Event Comment: Prelude [1st time; PREL 2, by George Colman, the elder. MS: Larpent 659, which lists the following unassigned parts: Cabbage, Clatterton, Folio; not published; synopsis of plot in Gazetteer, 3 June. Prologue by the author (Colman, Prose, III, 250)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, Banners, Songs, &c

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Elizabeth Inchbald; text, unauthorized (Dublin: For the Booksellers, 1788), assigns no parts]: With new Scenery, Machinery and other Decorations

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 14th Night [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. With new Music [consisting of 6 new songs (Gazetteer, 2 Oct.)], Scenes and Dresses. The new Music and Accompaniments to the adapted Airs by Shield. The Overture by Baumgarten. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [It was "represented in an altered state . . . The second act is almost newly written, and the language of the whole opera amended and pointed with great neatness" {London Magazine, Oct. 1784, p. 315).] "At the end of the first act [of mainpiece], Davies came forward and informed the audience that Mrs Kennedy was of a sudden taken dangerously ill, and hoped that Cubitt might be permitted to read the remainder of her part; a request that was immediately complied with" (London Chronicle, 13 Oct.). [Afterpiece in place of The Positive Man, announced on playbill of 11 Oct.]

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Stockwell to Aickin, but "Fearon, in consequence of Aickin's illness, took the part of Stockwell at a short notice and upon the whole acquitted himself respectably" (Morning Chronicle, 6 Oct.).] "There is an infinite combination in Mrs Abington, a power of making everything new yet conformable to the character (Public Advertiser, 14 Oct.). Receipts: #328 11s. 6d. (326/11/0; 2/0/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Henderson as Evander, but "on account of the sudden indisposition of Henderson . . . Bensley kindly undertook the part of Evander" (Morning Post, 5 Nov.).] Paid Mullins, shoemaker, in full for the 3 last Seasons #108 0s. 6d. Receipts: #269 12s. (262/3/6; 7/8/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Mrs Wells, but she "was so ill last night that she could not perform the part of Jane Shore. It was undertaken by Mrs T. Kennedy" (Public Advertiser, 21 Dec.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe]: The Pantomime, and the whole of the Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, &c. designed and invented by Loutherbourg, and executed under his superintendance and direction by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, Catton Jun., Turner, assisted by two other celebrated artists [all subsequent playbills have "a celebrated artist"; he was the Rev. Matthew William Peters (Public Advertiser, 16 Dec.)]. The Music entirely new, composed by Shield. Books containing a short account of the Pantomime, as well as the Recitatives, Airs, Duets, Trios and Chorusses, and a Description of the Procession, to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. [This was the last theatrical piece for which De Loutherbourg designed the scenery. For a detailed account of it see "De Loutherbourg and Captain Cook", by Ralph G. Allen, Theatre Research, IV, 195-211.] Account-Book, 17 Oct.: Paid De Loutherbourg on acct. #120; 20 Dec.: Paid Goodwin for copying Music #10 14s.; 14 Feb. 1786: Paid O'Keeffe in full for Omai #40. Receipts: #309 19s. (302/7; 7/12)