Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain, and also under the Patronage of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Clarence. Benefit for Lee Lewes. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15. Tickets and Places for the Boxes to be had of Lee Lewes, at Mr Brough's, No. 18, Portland-street, Soho. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by James Fennell. Larpent MS 924; not published. Synopsis of plot in Morning Post, 8 Mar.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. Afterpiece: In [it] will be introduced the Stockwell Scenes, with a Prologue [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (Boaden, Mrs Siddons, I, 107)], in the Character of Harlequin, spoken by Lee Lewes; to conclude with the Escape through the Tub, as in Mother Shipton. [The Stockwell Scenes were included in all subsequent performances. The Prologue and Escape were included in the first 3 performances only (see 3 May).] Public Advertiser, 8 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Lee Lewes, No. 40, Charlotte-street, Rathbone Place. Receipts: #282 18s. (119.15; tickets: 163.3) (charge: #69 17s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by Frederick Pilon. Author of Epilogue unknown. This Prelude had reference to the illuminations held on 11 Feb. 1779 in honor of the acquittal, on a charge of misconduct in the naval operations off Brest, of Admiral Augustus Keppel. In 1780 it was acted at this theatre, with alterations, as A Gazette Extraordinary]. Tickets delivered for The Distress'd Mother will be received. Public Advertiser, 30 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lee Lewes at his house in Bow-street, Covent Garden. Ibid, 4 May 1779: This Day is published Illumination (1s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years acted 6 Nov. 1775. Prologue by Nicholas Rowe. Afterpiece [ 1st time; f 2, by Frederick Pilon. Prologue by the author (Public Advertiser, 5 Nov.). In speaking a line in the Prologue that won applause Whitfield waved his hat so vehemently tha he "dislocated a Bone in his Arm. He went to the side of the stage, and one of the Scene-men taking him by the Wrist, and giving four or five pretty severe jerks, the Bone recovered its place" (ibid). In all subsequent performances the Prologue was spoken by Lee Lewes.]. Public Advertiser, 18 Nov. 1778: This Day at Noon is published The Invasion (1s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. Morning Chronicle, 4 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Lee Lewes at his house, Bow-street, Covent-garden. Afterpiece: With the Tub Scene from Mother Shipton. Receipts: #255 0s. 6d. (115.2.6; tickets: 139.18.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. 2nd piece [1st time; INT I, by B. Walwyn]. Books of the Interlude to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #223 13s, 6d, (98.6.6; tickets: 125.7.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [Extra night] Benefit for Lee Lewes. [Mrs Saunders is identified in Diary, 19 Nov. 1790.] Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: The Two Misers is unavoidably oblig'd to be deferr'd. Books of the Entertainment [The Two Misers?] to be had at the theatre. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No persons admitted behind the scenes, nor any money returned after the curtain is up. Places for the Boxes to be taken, of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. The Doors to be opened at Half after Five o'clock. To Begin exactly at Half after Six. Vivant Rex and Regina. (Customary footnote for succeeding Playbills. It will not be repeated here. The Westminster Magazine, September, p. 459, indicates a Prelude was also given this opening night, consisting of several of the actors comparing notes on their various successes, casts of parts, droll accidents, which they had experienced during their different summer excursions. Mattocks, Dunstall, Lee Lewes, Miss Barsanti, and Hull participated. The reviewer reported the content of their reminiscences, but disliked the jumbled nature of the Prelude. Another account in the Morning Post, 21 September.] Note: For performance at hay 20 September, see Season of 1774-1775, p. 1905

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock. Afterpiece: Never performed there

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Lord Lumbcrcourt to Wilson, but "Lee Lewes was the substitute for Wilson, and far indeed better than the man he appeared for" (Public Advertiser, 31 Jan.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'KeerFe]: The Music composed by Shield. The Scenery designed by Richards and Carver, and executed by them, Hodgins, and others. The 1st Part of this Pantomime is an Alteration of the Last New One [Friar Bacon (see 23 Dec. 1783)], and the 2nd Part entirely new and never before exhibited. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "If Macklin once loses the Catch Word he is gone irretrievably." At the end of the 3rd act, at half price, some apprentices coming into the pit talked so loudly that "Macklin stopped; he lost himself. ... He came to the Side of the Stage, and stooping down to the Talkers, said, 'Gentlemen, I must beg you to be silent; my Hearing and Recollection are not so perfect as they were; I cannot proceed for your Talking'" (Public Advertiser, 5 Feb.). Receipts: #286 14s. (282/15; 3/19)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Afterpiece: A reviv'd Farce of two acts. [See 9 Jan. 1764.] [Hereafter Lewes' name appears as Lee Lewes in the bills, apparently so he would not be confused with Lewis. Earlier (1769) his name appears in the Account Books as Le-Lewes seemingly to avoid confusion with another Lewis in the company at the time.