Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Ben Johnson

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Ben Johnson

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Ben. Johnson

Event Comment: Written by Ben Johnson. Receipts: #60

Event Comment: Written by Ben Johnson. Receipts: #80

Event Comment: Benefit Johnson. Receipts: #150

Event Comment: Benefit for Several, Mr Bride, &c. Shawford, Berrisford, Roberts. Tickets deliver'd by Mrs Johnson will be taken

Event Comment: By Permission for one Night only. Benefit for Johnson. This Play will not be repeated at the Haymarket this Season, as it is a particular Act of Indulgence that it is suffered to be performed there this Evening (Public Advertiser)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Watts. Mainpiece: Written by Mrs Centlivre; Not acted these 40 years [not acted since 27 Apr. 1731, at Goodman's Fields]. Prologue written by a Gentleman [unidentified; printed in Town and Country Magazine, Apr. 1784, p. 214. The playbill for this performance is as printed in Morning Chronicle, 8 Mar. Gazetteer, 8 Mar., assigns Captain Constant to Reynolds, Laura to Miss Beaufield, Maria to Mrs Green, Belinda to Miss Johnson]. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Connolly, at the King's Head Tavern, Fenchurch-street; of Watts, No. 2, Upper James-street, Golden-square

Event Comment: [Mrs Johnson was from the Park Theatre NewYork.] Afterpiece: Compressed into Two Acts. "Munden's Sir Francis Wronghead was a very pleasing display of comicality; but he should have contented himself with what was set down by the author, without introducing his own common place allusions to the fashions of the present day" (Morning Herald, 29 Sept.). Receipts: #200 17s. 6d. (195.19.6; 4.18.0)

Event Comment: Benefit Havard and Boucher, Prompter. Daily Advertiser, 2 June: We hear Mr Odel, Master.., Goodman's-Fields, intends to decline to concern himself any longer with the Management of that Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Arne and Young Master Arne. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Afterpiece: a new Masque. Alter'd from the Serenata made on the Joyous Occasion of the Royal Nuptials: With Additions. [See Love and Glory, DL, 21 March, by Phillips and Arne.] Tickets for Tench at othello taken this night

Event Comment: Benefit Master A. Ryan and Pether. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. Receipts: money #28 5s. 6d.; tickets #80 10s

Event Comment: Benefit Winstone and Miss Cole. Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. [Tickets for Mrs Anderson, Villeneuve, Rainton, and Master Green taken.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Liviez, the Ballet Master (Cross). Full Prices. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Tickets at last house on right hand in Beaufort Buildings, Strand; and at The Stage Door. Receipts: #220 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Simson Mrs Simson and Master Simson. Afterpiece: Acted there but once. Tickets to be had of Simson, in Wild-Passage, Wild St., near Lincoln's Inn Fields; Grigsby's Coffee House, behind the Exchange; and at the Stage Door. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Master Lioni and Lipmann. Tickets deliver'd by Miss Berkley will be taken

Event Comment: This piece was greatly Cut & Alter'd. the 5th Act Entirely left out & many Airs interspers'd all through; got up with a vast deal of trouble to everbody concern'd in it but particularly to Mr Coleman, who attended every Rehearsal & had alterations innumberable to make. Upon the Whole, never was anything so murder'd in the Speaking. Mr W. Palmer & Mrs Vincent were beyond Description bad; & had it not been for the Children's Excellent performance, (& particularly Miss Wright who Sung delightfully) the Audience would not have Suffer'd'em to have gone half thro' it. The Sleeping Scene particularly displeas'd. Next day it was reported, The Performers first Sung the Audience to S leep, & then went to Sleep themselves (Hopkins). Fairies pleas'd--Serious parts displeas'd--Comic between both (Cross Diary). This piece of Shakespear's was greatly cut and altered,--the fifth act entirely left out,--and many airs introduced--got up with a vast deal of trouble to all concerned, but particularly to Mr Colman, who attended every rehearsal, and had alterations innumerable to make. Upon the whole, I believe, never was piece so murdered as this was by the singing speakers, in which Mrs Vincent and Mr W. Palmer were beyond description bad; and had it not been for the children's excellent performance (particularly Miss Wright, who ran away with all the applause and very deservedly) the audience would not have suffered them to have gone half thro' it.--The sleeping particularly displeased. The next day it was reported, the performers sung the audience to sleep, and then went to sleep themselves (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Overture and airs composed by the most eminent English masters. Book of the play sold at the theatre, 1s. [See "A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Hands of Garrick and Colman," PMLA, June 1939.] Receipts: #98 7s. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Master Burton. Tickets deliver'd by W. Yates and Miss Berkley will be taken. Afterpiece: Not acted these two years. [See 9 May 1764.

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: Afterpiece: A New Musical Entertainment in 2 Acts [by Theodosius Forrest] never pebformed. With a New Overture by Dr Arnold. The Airs chiefly selected from the most eminent masters. [Larpent MS 392 confirms the character names and adds a Country Lad and a Country Lass. The Westminster Magazine for Oct. condemned the Weathercock: "To speak of this piece as a literary compostiion, it was throughout a dull, uninteresting narrative, told in duller numbers. Considered in a dramatic light, it was still less defensible....The overture by Dr Arnold was trite, except the last movement, which had great merit, and was universally admired....We expected in spite of the numerous Orders sent in by the Author and Managers, that it would have met with its deserved fate on the first representation, it was, however, somehow carried through that and a second night's hearing-on the third evening, however, it received a formal damnation."

Event Comment: Benefit for Holcroft, Miss Field & Miss Simson. The Rival Candidates [announced on playbill of 18 May] is obliged to be deferred on account of Vernon's illness. Tickets delivered for Oroonoko by Philimore, Nash, Hulet, Master Pulley and Dale will be taken. Receipts: #211 11s. 6d. (28.1.0; 10.3.0; 0.12.6; tickets: 172.15.0) [charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Edwin. 1st piece: Never performed there. [Master Edwin was from the Hay.] Public Advertiser, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Edwin, No. 76, the corner of Long Acre, Drury-lane. Receipts: #107 10s. 6d. (89.0.6; tickets: 18.10.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Watson, Carleton Jun., Wilson & Hicks. Tickets delivered by Master Benson, Barrett, McDonald and Boroughs will be taken. Receipts: #256 14s. (18.1; 10.17; 0.13; tickets: 227.3) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2 (?), by Charles Dibdin and James Messink; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 30 Dec.]: To conclude with a Procession of the principal Grand Masters, from the Creation to the present Century, dressed in the Habits of their respective Ages and Countries. With new Music [by Charles Dibdin], Scenes, Dresses, Pageants, and Decorations. The paintings executed by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, and assistants. Books of the Songs, with an Explanation of the Pageants, to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under full Price will be taken. "To give magnificence a meaning, and unite antiquarian knowledge with polite entertainment, was a task hitherto unattempted by the contrivers of our Pantomime exhibitions. Such praise, however, the acting manager of Covent Garden theatre may justly claim, on the score of Harlequin Free-Mason, which is now representing before greater crowds than perhaps were ever attracted by Perseus and Andromeda [in 1730], the Rape of Proserpine [in 1727], or the celebrated Sorcerer [i.e. The Magician, in 1721]. The beauty of the first scene, in which a setting sun is admirably contrived, the Dutch winter piece, with numberless skate[r]s moving in the most natural attitudes, and, above all, the imperfect building, finished in a moment at the command of Harlequin, can be exceeded only by the pomp of the historic procession which closes the whole, and offers the richest and most intelligent spectacle that ever yet appeared on an English stage" (Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1781, pp. 58-59, which also prints a detailed description of the pageant). Account-Book, 1 Feb.: Paid Dibdin for music of Harlequin Free-Mason #70. Receipts: #236 2s. (230.3; 5.19)