Event Comment: Mr Reddish who has to perform the part of Alonzo was not come to begin the 3d Act, which put us in great Confusion, at Length Mr J. Aickin consented to read the part, & we Cut Mr Aickins part quite out-An Apology was made to the Audience that Mr Reddish was not come, nor had he sent any Message-The Play went on;-before the play was finish'd Mr Reddish came to the House when the Play was over Mr King & Mr Reddish went on the Stage Mr King apologis'd the Audience in behalf of Mr Reddish & told them that Mr R. was ready to make oath that he had entirely forgot that it was a play Night, & that it was by meer chance he came to the House at all-his looks were so truely pitiable, the Audience had Compassion & excus'd him (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly. Genest, V, 353, notes that the rebellion of the audience was quelled by an offer of return of entrance money to those wished to leave. He also notes that Reddish on the eleventh published an affidavit in confirmation of his statement, begging Pardon for disappointing the public.] Paid Mr Wright per order Mr G. G. #13 5s. 2d. Receipts: #143 7s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Greville. Paid Chorus 2 nights (this incl.) #3 11s. Receipts: #136 13s. Charges: #74 17s. 6d. Profits to Greville: #61 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Weston. Afterpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 18 Jan. 1772.] [MacMillan notes the version here used to be that preceding the Fribble alterations.] Paid Renters's #44 for 11 Oratorio nights; Extra Music this night #2 5s. Receipts: #236 3s. Charges: #75 15s. 6d. Profits to Weston: #160 8s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Brother Jacobs. By Particular Desire of the Masons. By Permission. To begin at 6:00 p.m

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlin. Benefit for Mrs Fisher. Deferr'd from 11 April

Event Comment: "[Kemble] has not, and we speak charitably, any pretensions to a first or second rank in the theatre. We are sorry for this, as he seemed to labour earnestly, but in vain" (London Magazine, Oct. 1783, p. 350). Paid Music 3 nights #23 19s. Receipts: #288 12s. 6d. (287/0/0; 1/12/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Hannah Cowley. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (see text)]. @When first thy Tragedy I view'd@Where Sparta mourns her Lot severe;@I caught the Spartan Fortitude@And watch'd her Woes without a Tear.@ (William Parsons [not the actor], in Thraliana, II, 713.) Public Advertiser, 27 Feb. 1788: This Day is published The Fate of Sparta (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #203 15s. 6d. (171.13.0; 30.15.0; 1.7.6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Careless Husband, advertised on playbill of 22 Dec.] Paid House & Window tax, 1@2 Yr., #56 13s. 8d. Public Advertiser, 24 Dec.: [Pearce, who was from the Bath theatre, has] a clear bass voice, which he occasionally relieves by a falsetto...His first song was encored though sung much out of tune. Receipts: #113 4s. (77.2; 35.12; 0.10)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 16 years [not acted since 27 Oct. 1758]. With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Prologue by David Garrick]. The Characters new dressed. This Play is revived with Alterations (by R. B. Sheridan Esq) and a new occasional Prologue written by Mr Garrick? and spoken by Dodd, both well received. Miss Essex made her first Appearance upon this stage in Silvia, a small mean Figure and shocking Actress, so bad that she is to do the Part no more. Reddish was very imperfect in Vainlove from the Beginning, but was so very much so in the last Act, that the Audience hissed very much, and cryed out, 'Off, Reddish, Off!" He went forward, and addressed them as follows, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been honoured with your Favour and Protection for these ten years past, and I am very sorry to give any cause for your Displeasure now; but having undertaken the Part at a very short Warning, in order to strengthen the Bill, and having had but two Rehearsals for it, puts it out of my Power to do Justice to the Part, or myself.' The Play then went on. So great a Lye was never delivered to an Audience by any Actor or Actress before. He had the Part at least six weeks in his Possession, and repeated Notice to be ready in it, and six Rehearsals was called for it,--indeed, he attended but three. Vernon undertook to study the Part at eleven o'clock to-night, and to perform it to-morrow (Hopkins Diary). [Miss Essex was from the hay.] Receipts: #209 6s

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, author unknown; based on La Precaution Inutile, by Nolant deFatouville]. Public Advertiser, 13 July 1790: This Day is published Try Again (1s.)

Event Comment: "We consider Madame Mara, to use vulgar phrase, as upon he last legs...[Her] Polly is downright burlesque; her figure, countenance, and time of life are directly repugnant to our ideas of the character; and her foreign accent and gesticulation complete the absurdity" (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1797, p. 299). "Mme Mara is merely a singer; her voice is by no means calculated to give effect to the dialogue of the part; and her performance, although she appears to have paid considerable attention to the degree of action necessary for the part, is greatly deficient in point of feeling...Her deficiency in person and performance, however, is amply compensated for in her ability as a singer" (Morning Herald, 26 Oct.) Receipts: #329 16s. (324.6; 5.10)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Box and Box-door-keepers. The Last Time of the Company's Performing this Season. Receipts: #63 7s. 6d. (33.1.0; 19.7.0; 0.0.6; odd money: 10.19.0; tickets: none listed) (charge: #201 5s.)

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Macklin and Mrs Bennet. Tickets deliver'd out by Leigh, Carter and Miss Story will be taken. Tickets and places to be had of Bradshaw &c., and of Mrs Macklin at No. 12 in Wild Court, Wild St. Afterpiece: The Most Grave, Whimisical, Serious, Operatical Tragedy of Half and Act. Receipts: #150

Event Comment: [The playbill for this night announces as mainpiece MUCH ADO ABOUT NOT HING, but "The Publick are most respectfully informed that, on account of the sudden indisposition of a Principal Performer, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING cannot be acted. This Evening will be presented AS YOU LIKE IT" (printed slip attached to BM playbill, Harris, Vol. IV). "Mrs Kemble being ill, Miss Collins play'd Celia for Mrs Kemble and Miss Heard Phebe for Miss Collins" (Powell). Since Powell mentions no other changes, it may be assumed that the cast was otherwise the same as on 25 Apr.] Receipts: #208 8s. (127/1/6; 77/0/0; 4/6/6)

Event Comment: The King's Company. Pepys, Diary: Sir W. Pen, my wife and I to the Theatre, and there saw The Country Captain, the first time it hath been acted this twenty-five years, a play of my Lord Newcastle's, but so silly a play as in all my life I never saw, and the first that ever I was weary of in my life. Herbert (Dramatic Records, p. 118) lists Love's Mistress for this date for Vere St., but the item is out of the normal order of the entries. To move it to 26 Oct. 1662 would place it on a Sunday. The play had been given previously (2 March 1661, 11 March 1661, 25 March 1661) by both the Duke's Company and King's Company. Possibly Herbert entered it on the wrong day. On Herbert's list, following Love's Mistress, are two plays, The Contented Collinell [Brenoralt] and Love at First Sight, each listed without a date. The former, under the title Brenoralt, had been acted at Vere St. on 23 July 1661; the second was soon to be acted there on 29 Nov. 1661

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Barry. By Particular Desire. Mainpiece: A Tragedy by the author of Douglas [John Home], never acted there. Part of Pit laid into boxes. Ladies send servants by 4 o'clock, and come as early as possible to avoid Confusion and Trouble

Event Comment: Mainpiece by Command. Mrs Jefferson made her first appearance upon this Stage in Miss Grantham a Small figure not Handsome no Spirit & not at all like the Character. Some applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly in wording.] Masque of Alfred oblig'd to be deferr'd till Saturday next. Paid Mr Nicoll for lines #10 (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #230 14s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Henderson. Pit and Boxes will be laid together. Ladies and Gentlemen are most earnestly requested to come early, to prevent Inconvenience in getting to their Places, and to send their Servants to keep them by Four o'clock. [Prologue by Arthur Murphy {Works, 1786, VII, 369).] Morning Herald, 14 Feb.: Tickets to be had at the house of the late Mr Henderson [see 8 Nov. 1785], Buckingham-street, York Buildings. "The poetical address delivered by Mrs Siddons before the play was written by Murphy, and was so very dull that we will charitably suppose his feelings obstructed the operation of his fancy" (General Advertiser, 27 Feb.). Receipts: #141 9s. 6d. (140/15/0; 0/14/6; tickets: none listed) (charge: free)