Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Billington. Mainpiece: Not acted these 10 years [acted 5 Nov. 1779]. The Music chiefly composed by Hook, the rest compiled from the most eminent Masters. With new Songs and other Alterations [and restorations; the names of almost all the characters have been changed (see 23 Nov. 1778)]. Public Advertiser, 12 Jan.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Billington, No. 53, Poland-street. Receipts: #365 3s. 6d. (244.0.6; 2.12.0; tickets: 118.11.0) [charge: free)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Bertie Greatheed. Prologue by the Rev. David Williames. Epilogue by Hester Lynch Piozzi (see text)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 20 May 1788: This Day is published The Regent (1s. 6d.). Afterpiece: Not acted these 12 years [acted 29 May 1779]. "I do think that Mrs Siddons for Vigour of Action, pathetic Tone of Voice, & a sort of Radiance which comes round her in Scenes where strong heroic Virtues are displayed, never had her Equal" (Thraliana, II, 715). Receipts: #226 13s. (211.1; 14.4; O.18; tickets not come in:0.10)

Event Comment: A new Serious Opera (1st time [in London; 1st performed at Venice, 1781]); the music by Sarti, under the direction of Mazzinghi. "At length in the spring arrived the celebrated Marchesi, whose fame had long reached this country, and who had been extolled to such a degree that impatience and expectation were raised to the highest pitch; and on the first night of his appearance the theatre was not only crowed to the utmost in every part, but on the rising of the curtain, the stage was so full of spectators that it was some time before order and silence could be obtained, and with some difficulty that Marchesi, who was to open the opera, could make his way before the audience. Marchesi was at this time a very well-looking young man, of good figure, and graceful deportment. His acting was spirited and expressive: his vocal powers were very great, his voice of extensive compass, but a little inclined to be thick (Mount-Edgcumbe, 66-67). Receipts: #437 15s. 6d., i.e. 560 tickets delivered to Prendergrass [see 8 Dec. 1787], who sold 558; 110 to Toosey, who sold 86; 400 to Butler, who sold 285; 236 to Snelson, who sold 204. Total non-subscription tickets sold: 1133

Event Comment: Benefit for Baddeley. 3rd piece [1st time; F 2 (?), author unknown. Public Advertiser, 16 Apr. has synopsis of plot; assigns Toby Todman-R. Palmer; Billy Dibley-$Bannister Jun.; and lists, unassigned: Mr Stockfield, Sir William Matchem, Mr Harland, Lucetta. Not in Larpent MS; not published. This piece has reference to a prize-fight, on which thousands of pounds were said to have been wagered, which took place at Odiham, Hants, on 9 Jan.]. Public Advertiser, 25 Mar.: Tickets to be had of $Baddeley, No. 10, New Store-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #323 11s. [107.6.0; 10.2.6; 0.13.6; tickets: 205.9.0) (charge: #109 4s. 2ds.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Noverre. Tickets to be had of Noverre, No. 40, Great Marlborough-street. 2nd ballet: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. Receipts not listed

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; MF 2]: Written by the Author of Rosina [Frances Brooke]. The Music compiled and composed by Shield. With entire New Scenes painted by Richards. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Text 1st published by T. N. Longman and O. Rees, 1800.] Receipts: #165 9s. 6d. (162.18.0; 2.11.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: With entire new Dresses and Decorations. The Music by the celebrated Gretry. The Paintings by Greenwood. Kemble Mem.: This day I undertook the Management of dl Theatre. Receipts: #232 15s. 6d. (175.18.0; 56.13.6; 0.4.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Written by the Author of Rosina [Frances Brooke]. The Music by Shield. With entire new Scenes painted by Richards. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #207 9s. 6d. (197.9.0; 10.0.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years [not acted since 2 Nov. 1761]. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. In Act I a Grand Banquetv. In Act II the Trial of Queen Katharinev. In V a Procession to the Christening of Princess Elizabethv. [These were included in all subsequent performances.] Mrs Siddons's Queen Katharine was "too laboured -particularly the Trial Scene, where the words came so slow and measured that they seemed to be distilled" (Public Advertiser, 29 Nov.). Receipts: #260 11s. (248.12; 11.6; 0.13)

Event Comment: [As afterpiece the playbill announces the 1st night of Hide and Seek (see 24 Feb.), but "On account of Johnstone's Indisposition, the new Farce is unavoidably deferr'd...Tom Thumb will therefore be performed this Evening" (printed slip on BM playbill, cg, Vol. VI).] Receipts: #220 18s. (207.2.6; 13.15.6)

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: A new Comic Opera [1st performed at Naples, 1783]; the Music by Cimarosa, under the direction of Mazzinghi

Event Comment: A new and accurate Edition of The Pannel to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #219 13s. 6d. (202.1.0; 16.6.6; 0.13.6; tickets not come in: 0.12.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Baddeley. 3rd piece [1st time; INT I, probably by Robert Baddeley. Not in Larpent MS; not published]: Taken from [The Lame Lover, by] the late Samuel Foote, Esq. Public Advertiser, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Baddeley, No. 10, New Store-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #297 16s. (74.14; 8.12; 0.19; tickets: 213.11) (charge: #117 16s. 4d.)

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera (never performed [in London; 1st performed at Florence, 1778]); the Music by Gazzaniga [with additions by Storace, Posi, Trachi (World, 11 May)], under the direction of Mazzinghi. At the London production of La Vendemmia, the duet (Count-Susanna) Crudel perche finora from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro was sung by Benucci and Anna Storace; probably the first piece of any Mozart opera which was heard on the London stage" (Loewenberg, 364). [In June 1789 it was published by Birchall and Andrews, as "A favorite duett...sung in...La Vendemmia...by Sg Benucci and Sga Storace". See Illustration

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 4th Time [i.e in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season. Prologue by Robert Merry. Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews]. "The Dramatist has undergone considerable alterations" (World, 8 Oct., which also states that the Epilogue was new, i.e. not the one, also by Andrews, spoken the previous season). Receipts: #206 15s. (196.7.6; 10.7.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [altered by John Philip Kemble]: By Shakespeare, with Additions from Dryden. The Music by Purcell and Dr Arne, with new Airs and Chorusses by the late Linley Jun. [Epilogue by John Burgoyne (Kemble Mem.).] Receipts: #154 13s. 6d. (135.9.0; 19.2.6; 0.2.0)