Event Comment: For the House. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. [Sometime after May, and during 1770 was published Paul Hiffernan's Dramatic Genius in Five Books, dedicated to Garrick (with a 2nd edn., 1772). Book I, delineates a plan for a permanent Temple to be erected to the memory of Shakespeare, in classical taste; Book II, details the invention of the drama, its rise to perfection, and gives a "candid disquisition of the rules laid down by the critics"; Book III, a treatise on the art of acting; Book IV, requisites for dramatic genius, in composition, and in acting; Book V, an essay on Architecture, Painting and the other arts as they relate to theatrical representation. Contains flattering comments on theatrical managers.

Event Comment: By Order of the Grand Buck for the Benefit of Mr Wignell and Mr Barnshaw. Charges #64 5s. Deficit to the actors #15 5s. 3d. apiece, covered by income from tickets: Wignell #61 13s. (Box 76; Pit 187; Gallery 146); Barnshaw #116 8s. (Box 96; Pit 500; Gallery 174); Total House value #211 15s. 6d. (Account Book). Receipts: #33 14s. 6d

Event Comment: CCymbeline cannot be performed on account of Indisposition of Mrs Yates. Tickets delivered by Stoppelaer and Mas. Harris, will be taken. Charges: half house-charges, plus half-value of tickets #89 15s., minus half value of receipts left a deficit to Stoppelaer of #54 8s., covered by income from Tickets of #105 19s. (Box 144; Pit 335; Gallery 197). [Harris seems to have had no charges and to have cleared #38 12s. from tickets (Box 97; Pit 51; Gallery 67). William Gard and Singleton performed as usual in Harlequin's Jubilee and received customary pay. See 15 Feb.] (Account Book.) Receipts: #70 14s

Event Comment: Benefit for Wild, Miss Madden, Roffe, Ansell, and Miss Woolley. Tickets deliver'd by Symonds, Furkins, Hartle, Francis, Abbott, Walters, Miss Stede, the Widow Trott, the Widow Pullin, Mrs Hitchcock, Mrs Paddick, Mr Pilfold, Mr Doe, Claridge, and Reed will be taken. @ Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value 1!2 Value@ Wild 4 43 53 #12 15s. #6 7s. 6d.@ Miss Madden 41 17 29 #15 14s. #7 17s.@ Rose 23 55 35 #17 10s. #8 15s.@ Ansell 11 31 41 #11 10s. #5 15s.@ Wooley 3 28 56 #10 11s. #5 5s. 6d.@ Symonds 3 18 47 #8 3s. #4 1s. 6d.@ Furkins 9 9 9 #4 10s. #2 5s.@ Mrs Hartle 4 28 60 #11 4s. #5 12s.@ Francis .. 19 34 #6 5s. #3 2s. 6d.@ Abbott 12 60 53 #18 6s. 9 3s.@ Walters 3 44 106 #17 19s. #8 19s. 6d.@ Miss Stede 22 30 68 #16 6s. #8 8s.@ Miss Trott 17 10 10 #6 15s. #3 7s. 6d.@ Mrs Pullen 17 28 65 #14 19s. #7 9s. 6d.@ Mrs Hitchcock 29 42 16 #15 3s. #7 11s. 6d.@ Mrs Paddick .. 14 21 #4 4s. #2 2s@ Pilfold 27 200 67 #43 9s. #21 14s. 6d.@ Doe .. 18 39 #6 12s. #3 6s.@ Claridge 9 34 27 #10 1s. #5 0s. 6d.@ Reed .. .. .. .. .. .. ..@ Sharratt 1 8 10 #2 9s. #1 4s. 6d.@ Total 235 736 856 #254 15s. #127 7s. 6d.@ [A total of 1,817 seats given out in the three categories. Full capacity must have been nearly 2,250. No charges. House took half value of tickets.] Receipts: #13 2s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Thompson, Wilkinson &c. Tickets deliver'd for the Inconstant, by Whatley, and others will be taken. @ Thompson .. 7 45 #5 11s. #2 15s. 6d.@ Wilkinson 37 18 22 #14 3s. #7 1s. 6d.@ Whatley .. 6 25 #3 8s. #1 14s.@ Mrs Griffith .. 23 25 #5 19s. #2 19s. 6d.@ Flight .. 9 45 #5 17s. #2 18s. 6d.@ Ellis .. 2 38 #4 2s. #2 1s.@ Reed .. 4 16 33 #6 15s. #3 7s.@ Roberts .. 3 104 49 #21 15s. #10 12s. 6d.@ Dixon .. 5 51 22 #11 2s. #5 11s.@ Robson .. 5 117 78 #26 12s. #13 6s.@ Norbury 8 43 54 #13 17s. #6 18s. 6d.@ Bassan 14 36 41 #13 #6 18s. 6d.@ Bushell .. 6 16 #2 10s. #1 5s.@ Fransdorf 4 39 33 #10 3s. #5 1s. 6d.@ Stephenson 20 106 106 #31 10s. #15 15s.@ Miller 5 44 59 #13 15s. #6 17s. 6d.@ Walker .. 14 47 #6 16s. #3 8s.@ Shuter .. 14 4 #2 10s. #1 5s.@ Total 105 655 742 #198 14s. #99 7s.@ [No charges. The House took half value of tickets.] Receipts: #32 1s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Tickets deliver'd by Saunders will be taken. Half House charge, plus half extras and half value of tickets came to #63 9s. 6d. [This minus half the receipts left a deficit to Saunders of #37 11s. 9d., just covered by] income from tickets #53 17s. (Box 89; Pit 158; Gallery 79); William Gard and Singleton rec'd usual pay [see 15 Feb.] (Account Book). Receipts: #51 14s. Half value of tickets received from Ellis, Stephenson, Bushell and Francis

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Pantomine not acted these two years. [See 22 Sept. 1768.] Alterations to The Elopement (Cross Diary). [The Rejoicing Night Scene described in Town and Country Magazine (from Theatre No XXI) as representing Ludgate Street and St Paul's with Houses illuminated.

Event Comment: Benefit for Sarjant (box-book and house-keeper)

Event Comment: Benefit for A. Smith and Miss Dowson

Event Comment: This play is alter'd by Mr Cumberland was very well receiv'd Mr & Mrs Barry play'd very well Alcibiades was perform'd by Mr Crofts being his first appearance upon any Stage bad figure bad voice & Play'd bad (Hopkins Diary). New Scenes, Decorations &c. Mr Crofts-a stationer in the Temple (Winston MS 10). Theatrical Review, 4 Dec.: We think ourselves oblig'd to declare that this gentleman (Crofts), by no means answered the expectations we had formed, from the accounts we had heard of him.--His voice is not bad, though it is not much above the level of common conservation; --his deportment is aukward and void of grace to an extreme; and he labors under the disadvantage of having a face destitute of expression. His gestures are extremely ungraceful, and the whole of his execution is glaringly untutored, and misconceived. His persons is very ill formed, and therefore it makes greatly against him, especially as he is the representative of Alcibiades, who was the handsomest man in all Athens, and we never remember any one's attempting to set out as a capital performer with so few requisites for the support of such an undertaking as this gentleman appears to have. Paid Dr Nares & Mr Cooke's 8 boys in the Garter, 12 nights (30th ult. incl.) #36; Master Brown 7 nights (2nd inst. incl.) #2 12s 6d.; Licence for Timon, #2 2s. (Treasurer's Book). [Larpent MS 328 of Cumberland's Timon, is one of the earliest to include scenic descriptions: "A Hall in Timon's House. The Flat Scene represents stately Folding Doors. Scene two, the Back scene is hastily drawn back and discovers a magnificent Levee Room or Salon. &c."] Receipts: #243 1s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not Acted these 2 Years. [See 6 May 1771.] Paid Mrs Yates, the Balance of the Author's 3 Nights of Zobeide #237 19s. Paid one year's Rector's Rate for theatre due Xmas last #8 15s.; and Watch rate #17 10s. Paid one year's Rector's rate for House in Bow Passage 6s. 3d.; and watch for same 12s. 6d. Paid Mrs Keys for a gold and silver sack coat #14 14s. (Account Book). Receipts: #148 19s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: About Ten o'clock this Morning Orders came from the Lord Chamberlain to Shut up the House on Account of the Death of the Princess Dowager of Wales who died this Morn[in]g between 6 & 7 o'clock (Hopkins Diary). [Closed through Sat., Feb. 15. No record in Treasurer's Book save "The Princes Dowager of Wales died this Morning."] Theatres clos'd on 8 Feb. and reopen'd on 17th Feb. for Augusta Princess Dowager of Wales (Winston MS 10). Paid salary list, at #83 9s. 9d. per diem, #500 18s. 6d.; Mrs Abington's Cloaths acct, #2; Mr S. French, 1 1!2 days 7s. 6d.; Mr Weston's note to Mr Holman, #8 3s. (Treasurer's Book). [The cast scheduled for mainpiece was that of 4 Feb.; for afterpiece that of 30 Dec. 1771. The dance between was to have been Sailor's Revels of 8 Oct. 1771.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Play not acted: theatres closed for death of Augusta Princess Dowager of Wales. [For comment Theatrical Review, II, p. 93 attaches to the evening of 7 Feb.]: Another additional scene was introduc'd this evening, for the first time in which Mr Dunstall, in the character of a Female Ballad Singer, entertained the audience with the following new song, relative to the tricks of the Stockwell Conjuror, which it exposes with some degree fo humour, and which has a good effect, from the manner in which it is introduc'd; but from such poetry, Heaven delvier us!@The Stockwell Wonder@Ye beaux, belles and flirts, who the Pantheon stock well,@Come and see the renown'd Pandemonium at Stockwell.@Where the house and the furniture's all in bon ton@And the pewter and crockery dance cottillon. Derry Down, down, down Derry Down.@A pickling-pan first, which exceeds all belief,@Jumps and skips to the tune of old English Roast Beef;@While a barrel so lively, it cannot be said,@That the beer that is in it can ever be dead, Derry Down &c.@ @The tables, chairs, jars, frisk about too, and soon@The pestle and warming-pan move to some tune;@The clock too chimes in, and we very well know@That a clock that don't stand must undoubtedly go, Derry down, &c.@But let not amazement your fancies perplex@The enchantment arose from th'enchanting fair sex;@A sweet girl was the cause, and girls wonders are rich in@For we all know sweet girls-are extremely bewitching.@Derry down, &c.

Event Comment: Mr Garrick Bays 1st time these four years Very fine House (Hopkins Diary). Mrs King many years actress and dancer will leave the stage at her Benefit. Garrick [will] play for her (Winston MS 10). Paid Marshall & Co. (plumbers) #11 9s. 6d.; Mr Racket (taylor) #20 6d.; Mr Hatsell (mercer) #29 6d.; Mr Ireland (upholsterer) #34 7s.; Barrow & Co (oil merchants) #88 10s.; Printer's Bill #8 12s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #280 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Yates. Part of Pit laid into Boxes (playbill). Charges #64 5s. Profit to Yates #82 3s. 6d., plus #102 11s. from tickets: (Box 367; Pit 72). Paid half year's Poor's rate for the theatre due Ladyday last #20 8s. 4d.; and for House in Bow Passage 14s. 7d. (Account Book). Receipts: #146 8s. 6d. (Account Book)