by sailors and their doxies.'

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister

Event Comment: Benefit for a Fund, for the Relief of those who from their Infirmities shall be obliged to retire from the Stage. Prelude [1st time; M. PREL 1, by David Garrick, and others. In a synopsis of the plot the London Chronicle assigns Bannister; it lists the names of the other performers and, separately, their parts. The assignments given above are my own conjecture. Not in Larpent MS; the composer of the vaudeville written by Garrick is unknown]. The Words of the Songs will be given at the Theatre. Ladies and Gentlemen are requested to come early, to prevent Confusion. And to send their Servants by Five o'clock to keep the Places. Receipts: #217 8s. 6d. (100.9.0; 25.14.6; 0.0.0; tickets: 91.5.0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: "Had Mr Bannister, sen (whose merit as a singer is pre-eminent) never played any other character than that of Caliban, he would, by so capital, so unique, so unparalleled a performance, have deserved to be ranked with the foremost" (Jonson, ed. Waldron, 178). Receipts: #182 15s. (145.11; 36.2; 1.2)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sparks. Miss Radley became Mrs Fitzgerald (Winston MS 10). Ld. Townly, Mr Sparks Jun: first Appearance (Cross Diary). Mr Sparks Junr Son of Mr Isaac Sparks made his first Appearance on any Stage in Ld. Townly a fine figure and met with Applause (Hopkins Diary)

Event Comment: Benefit for Vestris Jun. Tickets to be had of Vestris, No. 2, Haymarket

Event Comment: [Miss Harper married John Bannister at Hcndon on 26 Jan. 1783.] Receipts: #217 11s. (208/2; 9/9)