Event Comment: Benefit for Booth. Mr Booth respectfully hopes his close Attention to the several Departments he occupies in the Theatre will be a sufficient Excuse for his not personally waiting on his Friends. [Public Advertiser, 22 Mar., notes that since Wild's accident [see 11 May] Booth had been acting as prompter.] Public Advertiser, 14 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Booth at his house in Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT I, compiler unknown]: The Music compiled from the most eminent Masters

Event Comment: [This was Henderson's last appearance on the stage. He died on 25 Nov. 1785. "He was the only performer, since the death of Mr Garrick, who could with any degree support the various characters of Shakespeare. His person approached the middle size, his voice was naturally thick, his judgment was strong, his attention great, and his sudden transition from one passion to another fully evinced his abilities; his chief excellence lay in strong colouring, in broken and abrupt speeches, especially in parts of tragic horror; his scale was so extensive that it included the extremes of Tragedy and Comedy" (Oulton, 1796, 1, 150-51).] Receipts: #258 6s. (250/14; 7/12)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Waldron. The last Night of performing this Season. [The above is an advance notice on playbill of 5 Aug.]

Event Comment: The Public are most respectfully informed, that, in consequence of the sudden and violent Indisposition of Mr Parsons, the second Performance of the New Comedy, called A School for Grey-Beards, is unavoidably postponed. This Evening will be presented [as above] (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill). Receipts: #182 13s. 6d. (141.9.0; 38.7.0; 2.15.0; ticket not come in: 0.2.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Edwin. 2nd piece [1st time; F 2, by George Colman, elder, based of L'Avocat Patelin, by David Augustin de Brueys. This is usually ascribed to William Macready. But on the title-page of his copy (K-D 295 in Huntington Library) J. P. Kemble has written "This Piece was not written by Mr Macready." Public Advertiser, 29 Aug. states that "Colman...presented Edwin upon this occasion with a new Farce, taken from a celebrated French Play." World, 15 Oct. 1787 refers to Colman's dislike of L'Avocat Patelin, but adds, "When [he] came to translate it himself, he found reason to alter his opinion."]. Public Advertiser, 25 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Edwin, No. 19, Piazza, Covent Garden

Event Comment: "The orchestra, during the whole time of representations [of the opera] has by no means been conducted with that exactness that should be expected from that band...It must be supposed that neither the master of music at the harpsichord, nor Mr Cramer, the leader, have influence or power enough to prevail on the band to play, or rather, to accompany, more correctly...The arias of the tenor and base [sic] have been played, or rather accompanied, too fast, and without harmony with the voices of Morelli and Fineschi, which being good, and they seeming to wish to sing with all possible expression, the orchestra should have accompanied accordingly. Mme Storace, howefer, has baffled the efforts of the musicians to make her sing out of tune, quick or slow. As they fiddled, she modulated" (Public Advertiser, 17 Jan.). Receipts: #147 12s. 6d. [non-subscription]

Event Comment: Benefit for Booth. Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years [acted 12 Nov. 1782. Rees is identified in Dram. Reg.]. Public Advertiser, 10 May: Tickets to be had of Booth, No. 18, Broad-court, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #234 2s. (95.13; 7.1; tickets: 131.8)

Event Comment: On Account of the numerous Complaints [etc., exactly as on dl playbill, 16 Sept.] [Mr and Mrs Duncan were from the Chester theatre.] Receipts: #193 10s. 6d. (190.11.6; 2.19.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author [of mainpiece, who is named in Kemble Mem., "Mr Greatheed's third night," but not on the playbill; in the preceding season the play had been acted 8 times, and it was the custom for the author of a new play to have his benefits on the 3rd, 6th and 9th nights]. Receipts: #160 17s. (139.5; 19.8; 2.4; tickets: none listed) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Aickin. [Meredith is identified in European Magazine, May 1789, p. 410, which also states address was written by a Mr Vardill.] Mainpiece: End of Act II the Grand Triumphal Entry of Alexander into Babylon. Public Advertiser, 24 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Aickin at his house, No. 5, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #228 4s. 6d. (155.17.6; 8.2.0; tickets 64.5.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Bernard. 2nd piece [1st time in London; M. INT 2, by John Bernard, 1st acted at Bath, 18 Apr. 1786. Music by William Boyton. Larpent MS 732; not published]: By Permission of the Bath Managers [William Keasberry and William Wyatt Dimond]. Receipts: #189 15s. (76.9; 1.16; tickets: 111.10)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Iliff. Afterpiece: Not acted these 10 years [not acted since 30 July 1778]. Diary, 28 July: Tickets to be had of Iliff, No. 20, Charles-street, Westminster

Event Comment: 1st piece: 1st Time [at this theatre; see dl, 7 Nov.]. "Mr Hayley's Marcella, which was anticipated on Saturday evening at Drury Lane, and was received with considerable marks of disapprobation...was brought forward [at Covent Garden] under the auspices of the Author" (Public Advertiser, 11 Nov.). "[The performers all acted well at Covent Garden; and Kemble was the only one at Drury Lane who even knew his part" (Prompter, 11 Nov.). Receipts: #201 17s. (197.13.6; 4.3.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. Part of the Pit [9 rows (World, 23 Mar.)] to be laid into the Boxes. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, probably by Isaac Bickerstaffe, but also ascribed to Mrs Jordan and to Richard Ford. Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin, 1799]. Kemble Mem.: The Farce is written by Mr Bickerstaffe. World, 29 Apr. 1790: The Spoil'd Child was sent to Mrs Jordan from Bickerstaffe in Italy, where her fame had reached. Public Advertiser, 13 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jordan at her house, No. 14, Somerset-street, Portman-square. Receipts: #352 18s. 6d. (137.13.0; 12.4.6; 1.7.0; tickets: 201.14.0) (charge: #111 6s. 11d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years [acted 28 Dec. 1787. Toms is identified in Morning Herald, 22 Sept. 1795: A Mr Toms made a probationary essay last night in the character of Romeo. The bills erroneously announced it as his first appearance on this stage [cg]; for his unsuccessful attempt in Young Norval [i.e. Douglas], about five years ago, on the same boards, is perfectly within our recollection. London Chronicle, 22 Sept. 1795, also refers to Toms as Douglas. European Magazine, Oct. 1790, p. 305, gives the name as Turner, but in Oct. 1795, p. 273, states that Toms performed on one night only "a few years since."]. Afterpiece [1st time; BALL. P 2 (?), by James Byrne, based partly on his Nootka Sound, and in May 1793 agin altered as The Shipwreck; or, French Ingratitude. Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of action in Diary, 5 Oct.]: A Ballet Pantomime, with new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Overture and Music compiled by Byrne, from Haydn, Rochefort, Pleyel, Gyrowetz, Reeve, Pieltain, Dibdin. The new Music by Shield. On account of some Scenes which are introduced from the Entertainment of Nootka Sound (performed last Season [on 4 June 1790]) Half Price will be taken. [This alludes to the custom of not llowing half-price during the run of entirely new pantomimes.] Paid Brodie, for Stoves for the Theatre, #19 8s. Receipts: #207 8s. 6d. (201.16.0; 5.12.6)

Event Comment: ["The Lord Ogleby of (The Clandestine Marriage) raised Mr King to the summit of comic excellence, which his more recent great character, Sir Peter Teazle in The School for Scandal, has established him in the unrivalled possession of" (Johnson, ed. Waldron, 169).] Receipts: #245 (211.9; 33.6; 0.5)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb. Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin, 1792]: The Scenes entirely new, designed and executed by Greenwood. With new Dresses and Decorations. The Musick composed principally by Storace, with a few Pieces selected from [Una Cosa Rara, by] Martini [i.e. Martin y Soler], Salieri, and Paisiello. "The Siege of Belgrade is a very pleasing vehicle for the music, which in a modern opera is all that is expected from the poet" (Universal Magazine, Jan. 1791, p. 66). "The battle between Palmer and Kelly ought to be shortened. It is almost as ludicrous as that between Don Whiskerandos and Beefeater, in Mr Puff's Tragedy [in The Critic]" (Gazetteer, 4 Jan. 1791). Account-Book, 24 May 1791: Paid Cobb for Copyright of Siege of Belgrade of #210. Receipts: #267 9s. 6d. (242.0.0; 23.9.6; 2.0.0)

Event Comment: ["When the Commemoration of King Charles's Death [on 30 Jan.] falls on a Sunday we always act on Monday. "This occurred for the first time, at both dl and cg, on 31 Jan. 1785. Previously, when 30 Jan. was a Sunday, both theatres had observed the commemoration on Monday 31 Jan. In mainpiece the playbill retains Kemble as Faulkland, but "Mr Benson read FaulklandR for me [this because Kemble was detained returning from Bath to London]" (Kemble Mem.).] Receipts: #231 7s. (180.12.0; 50.1.6; 0.13.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wrighten, prompter. [In mainpiece the playbill retains Kemble as Orlando, but "I had fallen from the Ladder in my Book-room, and bruised my Leg. Mr Barrymore acted Orlando for me" (Kemble Mem.).] Oracle, 29 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wrighten, next the Stage-Door. Receipts: #328 18s. (63.0.0; 17.3.6; 2.9.6; tickets: 246.5.0) (charge: #116 16s. 10d.)