Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive-She did Zara (Cross). Farce (not acted these 2 years) with Alterations and an Additional Scene. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. [None behind scenes.] Tickets of Mrs Clive in Henrietta St., Covent Garden, and at The Stage Door. Receipts: #250 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; BO 3]: Being the Sequel to The Beggar's Opera, Written by Gay, with Alterations [by George Colman elder; the overture (a compilation of airs from The Beggar's Opera) and 6 new airs by Samuel Arnold]. Books of the Opera to be had at the Theatre. [Mrs Colles is identified on playbill of 9 July.] Public Advertiser, 20 June: This Day is published Polly (1s.)

Event Comment: 1st piece: In 3 Scenes of Dialogue. 2nd piece: The Music compiled by Pepusch. [The playbill assigns Filch to Mrs Wilson and Mat o' th' Mint to Miss Morris, but "Miss Morris was merely a temporary substitute for Mrs Wilson who, it seems, is too far advanced in her pregnancy to dress en bomme" (Miming Chronicle, 4 June). But beginning with 7 June Mrs Wilson acted regularly until 3 Aug. Who acted Mat o' th' Mint on this present night has not come to light; the part was perhaps omitted.] 3rd piece: Ballet Tragi-comique. Composed by Signior Novestris [i.e. George Colman, the elder]. The Music by Gluck. With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Machinist and Painter-Sg Rookereschi. Tailor-Sg Walkerino. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time at a public theatre; C 3, by Elizabeth Craven, Baroness Craven, afterwards Margravine of Anspach, 1st acted privately at the Town-Hall, Newbury, 6 Apr. 1780. Text (G. Riley, 1781) assigns no parts. Prologue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Epilogue by Joseph Jekyll (see text)]: With new Dresses, &c. "The Prologue [the first 30 lines and the concluding couplet of which were used by Sheridan as the Prologue to Pizarro (see dl, 24 May 1799)] was so much admired that at the request of the Duchess of Devonshire and several other of the nobility it was respoken after the piece; but as King was absent from the theatre, it was delivered by Palmer" (Town and Country Magazine, May 1780, p. 23 ). "The chief singularity was that [Lady Craven] went to it herself the second night, in form; sat in the middle of the front row of the stage-box, much dressed, with a profusion of white bugles and plumes, to receive the public homage due to her sex and loveliness. The Duchess of Richmond, Lady Harcourt,...Mrs Damer, Lord Craven,...and I were with her. It was amazing to see so young a woman entirely possess herself-but there is such an integrity and frankness in her consciousness of her own beauty and talents, that she speaks of them with a naivete as if she had no property in them, but only wore them as gifts of the gods. Lord Craven on the contrary was quite agitated by his fondness for her and with impatience at the bad performance of the actors, which was wretched indeed, yet the address of the plot, which is the chief merit of the piece, and some lively pencilling carried it off very well, though Parsons murdered the Scotch lord, and Mrs Robinson (who is supposed to be the favourite of the Prince of Wales) thought on nothing but her own charms, or him. There is a very good though endless prologue written by Sheridan and spoken in perfection by King, which was encored (an entire novelty) the first night: and an epilogue that I liked still better and which was full as well delivered by Mrs Abington, written by Mr. Jekyl. The audience, though very civil, missed a fair opportunity of being gallant, for in one of those ----logues, I forget which, the noble authoress was mentioned, and they did not applaud as they ought to have done, especially when she condescended to avow her pretty child and was there looking so very pretty...Yet Lady Craven's tranquillity had nothing displeasing;...and it was tempered by her infinite good nature, which made her make excuses for the actors instead of being provoked at them" (Walpole [28 May 1780], XI, 178-80). Public Advertiser, 14 July 1781: This Day at Noon will be published The Miniature Picture (price not listed). Receipts: #144 9s. (94.9; 48.3; 1.17)

Event Comment: 2nd piece: By Permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Never acted Here. The Musick composed by Storace. The new Musical Entertainment of The Charity Boy [advertised on every playbill beginning with 25 July] is unavoidably deferred till Wednesday next. [But it was permanently deferred at this theatre; see dl, 5 Nov. 1796.

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time; P 2, by John Fawcett. Text 1st published by Duncombe and Moon, c. 1825]: With entire new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Overture and most of the Musick composed by Dr Arnold. The Selections from eminent Masters, and the whole adapted by him to the Action of the Drama. The Scenery, comprehending a display of Views in the Island of Jamaicav, designed and painted [on playbill of 1 July: from Views taken on the Spot, and documents of undoubted authority] by S. Whitmore. The Machinery by Ronaldson, Sylvester, &c. The Dresses [on playbill of 1 July: made for the purpose by Persons acquainted with the spot where the Scene of Action lyes] by Gay, Mrs Egan, &c. A Prospectus of the Action with the Songs annexed, Price Six-pence, to be had at the Theatre [and reprinted in Dramatic Censor, III, 21-29]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. Afterpiece [written by Mrs Clive]: A new farce partly singing, part speakg. Went off well (Cross). Music by Dr Boyce. Five rows of Pit &c. [Stage arranged as on 10 March. The framework for financial analysis of receipts appears in Treasurer's Book, but the figures are missing. The parts for The Rehearsal, according to the Larpent MS 86, were: Mrs Hazard, Nelly, Tom, Witling, Mr Cross; Miranda-$Miss Norris; Corydon-$Beard; Marcella, Miss Giggle, Sir Albany Odelove, Miss Sidell, Miss Daudle.] Receipts: #240 (Cross); charges, #60 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: MMiss Cheney made her first appearance this Night, in Miss Prue, a Pretty Figure, play'd with Spirit, very Aukward, & Speaks too much at the top of her Voice (Hopkins). Miss Prue by a young Gentlewoman. Great Applause (Cross Diary). This night Miss Cheney made her first appearance on the stage in the character of Miss Prue--play'd with spirit,--a very pretty, genteel Figure, but very raw and aukward--got great applause. Think there is materials in her composition with care and application to make an actress.--Mr Yates in the speech where he says 'the more she cries, the less she'll p--' happened to speak the words a little too plain, and was justly hissed by the Audience--his song was encored,--he sung it again,--a Hiss and a Clap when he went off (Hopkins Diary--MacMillan). Receipts: #187 16s. 6d. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years [not acted since 18 Sept. 1778. Mrs Brooks is identified in Reed, p. 145]. "Miss George spins around every fifteen seconds like a top, and then runs to the back of the stage. She too is very apt to stay at the back of the stage. She knows when it is her turn to speak, joins the party, speaks, spins, and away again! Pray, Miss George, sometimes do your friends the favour to stay amongst them, and attend to what is going forward" (Morning Chronicle, 24 July)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Mrs Bland; in afterpiece the playbill assigns Euphrosyne and 1st Bacchant to Mrs Bland, 2nd Bacchant to Miss DeCamp, Pastoral Nymph to Miss Dall, but "In consequence of the sudden indisposition of Mrs Bland...nearly the whole female cast of Comus was last night altered a short time previous to the performance. Miss Dall was the Euphrosyne, Miss DeCamp the 1st Bacchant, and Mrs Bramwell the Pastoral Nymph. In The Mountaineers Miss DeCamp was Mrs Bland's successor" (Morning Herald, 3 Sept.). Mrs Bramwell's part as a Bacchant was probably omitted.