Event Comment: Ladies send servants by 5 to keep Places and prevent Confusion. Doors will be opened at half after five o'clock. To begin at half after 6 o'clock (playbill). Mr G. Voice and Spirits was never finer he never wanted Spirit or Voice thro' the whole part and Convinced the Audience that those Amazing powers he has always possess'd are now as brilliant as ever. Never was a part play'd with greater Propriety nor an Audience more lavish of their Applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly.] [A full column letter for the Morning Chronicle this date from Theatricus to Garrick protested the fact that his announced benefit for the Theatrical Fund on the 30th of May would be all sold out to the highest bidders for tickets; that a nobleman offering ten Guineas for four box seats would get them in preference to the tradesmen who offered only a pound, the stated price of the tickets. Since charity was the cause this writer suggested that Garrick give a second benefit night to the Fund, with the hopes (1) that the Fund would be thereby vastly increased, and (2) that opportunity might be given for twice as many People to see a Garrick final performance. It was, perhaps, in response to this public request that Garrick gave a second Benefit night for the Fund on 10 June. The Morning Post, 29 May, noted: "The concourse of servants assembled yesterday morning at seven o'clock, at Drury Lane Stage Door, to take places for the approaching benefit, in which it is said Mr Garrick will again play Richard III , was astonishing, amounting to many hundreds, three fourths of which were not able to Succeed in their embassies' (Hampden, Journal).] Receipts: #307 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The Provoked Husband and Rival Candidates was given out for Tuesday. On Sunday Morning Mrs Yates sent word she was ill and could not play--sent to Miss Younge, and she sent word that she was ill in bed--King sent word he had a sore Throat, and could not play--so that we could do no Play but the Committee and Rival Candidates. On Monday the Managers met, but nothing was settled. At twelve o'clock Mrs Baddeley sent word she had a sore Throat, and could not play in the Riv[al] Can[didates] (Hopkins Diary). The Hypocrite and The Christmas Tale are obliged to be deferred. "[Smith] has a good figure, is gentlemanlike, and decent in everything he undertakes. When we allow that, we have said all; he wants both feeling to be affected, and powers to convey his feelings, if he had them. In fine, in spite of all the partiality of his friends, or the ignorant prejudices of those who never judge but at second hand, his performance of Richard was little more than a strong union of judgement and industry, unaided by nature. He should woo genteel Comedy oftener; and not that coy sister of hers, who certainly holds Smith at the point of her lance" (London Magazine, Oct. 1776, p. 511). Receipts: #186 18s. 6d

Event Comment: [This was the last performance ever held in this theatre. On 27 June the Morning Chronicle published the playbill for that same evening: Love in a Village and Comical Courtship, but on 29 June the same newspaper reported that on "Friday [26 June] (soon after the performances of the evening were finished at China Hall, Rotherhithe) the theatre was discovered to be on fire. The flames increased so rapidly that in a short time the whole building, with all the scenes, stage, cloaths, &c. were consumed...There is no doubt but the theatre was wilfully set on fire." During the course of the summer it was rebuilt, but "Yesterday morning the play-house at China-hall, Rotherhithe, was blown down by the violence of the wind. The said play-house was burnt down last summer, but it being insured was rebuilt by contract, and the tiling of it completely finished last week" (Gazetteer, 26 Nov. 1778). And see 30 July.