Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. Wilson's most violent and sudden Indisposition will prevent his having the honor of appearing before the Public and his Friends this Evening, and sincerely hopes the Pieces he is under the necessity of substituting will meet their approbation. [2nd piece in place of Hail Fellow Well Met; 3rd piece of The Rights of Woman, both advertised on playbill of 7 May. A 4th (and new) play, The Point of Honor, by John Peter Roberdeau, was also advertised on playbill of 7 May. It was never acted. Hail Fellows [sic] Well Met and The Rights of Women [sic] were 1st acted, for Wilson's benefit, at the hay, 9 Aug. 1792.] Morning Herald, 24 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wilson at his house, Park-lane, Church-lane, Chelsea. Receipts: #285 5s. (93.17; 1.14; tickets: 189.14) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. 1st piece [1st time; F 1, author unknown. Larpent MS 944; not published]. 3rd piece: Not acted these 15 years. In Act II a Grand Review of Bayes's Troops, with a Sham Battle of Horse and Foot [for which see dl, 13 Dec. 1777]. 4th piece [1st time; M. INT 1, author unknown. Larpent MS 946; not published]: With a New Overture. Morning Herald, 6 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Wilson, Park-lane, Church-lane, Chelsea

Event Comment: The King's Theatre having been rented to the Proprietors of Drury-Lane House, with a reserve of the Nights for the Italian Opera to be carried on there for the Opera Trust, the Drury-Land Patent will in future be moved on Tuesdays and Saturdays to the Theatre Royal, Hay-Market, where all old and new Renters, claiming under the Drury-Lane Patent, will be entitled to Free Admission, and to their Rights for each Night of Performance. Half Price not being taken at this Theatre, the Performances will be reduced to the old established Prices. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes in the Theatre Royal, Hay-Market, to be taken at Fosbrook's Office at the King's Theatre as usual. [Mainpiece in place of Cymon; afterpiece of The Patron, both advertised on playbill of 25 Jan.] Receipts: #140 11s. (139.0; 1.11)

Event Comment: [Litchfield, who is identified in European Magazine, Jan. 1794, p. 50, had made his 1st appearance on the stage at Richmond, 7 Sept. 1793, billed as "A Young Gentleman" (Charles Mathews, Memoirs, 1838-39, I, 70, and Thespian Magazine, Supp. 1793, p. 401). Not. Dram. states that "A person under the name of Litchfield but as I am informed in reality a Mr Holland Nephew to Mr Holland formerly of Drury Lane appeared 1st time at the HM in Richard III." But Holland was at this time acting at Bath, and did not appear in London until 31 Oct. 1796, at Drury Lane.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Townsend and Follett. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, author unknown]: The Music entirely new, composed by Reeve. Morning Chronicle, 11 June: Tickets to be had of Townsend, No. 153, Drury-lane; of Jack Follett, at Mrs Chapman's, No. 46, Drury-lane. Receipts: #436 19s. (93.17.6; 4.6.0 Tickets: 338.15.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wild, prompter. 2nd piece [1st time: M. INT 1]. 3rd piece: As it was originally performed upwards of 50 nights in the Year 1789. Being a Selection of favorite Scenes form the following celebrated Pantomimes: Harlequin Sorcerer, Mother Shipton, Choice of Harlequin, Druids, Friar Bacon, Harlequin Freemason, Omai, Magic Cavern, and Harlequin Rambler. The machinery of the Peacock by Sloper. With the original Scenery painted by Lambert, Dall, Carver, Hodgins and Richards. The Music selected from Dr Arne, Dr Arnold, Dr Fisher, M.? Arne, Vincent, Dibdin and Shield. Morning Chronicle, 4 May: Tickets to be had of Wild, No. 46, Drury-lane. Receipts: #399 19s. 6d. (205.18.0; 16.4.6; tickets: 177.17.0)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; D 3, by Henry Neuman, based on Der Opfertod, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Text (R. Phillips, 1799) assigns no parts]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice, at the Theatre. The Theatre, since the last Season, has been newly Decorated. [Beginning with 19 June the playbill: Printed by T. Woodfall, Drury Lane; on 4 Sept.: No. 104, Drury Lane.] Morning Chronicle, 27 June 1799: This Day is published Family Distress (2s.). Gentleman's Magazine, May 1800, pp. 406-8, prints a letter from "J. B." in which strong exception is taken to Kotzebue in general, and this play in particular. "Theatrical entertainments have an extensive influence upon the manners of Society. When well regulated, and the pieces for representation well selected both as to matter and manner, they may be esteemed friendly to morality, and improvers of public taste. But what shall we say when both these ends are disregarded; when moral virtue is banished from the scene, and purity of taste is destroyed by affected language and pantomimical decorations? Improvements in almost every art and science have been within a few years, rapid and important. But that is not the case with the stage; nor can it be, while Kotzebue and his friends usurp the venerable boards of Shakespeare." The writer then, in sarcastic terms, outlines the plot of Family Distress. [Pope and Miss Chapman were both from cg.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Charlotte Lennox, a Concert of Musick, after which [the play] will be presented gratis

Event Comment: By Authority. Benefit for Mrs Charlotte Charke. (As I am entirely dependent on chance for a subsistence...I humbly hope the Town will favor me.) Boxes 5s. Pid 3s. Gallery 2s. The Seventh Night of performing here

Event Comment: Benefit for Bransby and Miss Young. British Chronicle, 16 April 1760: Died the celebrated Charlotte Charke in the Haymarket, daughter of Colley Cibber, Esq, poet laureate-a gentlewoman remarkable for her adventures and misfortunes

Event Comment: Boxes: #25 (Account Book). Mr Hook and I went to the Revels & see the best part of Harlequin Skeleton. Dives was there with Charlotte Hayes (Hailey, Brietzcke Diary, N & Q, Vol. 199. p. 261). Receipts: #108 16s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By Command of His Majesty. The King is gone to the Play, which is King John; he has hardly ever bespoke any other than Shakespeare's historical plays, all which they say he has ordered to be revived, and takes great pleasure in (Charlotte Fermor to Countess of Pomfret.--Hist. MSS Com. Appendix to 7th report [London, 1879], p. 513)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pinto. Tickets to be had of her in Charlotte Street, Rathbone Place; and of Mr Sarjant, at the stage-door (playbill). Charges #65 15s. [Profit to Mrs Pinto #103 8s. 6d., plus #78 11s. from tickets (Box 229; Pit 110; Gallery 48)] (Account Book). Receipts: #169 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull. Mainpiece: Not acted this season. Charges #65 17s. Deficit to Hull #17, covered by #121 3s. from tickets (Box 233; Pit 280; Gallery 209). Paid Hull for The Garland, The Spanish Lady and Altering the Comedy of Errors #50. Paid Miss Mary Twist and Miss Charlotte Twist for walking 12 nights in Man and Wife #1 10s. apiece (Account Book). Receipts: #48 17s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these years. [See 17 March 1772. Gentlewoman identified by Hopkins Manuscript Notes and by Winston MS 10. The Westminster Magazine for March (p. 111) gives out that "she was very lately a boarder with the celebrated Charlotte Hayes; a circumstance which will inform our readers that her figure is pleasing and also that she is young and hadsome. It is but justice, however, to add that she possesses the internal as well as external requisites of a good actress; for she discovers great feeling and sensibility; and indeed promises to be an ornament to the theatre."] Receipts: #192 6s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bensley. Public Advertiser, 8 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Bensley, Charlotte-street, Bloomsbury. Receipts: #174 14s. (106.11; 16.4; 1.7; tickets: 50.12) (charge: #74 14s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Reinhold. Public Advertiser, 25 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Reinhold, No. 46, Charlotte-street, Rathbone Place. Receipts: #237 7s. (110.12; tickets: 126.15) (charge: #68 7s.)