Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bannister. 2nd piece [1st time; SAT 1, author unknown. Larpent MS 877; not published. Author of Prologue unknown]. [Monologue by George Colman, ynger (European Magazine, Aug. 1790, p. 151.] Gazetteer, 7 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Bannister, No. 2, Frith-street, Soho

Event Comment: The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 25 Apr. 1791]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [Prologue by George Colman, elder.] Receipts: #195 8s. (156.4.0; 32.17.6; 6.6.6.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. End I afterpiece: A Grand Representation of Mount Vesuvius, at the Time of an Eruption. Oracle, 28 Feb: Tickets to be had of Palmer, No. 3, London Road, St. George's Fields. Receipts: #340 5s. 6d. (144.1.0; 22.0.0; 4.4.6; tickets: 170.0.0) (charge: #126 4s. 11d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wood, Percey, Cameron, Wilson, George, Woollams. Kemble Mem.: Benefit for the Boxkeepers. A New Edition of the [mainpiece] to be had at the Theatre. "Went to play. Mrs Jordan in 'Rosalind.' I am still of opinion, there is more in her person and natural manners than in her acting. Her merit lies out of her part. The words set down by the author she does not repeat with great propriety of tone, emphasis, or gesture, than others. But she has of these, certain peculiarities, which indicate dispositions, such as take strong hold of the affections, at least of the male part of her audience; and therefore, when the part is of a sort to admit a large portion of these, she produces a great effect. The true acting of the part may, in many instances, not require what she throws into it, but it may admit it; and if the expression so thrown in is of the sort described, the effect of the whole will be improved, though the part is thereby neither better nor worse acted" (Windham Diary, 28 May 1791, 227). Receipts: #363 4s. 6d. (33.5.0; 9.5.6; 2.13.0; tickets: 318.1.0) (charge: #117 1s. 7d.)

Event Comment: [3rd piece: Prologue by George Colman, elder.] Paid Printer's bill [for playbills] to 1st Inclusive #21 10s. 6d. Receipts: #242 7s(209.5; 31.8; 1.14)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In 5 Acts, altered from the Dramatic Romance by David Garrick, Esq. With a new Overture and new additional Musick by Storace [on 2 Jan. 1792 and thereafter, added: Shaw] and other Eminent Masters. Entirely new Scenery by Greenwood, and new Dresses, Decorations and Machinery. To conclude with a Grand Procession of the Hundred Knights of Chivalry, and the Representation of an Ancient Tournament. [These were included in all subsequent performances.] Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Post, 3 Jan. 1792, prints a full description of the Procession of over 100 persons: 1st, Anglo-Saxon Knights and banners; then ancient British knights, Norman knights, Indians, Turks, Scythians, Romans, a dwarf, a giant; at end, "soldiers drawing a superb picture of St. George, knights in chain mail, a cupid leading a knight covered with a silver net, Hymen, piping fauns, bands of cupids drawing an altar--flame burning, cupids hovering over it, and others feeding doves below, a troop of Arcadian shepherds drawing the car of Cymon and Sylvia, characters of the drama, and chorus." "At the conclusion of the procession, a tournament took place of both horse and foot, between several combatants in armour, who fought with lances, swords and battle-axes: three of Hughes' horses [from the Royal Circus] were introduced, and managed with much dexterity; the Prince of Wales' Highlander made one of the procession, and entered the lists as a champion, fighting with an enormous club; against him a small female warrior was opposed, by whom he was subdued. It was by far the grandest spectacle ever seen upon the stage. Many of the characters were taken from Sir Philip Sydney's Arcadia, in which the scene of the piece was laid; and the dresses of the knights, armour, &c. from the drawings and descriptions of the best antiquarians" (Oulton, 1796, II, 215). [This was Edmund Kean's 1st appearance on the stage; he was about four years old. He personated a cupid lying in Cymon and Sylvia's car (Kelly, Reminiscences, II, 21-22).] Account-Book, 13 Jan. 1792: Paid Hughes for his Horses #16 19s. 10d.; 23 Jan.: Paid Gough for his Greyhounds in Cymon #5 19s. 6d. Receipts: #420 6s. (385.0; 35.5; 0.1)

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. Afterpiece [1st time; P 3, author unknown. "Founded on the Tale of Inkle & Yarico" (Kemble Mem.), by Sir Richard Steele, in The Spectator, No. II, 13 March 1710-11. Not in Larpent MS; not published]: The Music by Gluck and Martini [i.e. Martin y Soler]. Morning Herald, 9 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Palmer, No. 3, London-road, St. George's Fields. Receipts: #452 16s. (169.17; 47.13; 2.11; tickets: 232.15) (charge: #169 5s. 8d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wood, Percey, Cameron, Wilson, George, Woollams. Kemble Mem.: Bt. the box-keepers. Receipts: #98 6s. (59.6.6; 26.0.6; 12.19.0; tickets: none listed) (charge: #147 12s.)

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; PREL 1, by George Colman, ynger. Larpent MS 951; synopsis of plot in Diary, 16 June. This piece is stated to have been published in 1792]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had of Rice, at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. In 1st piece "Parsons was highly entertaining in affecting to speak in an under tone scarcely audible, that the feebleness of his voice might correspond with the smallness of the House, compared with the enormous [new] Theatre over the way; and his broken, unintelligible mode of announcing the Performance to the Audience as a specimen, was truly whimsical" (Morning Herald, 16 June)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bannister, being her Last Appearance on the Stage. [Address by George Colman, ynger (Thespian Magazine, Oct. 1792, p. 102.

Event Comment: [Afterpiece: Prologue by George Colman, elder.] Receipts: #200 14s. (156.9; 44.2; 0.3)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Edward Morris, with incidental music by Richard Suett. Prologue by Charles Morris; Epilogue by George Colman, ynger (see text)]: With new Dresses, Decorations, &c. Morning Herald, 23 Apr. 1793: To-morrow will be published False Colours (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #231 9s. (188.2; 38.18; 4.9)

Event Comment: Benefit for Percey, Cameron, George, Woollams. Kemble Mem.: Benefit for Boxkeepers. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. Receipts: #338 (28.1.6; 13.10.6; 3.15.0; tickets: 292.13.0) (charge: #147 9s.)

Event Comment: 2nd piece (1st time; C 3, by John O'Keeffe. Prologue by George Colman, ynger (see text)]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Salary list (Enthoven Collection): Paid O'Keeffe for London Hermit #108 15s. Morning Chronicle, 17 July 1793: This Day is published The London Hermit (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. [This was the version, altered probably by Joseph George Holman, in which he appeared in Dublin on 29 July 1794, on which occasion the playbill reads, "Dressed in the Habits of the Times, and with other Alterations, adopted in its Representations 19 [recte 11] Nights last Winter, at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden." It further states that the part of Ophelia would be performed "without the Airs, and with a considerable Restoration of the Text." No record of what these alterations consisted of has come to light. In III.iv Hamlet's father was represented by a life-sized portrait that hung over the chimney, and the Queen wore a large miniature of Claudius on her arm as a bracelet (London Chronicle, 10 Oct.). The words of the Dirge are printed in European Magazine, Nov. 1793, p. 393; they are stanza X of Shakespeare's Passionate Pilgrim. Miss Poole had appeared as a singer at king's and at Vauxhall in 1787 and at the cg oratories in 1791.] Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years [and in place of The Prisoner at Large, advertised on playbill of 8 Oct.]. Receipts: #332 4s. (330.3; 2.1)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2 (?), by James Wild. MS: Larpent 1000]: The greatest part entirely new, with a few Select Scenes from the most approv'd Compositions. With new Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations. The Dresses entirely new. The new Music composed by Shield, the rest selected from Harington, Dr Arne, Eley, Reeve, Pepusch, Galliard, George Ware, Hook, &c. The Scenery and Machinery entirely new painted by Richards, Hodgins, Walmsley, Lupino, Pugh, Phillips and Malton. The Dances entirely new, composed by Byrn. Account-Book, 23 Apr. 1795: Paid James Wild in full for Dr Faustus #40. European Magazine, Jan. 1794, p. 49: Dr Faustus has afforded entertainment to three if not four generations. It was first produced at Drury-lane in 1723, by Mr Thurmond, a dancing-master, and was afterwards succeeded at Lincoln's inn-fields, in the same year, by Mr Rich's more splendid performance [entitled The Necromancer; or, Harlequin Doctor Faustus], which received improvement at different revivals of it. At the latter end of 1766 [at Covent Garden] Mr Woodward made some alterations, and it was revived with great success. It is again brought forward with applause, and recalls to the remembrance of those who formerly saw it with delight, the recollection of the most enchanting period of life. The opening scene of Tartarus . . . was first introduced in the speaking pantomime of The Mirror [at Covent Garden, 30 Nov. 1779). Receipts: #352 13s. 6d. (324/13/6; 28/0/0)