Event Comment: Today, will be reviv'd an Opera. The Musick compos'd by Mr Handel. With Dances and other Decorations entirely new. Pit and Boxes to be put together; and no Person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd this Day at the Office in the Haymarket, at Half a Guinea each. Gallery 5s. 6 p.m. Note. The Subscribers to the Opera are desir'd to send for their Silver Tickets to the Opera-Office in the Hay-Market. [This customary notice will not be included further. According to Loewenberg, Annals of Opera, I, 102, this is the new opera Rossane, Lampugnani's first composition, at the house for which he was the new resident composer. Musicologists have not arrived at the identity of this piece, Burney and Loewenburg attributing it to Lampugnani, Schoelcher and Deutsch to Handel. See Deutsch, Handel, p. 572, where he reviews the evidence.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Cross, Mrs Bridges, Miss Young. The General Advertiser included the following Puff: Sir, As I am continually searching for latent Curiosities, out of a sincere regard for the Public Satisfaction, I think it my Duty (lest among the Multitude of Diversions now flourishing, some other might engross the attention of the Curious) to inform the world, that the Farce which will be perform'd this Evening at Drury Lane theatre, call'd May Day, or the Merry Milkmaids of Islington, was written by the particular desire of King Charles II who had it first performed at Newmarket; how agreeably that jovial Monarch was entertained, every person, who thinks it worth his while to see it, according to his abilities, will be a competent judge, Yours, &c A. Virtuoso. [Part of the Multitude of Diversions referred to included announcement in the same paper for a Rehearsal of the whole Band of Music at Ruckholt House, the following Monday; a paragraph Puff on the diversions at Sadler's Wells in consequence of the late happy Victory of the Duke of Cumberland over the Rebels, with special notice of a New Interlude of Music call'd Strephon's Return, or the British Hero, perform'd this night with many advantages of Dress and Decoration, and a new Ballet by Matthews; and further notice of the Representation of the Battle near Culloden House which had met with universal applause, and which would continue to be repeated at the New Wells in Goodman's Fields. The Farce at Drury Lane this evening was advertised as not having been played for 20 years. It was taken from Thomas Nabbes' Totenham Court Road, by the Compiler of the Muse of Newmarket, 1680. The MS Occasional Prologue praising Cumberland is in the Larpent Collection.

Event Comment: Play Never acted there. Characters New Dress'd. toller: [tolerable -?-] (Cross). We hear a new Tragedy called Mahomet and Irene will be acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane after Christmas (General Advertiser). Receipts: #160 (Cross); #155 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: Went off with applause (Cross). Afterpiece: a New Pantomime after the Manner of the Italian Comedy, with New Scenes, Habits, Decorations. Nothing under Full Prices will be taken. No Gentleman can possibly be admitted behind the Scenes or into the Orchestra, on account of the Machinery and Music. The Music composed by Dr Boyce. The Songs will be printed, and deliver'd at the doors. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 26 years. [See 13 April 1748.] Dressed in The Habits of the Times (playbill). This play is altered by Mr G was well perform'd a New Prologue & Epilogue all receiv'd with Applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs sligntly in wording.] Paid Properties #1 11s. 11d.; Housekeeper's bill #4 13s. Receipts: #153 13s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: This Play is alter'd by Capt. Thompson and a New Sea Character introduc'd which was well perform'd by Mr Weston. the Play Concludes very properly with a Representation of the Grand Naval Review the same as was introduc'd in Alfred--the whole was receiv'd with very great Applause (Hopkins Diary). Paid Housekeeper's Bill #3 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Mainpiece a Reviv'd Comedy, with Alterations and Additions, and a New Medley Overture of Favourite Sea Tunes (playbill). Receipts: #245 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With New Dresses and Decorations. N.B. After this night the Meeting of the Company will be laid aside for sometime. The Play was New drest in the Habits of the time & they look'd very well & was applauded (Hopkins Diary) Paid 3 days salary list at #91 16s. 4d. per diem, #275 9s.; Sundry salaries not on list last week as per partners in Memorandum Book, #44 8s.; Mr Granier for last week 12s. 6d.; Mr J. French on acct #5 5s. Receipts: #226 3s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Comedy (by Hugh Kelly] of 2 Acts never perform'd. [Written, as the author states in his Advertisement to the Edition of 1774, at the instigation of and on the inspiration of Mrs Abington. The Larpent MS 379 lists a partial cast and the lengths for each part: 10 Hector Strangeways-new in the Plot, Characters, Dialogue of this piece; yet upon the whole we found it extremely entertaining. The Indian servant is well introduced to satirize the follies and vices of the metropolis; and Sir Hector and his son give us a good dish of sea terms, well served up by Messrs $Shuter">Shuter; 7 Brownlow-$Bensley; 5 Ormsby-$Clarke; 6 Bussora-...; 5 +Orson-...; 6 +Pillage-$Dunstall; 1!2 Servant-...; 5 +Lady Strangeways-$Mrs Green; 7 1!2 Zelinda 1!2 Jenny-....(A Length was 42 lines of dialogue.)] [From the +Westminster Magazine, Dec: Though there is scarce anything new in the Plot, Characters, Dialogue of this piece; yet upon the whole we found it extremely entertaining. The Indian servant is well introduced to satirize the follies and vices of the metropolis; and Sir Hector and his son give us a good dish of sea terms, well served up by Messrs $Shuter and Quick."

Event Comment: With Magnificent new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations, both for the Opera and Dances

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 16 years [not acted since 27 Oct. 1758]. With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Prologue by David Garrick]. The Characters new dressed. This Play is revived with Alterations (by R. B. Sheridan Esq) and a new occasional Prologue written by Mr Garrick? and spoken by Dodd, both well received. Miss Essex made her first Appearance upon this stage in Silvia, a small mean Figure and shocking Actress, so bad that she is to do the Part no more. Reddish was very imperfect in Vainlove from the Beginning, but was so very much so in the last Act, that the Audience hissed very much, and cryed out, 'Off, Reddish, Off!" He went forward, and addressed them as follows, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been honoured with your Favour and Protection for these ten years past, and I am very sorry to give any cause for your Displeasure now; but having undertaken the Part at a very short Warning, in order to strengthen the Bill, and having had but two Rehearsals for it, puts it out of my Power to do Justice to the Part, or myself.' The Play then went on. So great a Lye was never delivered to an Audience by any Actor or Actress before. He had the Part at least six weeks in his Possession, and repeated Notice to be ready in it, and six Rehearsals was called for it,--indeed, he attended but three. Vernon undertook to study the Part at eleven o'clock to-night, and to perform it to-morrow (Hopkins Diary). [Miss Essex was from the hay.] Receipts: #209 6s

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; t 5, by Hannah More, based partly on Gabrielle de Vergy, by Pierre Laurent Buirette de Belloy. Prologue and Epilogue by David Garrick (see text)]: With New Scenes, Dresses, &c. Public Advertiser, 19 Dec. 1777: This Day at Noon is published Percy (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #215 (212.12.6; 2.7.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by John Home. Prologue by the author (London Chronicle, 16 Feb.). Epilogue by David Garrick (ibid.)]: New Scenes, Dresses, &c. Account-Book, 26 Jan.: Paid Wild for [obtaining] license for Alfred #2 2s. Public Advertiser, 14 Feb. 1778: This Day is published Alfred (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #246 (241.17.6; 4.2.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Richard Cumberland]: taken from [the same, by] Massinger and [Mariamne, by] Fenton. [not in Larpent MS; not published.] With new Dresses. Henderson "might surely break himself of the aukward custom of clapping his hands together almost perpetually, and running on and off the stage with so ungraceful a levity" (Morning Chronicle, 11 Nov.). [Miss Younge was from dl.] Receipts: #127 10s. 6d. (124.14.0; 2.16.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Miles Peter Andrews. Prologue by Frederick Pilon. Epilogue by Edward Topham (see text)]: With Music High and Low Dutch [ascribed to Dr Arnold]. New Dresses and Decorations. The new Scenes painted by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 30 July 1781: This Day is published The Baron....(price not listed)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Robert Jephson. Prologue by the author (Gentleman's Magazine, Jan, 1782, p. 36). Another Prologue, by the Right Hon. Luke Gardiner, "not arriving in London time enough for the first exhibition of the Count of Narbonne, was not spoken" (ibid.). Epilogue by Richard Josceline Goodenough, but beginning with 20 Nov. it was superseded by a new Epilogue written by Edmond Malone (see text)]: With new Scenery and Dresses. Public Advertiser, 1 Nov.: The Management of The Count of Narbonne is . . . under very good Care: Mr Horace Walpole, with a Fondness nothing less than fatherly, directs that part of the Affair which respects the Scenes and Dresses, while Henderson takes Charge of the Rehearsals and the casting of inferior Parts... [Henderson] is to wear a Dress which is lent him from among the Antiquities at Strawberry Hill. "I have been at the theatre, and compromised the affair of the epilogues: one is to be spoken to-morrow, the friend's on the author's night. I have been tumbling into trap-doors, seeing dresses tried on in the green-room, and directing armour in the painting-room" (Walpole [16 Nov. 1781], XII, 95). "I never saw a more unprejudiced audience, nor more attention. There was not the slightest symptom of disapprobation to any part ... It is impossible to say how much justice Miss Younge did to your writing. She has shown herself a great mistress of her profession, mistress of dignity, passion, and of all the sentiments you have put into her hands. The applause given to her description of Raymond's death lasted some minutes, and recommenced; and her scene in the fourth act, after the Count's ill-usage, was played in the highest perfection. Mr Henderson was far better than I excepted from his weakness, and from his rehearsal yesterday, with which he was much discontented himself. Mr Wroughton was very animated, and played the part of the Count much better than any man now on the stage would have done. I wish I could say Mr Lewis satisfied me; and that poor child Miss Satchell was very inferior to what she appeared at the rehearsals, where the total silence and our nearness deceived us. Her voice has no strength, nor is she yet at all mistress of the stage. I have begged Miss Younge to try what she can do with her by Monday. However, there is no danger to your play: it is fully established" (Walpole [to the author, 18 Nov. 1781], XII, 95-96). Public Advertiser, 28 Nov. 1781: This Day is published The Count of Narbonne (price not listed). Receipts: #164 10s. 6d. (163/0/6; 1/10/0)

Event Comment: A revived Serious Opera; the Music by the most eminent Composers [Bertoni, Gugliclmi, Giordani, Rauzzini, Gretry, &c], under the direction of Bertoni. With entire new scenes painted by Novosielski. New Dresses and Decorations both for the Opera and Dances. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin exactly at 7:00 [see 18 June 1782]. By Command of Their Majesties no Persons to be admitted behind the Scenes. Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. To prevent inconvenience in getting to their carriages, the Nobility and Gentry are requested to order their servants to set down and take up with their horses' heads towards Pall-Mali. The Subscribers to the Opera are intreated to send their instructions to Jewell and Johnson at the Office in Union-court before the opening of the Theatre, when the final arrangement of the Boxes will take place, and those which are not retained will then be disposed of. Subscriptions to be paid on delivery of the tickets. Books of the Opera, with an account of the Pantomime Dance, to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; c 3, altered from the same, probably by the author, Richard Bentley]: Written in the manner of the Italian Comedy. With new Scenes and Dresses. [Author of Prologue unknown.] "It was originally produced at Drury Lane in the summer of 1761 [27 July] . . . and has now been new dished up, and seasoned to the day" (European Magazine, ibid). J. P. Collier states that "it is not a revival of the former piece" (MacMillan, Larpent Catalogue, p. 98). It was not, strictly speaking, a "revival", but, rather, a revision, as a collation of Larpent MS 586 (the present version, which is unpublished) with MS 199 (Bentley's 1761 version) makes clear. In 1761 Bentley introduced "the speaking Harlequin after the manner of the Italians . . . Mr Harris some years after gave it a second chance on the stage" (Cumberland, Memoirs, I, 212-14). Receipts: #215 19s. (213/5/6; 2/13/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by John O'Keeffe; text (1st authorized) published in Cumberland's British Theatre, xxxvii. Prologue and Epilogue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, iii, 244, 246, which give names of speakers)]: With new Scenes and Dresses. "It had four new scenes to decorate it, and those extremely well painted. In one of them a portrait of Captain Ambush is exhibited, which presented a very happy likeness of Williamson, by Alefounder" (Universal Magazine, Aug. 1783, p. 76)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Lord Lumbcrcourt to Wilson, but "Lee Lewes was the substitute for Wilson, and far indeed better than the man he appeared for" (Public Advertiser, 31 Jan.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'KeerFe]: The Music composed by Shield. The Scenery designed by Richards and Carver, and executed by them, Hodgins, and others. The 1st Part of this Pantomime is an Alteration of the Last New One [Friar Bacon (see 23 Dec. 1783)], and the 2nd Part entirely new and never before exhibited. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "If Macklin once loses the Catch Word he is gone irretrievably." At the end of the 3rd act, at half price, some apprentices coming into the pit talked so loudly that "Macklin stopped; he lost himself. ... He came to the Side of the Stage, and stooping down to the Talkers, said, 'Gentlemen, I must beg you to be silent; my Hearing and Recollection are not so perfect as they were; I cannot proceed for your Talking'" (Public Advertiser, 5 Feb.). Receipts: #286 14s. (282/15; 3/19)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; co 3, by George Colman, the younger. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, III, 252)]: The new Airs, and a New Overture by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [One of the songs, beginning "Adzooks, old Crusty," sung by Edwin, is set to the tune of Yankee Doodle, and in the musical score (Harrison, 1784) it is so entitled. This is believed to be the first time this song, as it is now sung, appeared in print.]