Event Comment: Benefit for Legg, Mrs Lampe, Mrs Jones, Miss Besford. Charges #66 1s. Deficit apportioned as follows: Legg #2 15s.; Mrs Lampe and Mrs Jones combined #1 7s. 6d.; Miss Besford #1 7s. 6d. It was cover'd by income from tickets (Account Book). @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value@Legg 107 171 163 #68 11s.@Mrs Lampe & Mrs Jones 89 110 #49 17s.@Miss Besford 29 57 85 #24 6s.@ Receipts: #60 11s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Redman, Miss Besford, Dumay, Mrs Naylor, Curtat. Tickets deliver'd for All for Love will be taken. [The Account Book has crossed out The Jovial Crew and indicated the performance of The Beggar's Opera.] Charges #64 10s. Deficit to the 5 beneficiaries #7 4s. 7 1!2d. apiece, covered by income from tickets: Redman #32 11s. (Box 38; Pit 83; Gallery 106); Besford #18 1s. (Box 23; Pit 42; Gallery 60); Dumay #62 9s. (Box 165; Pit 88; Gallery 80); Mrs Naylor #30 17s. (Box 39; Pit 90; Gallery 76); Curtat #18 16s. (Box 12; Pit 68; Gallery 56). Sarjant and Condell paid up their deficiencies. Receipts: #28 7s

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Darley, Jones, Painter, Besford, Mrs Davenett, Mrs Sharpe, the Widow of the late Dr Arne, and Mrs Dalrymple will be admitted. Tickets delivered for The Maid of the Mill will be taken. [Afterpiece in place of THE Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 27 May.] Receipts: #286 14s. 6d.(93/6/6; 3/1/0; tickets: 190/7/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Stevens and Miss Besford [who had hitherto appeared only as a dancer]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Martyr. 2nd piece [1st time; O 1, by John Wolcot. Larpent MS 770; not published]: Being a Translation from the French Opera of that name [Nina; ou, La Folle par Amour, by Benoit Joseph Marsollier des Vivetieres], now performing at Paris with universal applause. With the original Music [by Nicolas Dalayrac, adapted by William Shield and William Thomas Parke. Two other versions of this opera, both unacted, were published this year: one anonymous, and one by George Monck Berkeley]. Receipts: #300 8s. 6d. (150.0.0; 2.18.0; tickets: 147.10.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 2, by Prince Hoare, adapted from Camille; ou, Le Souterrain, by Benoit Joseph Marsollier des Vivetieres]: The Musick entirely new by Dussek [and Kelly]. With new Scenery [by Marinari (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1798, p. 309)], Dresses, and Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 7 May 1799: On May 9 will be published The Captive of Spilburg (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #209 6s. 6d. (108.10.6; 99.19.6; 0.16.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Samuel Birch, adapted from Camille; ou, Le Souterrain, by Benoit Joseph Marsollier des Vivetieres, and from Les Victimes Cloitrees, by Jacques Marie Boutet de Monvel; the songs written by Thomas John Dibdin. Larpent MS 1236; not published. The playbill states that this was "Taken from the German," but London Chronicle, 12 Dec., says that its source is the same as that of The Captive of Spilburg (see dl, 14 Nov.). An examination of the MSS of these two pieces (Larpent 1230 and 1236) proves that such is unmistakably the case]: With entire new Scenes, Machinery, Dresses & Decorations. The Music composed and selected by Steibelt and Attwood. The Action of the Chorusaes, Finales, &c. under the Direction of Farley, and the Action of the Overture by Bologna Jun. A new Descriptive Overture, composed by Steibelt, on a Plan never before introduced on the English Stage, accompanied by Action. "The overture is...nothing more than music adapted to pantomime; and, in the present instance, the dumb shew is an unnecessary anticipation of the procession with which the piece opens" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1798, p. 369). The Scenery painted by Richards, Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Blackmore, &c. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #338 17s. 6d. (325.14.6; 13.3.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Comic Opera altered [by Colman] from Gay. The Music entirely new by Dr Arne. Now acted for the first time in 2 Acts. [The 1776 Edition in Bell's British Theatre lists: Achilles-Mattocks; Peripas-$Reinhold; Lycomedes-$DuBellamy; Diphilus-$Dyer; Ajax-$Dunstall; Ulysses-$Owenson; Diomedes-$Fox; Argytes-$Baker; Deidamia-$Mrs Mattocks; Artemona-$Miss Brown; Philoe-$Miss Valois; Thetis-$Miss Catley. [$Miss Pearce may have played Lesbia).] Paid Banks for the Head of a Figure used in The Fair #1 1s.; Paid Mr Gard for performing 5 nights in the Fair and 3 in the Sorcerer #1. Paid Joseph Besford for performing 5 nights in the Fair 12s. 6d. (Account Book). [Afterpiece unfavorably reviewed in the Westminster Magazine.] Receipts: #149 18s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Holtom, Miss Besford, Curtat, and Mrs Naylor. Charges #64 10s. Deficit to beneficiaries #28 11s. 6d. or #7 2s. 10 1!2d. apiece, covered by the value of their tickets: Holtom #32 2s.; Miss Besford #28 1s.; Curtat #33 5s.; Mrs Naylor #24 5s. @Box Pit Gallery Value@Holtom 18 126 87 #32 2s.@Besford 43 58 86 #28 1s.@Curtat 42 89 94 #33 5s.@Naylor 24 71 76 #24 5s.@Money #35 18s. 6d.@Total Value of House #153 11s. 6d.@ Receiv'd of Condell in full for fruit rent this season #20 (Account Book). Receipts: #35 18s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Holtom, Quick, Fox, Hamilton, Miss Besford. Tickets deliver'd for an Opera, and Lionel and Clarissa will be taken. Charges #64 5s. Deficit #31 7s. (apportioned equally at #6 5s. 5d. for each beneficiary). Covered by income from tickets (Account Book). @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value @Holtom 16 117 68 #28 7s. @Quick 9 77 69 #20 14s. @Fox 39 162 61 #40 3s. @Hamilton 49 52 88 #28 17s. @Miss Besford 30 56 56 #21 10s. @Money #32 18s. @Total #172 9s.

Event Comment: Benefit for Legg, Mrs Lampe, Mrs Jones, Miss Besford

Event Comment: Benefit for Stevens and Miss Besford. Tickets delivered for The Brothers will be admitted. Morning Chronicle, 13 May: Tickets to be had of Stevens, No. 54, Drury-Lane; of Miss Besford, No. 5, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #167 15s. (75/16; 6/17; tickets: 85/2) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Weller, Lewis and Gardner. Tickets deliver'd by Rawlins, Mrs Gould, Mas. Besford, and Trott's Widow, &c. will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Parsons, Real, Miss Cokayne, Mas. Besford, Francis. Both pieces By Particular Desire. Tickets deliver'd by Wild, Bassan, Pullin, Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Paddick, Mrs Walters, and Widow Trott will be taken. [House took half value of tickets in addition to ready money.] @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value Half Value@Parsons 17 76 73 #22 19s. #11 9s. 6d.@Real 19 9 12 #7 6s. #3 13s.@Miss Cokayne 10 25 42 #10 9s. #5 4s. 6d.@Mas. Besford 1 32 49 #9 19s. #4 19s. 6d.@Francis - 41 18 #7 19s. #3 19s. 6d.@Wylde 5 18 29 #6 17s. #3 8s. 6d.@Bassan 14 53 56 #17 1s. #18 10s. 6d.@Pullin - 34 83 #13 8s. #6 14s.@Mrs Griffiths - 32 46 #9 8s. #4 14s.@Mrs Paddick 6 26 26 #8 #4@Mrs Walters 2 13 31 #5 11s. #2 15s. 6d.@Widow Trott 28 4 17 #9 6s. #4 13s.@Total 102 363 482 #128 3s. #64 1s. 6d.@ Receipts: #80 17s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Tickets deliver'd by Mrs Lampe, and Mrs Jones, Mrs Masters (formerly Miss Lalauze), Besford, Miss Cranfield, Bates, Widow Wise, Widow Emery, and Ledger, and those deliver'd for She Stoops to Conquer will be taken. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock

Event Comment: [The playbill assigns Joseph Surface to Palmer, but "Palmer at a late hour sent word that he was unable to attend to his Business this Evening, in consequence of which a messenger was dispatch'd after Mr Barrymore to play Joseph Surface, but he could not be found, Mr Benson was therefore sent for, who, after having an apology made for him, play'd the Part. Banks play'd Surface's Servant " (Powell: Trip to Scarborough rehearsed at 10; Measure at 12. Receipts: #252 16s. (172.13.0; 77.9.6; 2.13.6)

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. Pepys, Diary: Against my judgment and conscience (which God forgive, for my very heart knows that I offend God in breaking my vows therein) to the Opera, which is now newly begun to act again, after some alteracion of their scene, which do make it very much worse; but the play, Love and Honour, being the first time of their acting it, is a very good plot, and well done. Downes (pp. 21-22): This Play was Richly Cloath'd; The King giving Mr Betterton his Coronation Suit;...The Duke of York giving Mr Harris his...and my Lord of Oxford gave Mr Joseph Price his...and all the other Parts being very well done: The Play having a great run, Produc'd to the Company great Gain and Estimation from the Town

Event Comment: [This was Baddeley's last appearance on the stage (see 19 Nov.).] Powell: R. Palmer Ill, Benson Trip [as in playbill]; Banks Servt to Joseph Surface for Benson. School for Lovers rehearsed at 10; Mithridates at 12 [but this play not acted at this or any other London theatre between 1738 and 1800], Receipts: #329 1s. (259.0.6; 68.9.0; 1.11.6)