Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. 1st piece: Never acted in this Theatre. [Prologue by George Colman, elder. Monologue by Hester Lynch Piozzi (European Magazine, May 1797, p. 343).] True Briton, 12 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, No. 49, Great Marlborough-street. "The scenery destroyed much of the effect of the tragedy; for the characters are supposed to be 'steeped in poverty to the very lips;' and yet their apartments would have become a family in the meridian of wealth and prosperity. Mrs Siddons was also too well dressed for Mrs Wilmot" (Monthly Mirror, May 1797, p. 308). "In the scene in which [Mrs Siddons's] son having put into her hands a casket to keep, and she having touched a spring it opens and she sees jewels, her husband (Kemble) enters, and in despair exclaims, 'Where shall we get bread?' With her eyes fixed on the jewels, she runs to him, knocks the casket against her breast and exclaims, 'Here! Here!' In Mrs Siddons's tone and in her look there was an anticipation of the murder which was to take place" (Robinson, I, 39). Receipts: #618 2s. (386.8.6; 43.19.0; 2.4.0; tickets: 185.10.6) (charge: #211 1s.)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece: Epilogue by George Colman, ynger.

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time; CO 2, by Henry Heartwell and George Colman, ynger, based on Le Prisonner; or, La Ressemblance, by Alexandre Vincent Pineu Duval]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The Musick composed and selected by Attwood. Books of the Songs, &c. to be had at the Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 9 Aug. 1799: This day is published The Castle of Sorrento (1s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 27th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the 1793 hay season]. The Overture, Chorusses, and the new Music by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Half-Price not being taken at this Theatre, the Prices will be as in the Summer. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout season, but see 11 Nov.]. Places for the Boxes to be had of Rice at the Theatre. dl Account-Book, 23 Nov.: Received of Colman for 50 Nights Use of the Patent of Drury Lane Theatre at #15 a Nt. #750; 3 Dec.: for 10 nights Use of Patent #150 [Et seq. throughout season.

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. [Afterpiece: Prologue by George Colman, elder.] Public Advertiser, 29 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #240 (Gazetteer, 5 Sept.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun</a>. 1st piece: Never Acted Here. 2nd piece: Written by G. Colman Esq., with Alterations [from his Occasional Prelude]. 3rd piece: Not acted these 10 years [not acted since 17 May 1763]. Receipts: #207 18s. 6d. (89.5.0; 29.19.0; 1.13.6; tickets: 87.1.0) (charge: #106 13s. 8d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [Bannister Jun.'s 1st appearance as Jobson was at dl, 21 May 1796.

Event Comment: [MS annotation on playbill in Harvard Theatre Collection: "Mrs Cargill run away this day with Colman Jun</a>. James? Winston?." And see 11 Sept.

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece: In I act. Public Advertiser, 11 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 2nd piece [1st time; MF 2, by Prince Hoare, Larpent MS 1289; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Herald, 29 Apr, Author of Prologue unknown]: The new Musick composed by Kelly. Morning Chronicle, 16 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 65, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #360 8s. 6d. (272.17.6; 80.9.6; 7.1.6; tickets: none listed) (charge: #213 3s. 7d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun</a>

Event Comment: Edwin still continuing unable to perform, The Battle of Hexham [advertised on playbill of 26 June] is obliged to be deferred. [Bannister Jun.'s 1st appearance as Trudge was at dl, 28 May 1789.

Event Comment: [Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, 10,239).] Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: 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]. On 24 May Colman inserted the following in Public Advertiser: The Theatre Royal in the Haymarket will open next Saturday. In order to avoid unnecessary' Repetitions during the Season, the Public are desired, once for all, to take Notice that every Performance at this Theatre will be exhibited to most brilliant, crouded and OVERFLOWING audiences; and received with loud and universal Bursts of most UNBOUNDED and UNCOMMON Applause

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by John O'Keeffe, based on Le Rival Suppose, by Germain Francois Poulain de Saint-Foix. It was written in honor of the 21st birthday, 12 Aug., of the Prince of Wales. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, m, 248)]: The Overture by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 2 Oct. 1783: This Day is published The Birth Day (1s.)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Mrs Cuyler. [Kean is identified on HAY playbill of 26 Aug. 1784.] 1st and 2nd pieces: Both written by George Colman, Esq. 3rd piece: Written by the late David Garrick. Not acted these 12 years. Tickets to be had of Mrs Cuyler, No. 7, St. Alban's-street; at the bar of George's Coffee-house; and of Rice, at the Theatre, where places for the boxes may be taken. Tickets delivered for the 15th will be admitted

Event Comment: Afterpiec : A New Burletta [by George Colman]. The Characters New Dress'd. The Music entirely New composed by Mr Arnold. Books of the Burletta to be had at the Theatre. [Books sold at each subsequent performance this season. See Town and Country Magazine (from Theatre No. XII, p. 593) for comment on the afterpiece.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Altered from Milton [by George Colman]. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #181 4s. 6d

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy (never performed) [by George Colman]. Paid Miller for performing 11 nights in The Sylphs #2 15s. Paid Mr Anderson for 2 suits of women's cloaths #21 (Account Book). [The mainpiece received a scourging review in the Westminster Magazine for Feb. 1774. Gibbon attended, "We dined at the Shakespeare and went in a body to support it....Though we got a verdict for our client his cause was but a bad one. It is a very confused miscellany of several plays and tales" (John Hampden@Journal, p. 18).] Receipts: #258 3s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mrs Baddeley who play'd the Lady in Comus got out of the Enchanted Seat before her time & made a great Laugh the Farce was much hiss'd at the End (Hopkins Diary). [The Masque (never performed there) is the version reduced to two Acts by George Colman.] Benefit for Cautherly. Paid Mr J. Aickin in part of #60 in lieu of Benefit (remiting #10 to his credit) #50. Receipts: #197 11s. 6d. Charges: #68 17s. Profits to Cautherly: #128 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; BO 3]: Being the Sequel to The Beggar's Opera, Written by Gay, with Alterations [by George Colman elder; the overture (a compilation of airs from The Beggar's Opera) and 6 new airs by Samuel Arnold]. Books of the Opera to be had at the Theatre. [Mrs Colles is identified on playbill of 9 July.] Public Advertiser, 20 June: This Day is published Polly (1s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; PAST 3]: Taken from [The Winter's Tale, by] Shakespeare [altered by George Colman elder]. Afterpiece: Likewise taken from [A Midsummer-Night's Dream, by] Shakespeare. Books of both pieces to be had at the Theatre. The Musick of both pieces by the most eminent Composers [i.e. Michael Arne, Dibdin, Dr Burney, Hook, Theodore Smith, Dr Arnold]. The Characters new dressed

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by George Colman elder, based on Le Barbier de Seville; ou, La Precaution Inutile, by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais; music by Samuel Arnold and, by attribution, Pierre Alexandre Monsigny. Prologue by the author (Collection...of English Prologues and Epilogues, II, 209). Epilogue by David Garrick (Garrick's Poetical Works, II, 340). Larpent MS 436; not published; synopsis of plot in London Magazine, Sept. 1777, pp. 467-69]: With New Dresses and Scenes

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Altered from [The Artful Wife, by William? Taverner. [1st time; C 3, by George Colman elder. Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 20 May. Public Advertiser, 19 May, notes that the Prologue was the same as that spoken on 15 May 1777. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Servants to keep Places are to be at the door in Suffolk-street by Five o'clock. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. On account of the Performers employed at other Theatres the second Night of Representation cannot be till Thursday, the 21st inst. [On this night, the 18th, Baddeley's name is in the playbills at both dl and hay.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 8th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season. Prologue by George Colman elder. Epilogue by David Garrick (see 30 Aug. 1777)]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; c 4, by George Colman elder. Prologue by the author (Prose on Several Occasions, III, 244). Epilogue by David Garrick (Poetical Works, II, 351). Larpent MS 450; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 11 July Postcript; not published]