Event Comment: Mainpiece: An English Opera [from Rolt's The Royal Shepherd]. Never perform'd there. The Music selected from the best composers, and adapted by Tenducci. Books of Opera to be had at theatre. [Argument from Edition of 1769: Among the most celebrated actions ascribed to Alexander the Great, may be well ranked that of delivering the Kingdom of Sidon from the tyrant Strato; and instead of taking the dominion himself, restoring the crown to the next lawful heir, who, ignorant of his pretensions to it, lived as a shepherd in the country near Sidon, of which a more particular account may be found in Quintus Curtius, Book IV, Chap. 10. The superstructure of the fable raised on this historical foundation, will be seen in the course of the drama." The Plot sketched out in a review in the Freeholder's Magazine, Dec.] Receipts: #137 14s

Event Comment: At the Crown and Anchor. A Religious Allegorical Poem to be rehearsed, yet in Manuscript, and by the author himself the Reverend George Marriott after the example of the most ancient bards and minstrals, with the assistance of a full orchestra, and vocal performers in the chorusses. The Band conducted and the music (entirely new) composed by Arnold. Postponed by reason of unforseen difficulties in preparing sufficient musical copies of the great number of chorusses. To begin at 7:00 p.m. Prices a quarter guinea each

Event Comment: At the Great Room, Crown and Anchor. Second Night

Event Comment: Great Room, Crown and Anchor. Third time. Still announced as to be Rehearsed, and still in Manuscript

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Woodman, late of Covent Garden, left a Widow with five Children. By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. To begin at 6:00 p.m. [Public Advertiser, 21 Feb., contained a long letter concerning the small attendance on this occasion: "One of the finest Female Singers this Country has for many years produced is now, through a Series of Misfortunes as unavoidable as unforeseen, in a State of Wretchedness scarcely credible. [Her husband, a schoolteacher, died.] Alas! she had five helpless innocent to drink of the same bitter Cup, to harrow up all the Heartstrings of a Mother, and to tear her Soul unavailingly for that Support, of which she herself was depriv'd by the Death of their Father. [The expenses of the benefit performance exceeded the receipts of the house.] Calamity became heaped upon Calamity, and she is now weeping in a Prison, over her unhappy little ones, for a Sum not exceeding #50." Appeal is made for gifts to relieve her. On 23 May, Mrs Woodman released from prison, gave a Benefit Concert at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, concluding with an Occasional Musical Address to the Town called The Grateful Acknowledgment, written and the music compiled from a most eminent Master by Adam Smith, sung by Mrs Woodman.

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitefield and Wewitzer. Mainpiece: Written by the late Hugh Kelly, Esq., Never acted there. Public Advertiser, 26 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Whitefield, Crown-court, Bow-street; of Wewitzer. Great Hart-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #137 4s. 6d. (55.14.6; tickets: 81.10.0) (charge: #85 12s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wild, prompter. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years [acted 6 Jan. 1773]. End of mainpiece: The Procession from Westminster Abbey Coronation. Public Advertiser, 8 May: Tickets to be had of Wild at his house, No. 20, Crown-court, Bow-street. Receipts: #224 18s. (146.1; tickets: 78.17) [charge: #72 6s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield and Mrs Pitt. [2nd piece in place of The Ephesian Matron, announced on playbill of 12 May.] Public Advertiser, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Whitfield, No. 14, Crown-court, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #144 15s. [51.14; tickets: 93.1) [charge: #74 7s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield and Mrs Morton. Public Advertiser, 17 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Whitfield, No. 14, New Crown Court, Russel Street, Covent Garden; of Mrs Morton, No. 15, same address

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Jerrold. Afterpiece: Containing the Life and Death of King Chrononhotonthologos, the valiant Exploits of Bombardimian, his general, the unsuccessful Love of Fadladinada, Queen of Queerumania, to the Antipodean King, concluding with the marriage of the aforesaid Queen to her two fortunate Lovers, Aldiborrontiphoscophornio and Rigdum Funnidos. Mr and Mrs Jerrold present their humble respects to the Ladies and Gentlemen, and as through the badness of the weather, and being Assembly-Night on their former Benefit, there was not the Expenses in the House; therefore solicit the Favour of their Company, and Interest in this their second Attempt. To begin precisely at 6:30. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had at the Crown, and at the Cock, Well's row

Event Comment: "Henderson's Iago was perhaps the crown of all his serious achievements. It was all profoundly intellectual like the character. Any thing near this, I have never seen...The most perplexing difficulty in the [character] is to turn the inside of design outward to the spectators, and yet externally seem to be cordial and sincere and interesting among the victims-it demands an instant versatility, that yet must not savour of trick. You must hear his insinuations with curses, and yet confess that you also would have been deceived. Other Iagos were to be seen through at once...Though a studious man, there was no discipline apparent in the art of Henderson; he moved and looked as humour or passion required...[He] cared little about the measure of the line; he would not consider the fame of the versifier while the heart was to be struck' (Boaden, Siddons, II, 28-29, 49). Receipts: #149 18s. (146.9; 3.9)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Barnes. Morning Herald, 15 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Barnes, No. 21, Crown-street, Westminster. Receipts: #134 11s. 6d. (69/3/6; tickets: 65/8/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Zuchelli, Delpini & the Miss Stageldoirs. Mainpiece: With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan]. Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, author unknown]: The whole under the direction of Delpini and Zuchelli. The Music by the celebrated Chevalier Clough. An Historical Account of the Pantomime, with the Songs, may be had at the Theatre. Morning Herald, 27 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Zuchelli, No. 81, Hay-market; Ibid, 30 Apr.: of the Miss Stageldoirs at their house, No. 26, Crown-street, Little Russel-street, Covent-garden [Delpini not listed]. Receipts: #226 13s. (67/7; 28/12; 0/3; tickets: 130/11) (charge: #120 16s. 9d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Barrymore and Mrs Wilson. Morning Herald, 19 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Barrymore, No. 8, Martlet-court; of Mrs Wilson, No. II, Crown-court, Bow-street. Receipts: #295 13s. (75/6; 15/15; 1/6; tickets: 203/6) (charge: #105 8s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Nix, Mrs Hedges & Miss Barnes. [As mainpiece the playbill announces The School for Scandal, but "Smith having an inflammation in his eyes, and Aickin being suddenly laid up with the gout, the play was obliged to be changed [to] The Beggar's Opera" (Morning Herald, 25 May).] Morning Chronicle, 22 May: Tickets to be had of Nix, No. 21, Crown-court, Little Russel-street, Covent Garden; of Mrs Hedges, No. 168, opposite New Bondstreet, Piccadilly; of Miss Barnes, at Cateman's, No. 52, Drury Lane. Receipts: #300 0s. 6d. (60/10/0; 19/13/6; 2/0/0; tickets: 217/17/0) (charge: #108 8s. 1d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: [With alterations by John Philip Kemble] Not acted these 4 years. [In his prompt copy (1808) now in Harvard Theatre Collection Kemble's annotation lists the following as needed in the opening scene: 10 principals, Captain of the Guard, 3 Knights, 2 Pages, 2 Gentlemen with Crown, 2 Gentlemen with Map, Physician, Herald, 2 Ladies with Goneril, 2 Ladies with Regan, 2 Standard Bearers, 12 Guards. Nearly every scene opens or closes with drums and trumpets. In the storm scene, "Thunder and lightning; lamps down," i.e. the footlights lowered out of sight into a shallow trough. It is not unlikely that these arrangements were adhered to in this present revival.] "Kemble said that, however singular it might be, in Lear an audience quite unsettled him; the noise of the box-doors caught his ear, and routed all his meditated effects; and he found it absolutely impossible to do that at night which he had thrown out during the rehearsal in the morning" (Boaden, Siddons, II, 376). Receipts: #350 9s. 6d. (310.9.6; 38.12.0; 1.8.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Marshall and Mrs Harlowe. Mainpiece: In Act V a Grand Battle between the Britons and Romans. Morning Herald, 17 May: Tickets to be had of Marshall, No. 17, Crown-court, Bow-street, Covent-Garden; of Mrs Harlowe, No. 54, Drury-lane. Receipts: #256 7s. (104.2; 1.10; tickets: 150.15) (charge: #105)