Event Comment: Paid 6 days salary at #82 16s. 5d. per diem--#496 18s. 6d.;
Mrs Abington on cloaths account #2;
Mr French on acct #2.
Mr D. Garrick's Night. Charges #84 (Treasurer's Book). Profit to D. G. for sixth night of
Inst of Garter #115 7s. 6d. Mainpiece: Not acted in 4 years. [See 2 Dec. 1767.] Garrick recovered from his illness (
Winston MS 10). [Of the mainpiece: "How the
managers could think of shoving
Mr Cautherly into the part of
Captain Plume, is, to us, a matter of surprize....The part requires elegance, vivacity and the easy deportment of an accomplish'd gentle
man. We never remember to have seen this character more completely performed, than by
Mr Smith at
Covent Garden Theatre (who is everything that criticism can wish) nor much worse, than by Mr Cautherly, who does not possess one requisite for the character, and is the effeminate and insipid School-boy throughout the whole. To this we may add, that he was not perfect, and made a great mistake, by coming in where he should not which oblig'd him to retire again. This was an unpardonable fault, though it was the first time of his appearing in this character."--
Theatrical Review, 2 Nov. Of the afterpiece: "We were not a little pleased to observe this evening, that
Mr King, in the character of
Sir Dingle, omitted the parody on the lines with which the third act of
Otway's
Orphan concludes. But we think the introducing a chine of roast beef, decorated with a flag, to be carried off in triumph by the rabble, accompanied, from the orchestra with music of the old song of that title is a pitiful addition to the perfor
mance, and intended only as a sacrifice to the caprice of the riotous inhabitants of the upper gallery. Had this Entertainment been exhibited at a
French theatre it would have had some claim to merit. This seems to be a piece of stage policy, arising from a consciousness, that the whole perfor
mance is too contemptible to meet with countenance from any but the sons of riot, for which reason they are brib'd to support it, by this notable trick."--Theatrical Review, 2 Nov.] Receipts: #199 7s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)