Event Comment: "I have been for two days in town, and seen Mrs Siddons . . . She is a good figure, handsome enough, though neither nose nor chin according to the Greek standard, beyond which both advance a good deal. Her hair is either red, or she has no objection to its being thought so, and had used red powder. Her voice is clear and good; but I thought she did not vary its modulations enough, nor ever approach enough to the familiar--but this may come when more habituated to the awe of the audience of the capital. Her action is proper, but with little variety; when without motion, her arms are not genteel ... I treated my eyes, not only with Mrs Siddons but a harlequin farce. But there again my ancient prejudices operated: how unlike the pantomimes of Rich, which were full of wit, and coherent, and carried on a story! What I now saw was Robinson Crusoe: how Aristotle and Bossu, had they ever written on pantomimes, would swear! It was a heap of contradictions and violations of the costume. Friday is turned into Harlequin, and falls down at an old man's feet that I took for Pantaloon, but they told me it was Friday's father. I said, 'Then it must be Thursday'" (Walpole [3 Nov. 1782], XII, 356-57, 359). Receipts: #241 6s. (222/4/0; 18/15/6; 0/6/6)

Event Comment: [For afterpiece see also 20 Sept.] The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 3 May 1783]. Receipts: #246 8s. (213/19/0; 31/9/6; 0/19/6)

Event Comment: "Among other Obligations that the Town has to the new Open is that it has, for this year, delivered the Play-goer from his periodical Endurance of Rowe's Tamerlane" (Public Advertiser, 6 Nov.). The reference is to the long established custom of performing Tamerlane either on 4 Nov. (the date of William III's birth) or 5 Nov. (the date of his landing in England). In the play the virtuous Tamerlane was held to be the portrait of an upright monarch, and the vicious Bajazet [i.e. Louis xiv] as that monarch's enemy. At DL Tamerlane was acted on either or both of these nights uninterruptedly from 1716 to 1777; at LIF and CG, with the exception of five seasons, from 1721 to 1784. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 1 May 1783]. Receipts: #155 2s. 6d. (153/4/0; 1/18/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Antony to Phillimore. On the Kemble playbill his name is deleted, but no substitute is listed. For Waldron see 30 May 1783.] Receipts: #71 13s. (39/5/0; 32/0/6; 0/7/6)

Event Comment: [Me Rossi was from the Opera, Naples.] "Her very first step proclaimed her a perfect mistress in the art of pantomime. Her dress was a manteau a la reine, lately imported by our travelling milliners. The body, bones and trimming are puce, the sleeves and lower part of the garment a white gawze. Her partner, Lepicq, dressed in the same uniform, discovered such profusion of talents, if we may be allowed the expression, as 'beggar all praise'" (Public Advertiser, 3 Dec)

Event Comment: A Serious Opera in 3 acts, acted but once last Season [on 25 May 1782]; the music by Bertoni

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years [acted 14 May 1779]. Paid Barratt, Wax Chandler, on Acct. #100. Receipts: #126 15s. 6d. (126/6/0; 0/7/0; ticket not come in: 0/2/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by William Hodson, based on The Coffee House Politician, by Henry Fielding. Prologue by the author (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 2 May 1783: This Day is published The Adventures of a Night (ix.). Receipts: #166 7s. (112/9; 52/3; 0/10; tickets not come in: 1/5)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. The great Overflow from Covent-Garden Theatre, on Tuesday last, has induced many of Mr Bannister's Friends to desire he would again perform the Part of Polly. In Compliance with the Wish of those to whom he is under so many Obligations, he will, this Evening, make his Appearance in that Character, for the last Time of his appearing in Petticoats [but see 3, 13 May]. Tickets delivered for Alexander and Acis and Galatea will be admitted. Receipts: #276 10s. 6d. (167/11/6; tickets: 108/19/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. [Afterpiece in place of Who's the Dupe?, announced on playbill of 1 May.] Receipts: #165 12s. (48/1; 17/7; 0/13; tickets: 99/11) (charge: #110 12s. 7d.)

Event Comment: Public Advertiser, 13 May: The Subscribers to the Operas are respectfully informed that the usual Number of Subscription Nights, viz. 50, exclusive of the Thursdays, were completed on Saturday the 3rd instant

Event Comment: Benefit for Edwin. Public Advertiser, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Edwin, No. 2, Piazza., Covent Garden. Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years. Miss Younge having refused performing the Part of Viola, Mrs Robinson has kindly undertaken that Character at a short Notice; and Mr Edwin humbly hopes she will be honoured by the Indulgence of the Public. Receipts: #304 0s. 6d. (211/3/6; tickets: 92/17/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: There will be no Play this Evening [The Grecian Daughter, also Belphegor had been announced on playbill of 16 May], on Account of the Indisposition of Mrs Siddons. The Money received for Tickets issued for this Night will be returned at Fosbrook's Office

Event Comment: Benefit for a Fund for the Relief of those who from their Infirmities shall be obliged to retire from the Stage. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by Half past Four o'clock. [Mainpiece in place of Isabella, announced on playbill of 17 May.] Receipts: #292 (146/5/0; 10/12/6; 0/12/6; tickets: 134/10/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Hunter. Tom Thumb [announced on playbill of 19 May] is unavoidably obliged to be changed, on account of Mrs Kennedy's Indisposition. Receipts: #170 17s. 6d. (77/15/6; tickets: 93/2/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Creditors of Mr Taylor are requested to meet the Trustees this Day, at One o'clock, at the Bedford Arms, Covent Garden. The Proprietor having, upon a certain Ground, granted the use of the House for the Benefit of the Performers, during the Remainder of the Season, there will be an Opera on Thursday next. [It was cancelled.] Several Persons of Fashion having generously raised a new Subscription for the Relief of the Performers, they take this opportunity of returning them their most cordial thanks. The Price of the new Subscription is Five Guineas each Subscriber, for 12 Benefit Nights, the Money to be paid into the hands of Mr Drummond, Banker, at Charing-Cross. [On 27 May a concert was held at the Pantheon for the benefit of the singers and dancers who had lately belonged to the King's Theatre, in which they all participated.]

Event Comment: The Mourning Bride [announced on playbill of 21 May] cannot be performed, on account of the Indisposition of Smith. Receipts: #216 11s. (198/0/0; 17/16/0; 0/2/6; tickets not come in: 0/12/6)

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 T. Ansell, Pilford, Marks & Furkins. Tickets delivered by Clarridge, Doe, Roberts, Walker, Cox, Sarjent, Seymour, Sloper, Abbot, Akrey [Account-Book adds Rolles] will be admitted this Evening. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. [This was Yates's last appearance on the stage in London; he subsequently acted in Edinburgh in March, 1785. Afterpiece in place of The Country Mad-Cap, announced on playbill of 30 May.] Receipts: #255 3s. 6d. (20/5/0; 0/15/6; tickets: 234/3/0)

Event Comment: [Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, 10,239).] Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s.] The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. On 24 May Colman inserted the following in Public Advertiser: The Theatre Royal in the Haymarket will open next Saturday. In order to avoid unnecessary' Repetitions during the Season, the Public are desired, once for all, to take Notice that every Performance at this Theatre will be exhibited to most brilliant, crouded and OVERFLOWING audiences; and received with loud and universal Bursts of most UNBOUNDED and UNCOMMON Applause

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Lillo, Author of George Barnwell. [Prologue, which is by George Colman, the elder, is the Prologue introductory to the play, not the Prologue spoken on 31 May, &c] Afterpiece: The Music by Dr Arnold. The Scenes by Rooker. Books of the Tragedy and of the Songs in the Pantomime to be had in the Theatre

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns the 1st Gravedigger to Parsons, but "an Apology was made for Parsons, and Suett went through his Part" (Public Advertiser, 2 Oct.). In afterpiece the playbill retains Parsons as Solomon; for Fawcett see 26 Nov.] "We have for so many years been accustomed to see Hamlet dressed in the Vandyke costume, that it may be material to state that Mr Kemble played the part in a modern court dress of rich black velvet, with a star on the breast, the garter and pendant ribbon of an order-the mourning sword and buckles, with deep ruffles: the hair in powder; which, in the scenes of feigned distraction, flowed dishevelled in front and over the shoulders" (Boaden, Kemble, I, 104). Receipts: #285 16s1. (265/14/0; 19/19/6; 0/2/6)