Event Comment: Mainpiece :By Particular Desire. The Orphan of China published. Price 1s. 6d. Dedicated to Garrick. Translated from the French of Voltaire. Acted at Paris with great applause. Published This Day Reflections on Theatrical Expression in Tragedy, with a proper introduction and appendix. For the character of the above see The Monthly Review for July (Public Advertiser). [This must be the second edition of Roger Pickering's pamphlet. See 13 March 1755.] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Raftor, Clough, Roger and Bullbrick. No Building on Stage. Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, West, Lings. House charges #84. [Deficit to actors #60 4s.] Received Mr Evans and Miss Roger's deficiency #28 18s. 6d. Paid Ann Collett for a gold brocaided silk #10 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #23 16s. (Treasurer's Book). Went into ye Pit...Vernon is an excellent MacHeath. I don't like Yates as Peachum so well as Shuter, and Parsons is not so good a Filch as Holborn. Bransby ye Lockit and Mrs Abington Lucy pretty well...Polly-$Mrs Vincent, who is now too old for ye character, and I think wants feeling...One Tomlinson, who had a 4th of the Benefit, spoke an Epilogue in the character of a Beggar, but by one party hissing and a greater clapping, could not hear it.--At Covent Garden a Hurdy-Gurdy man and girl play in the whore's scene, and as the Highwaymen march out, one returns and kisses MacHeath, and Shuter says some things Yates did not, but perhaps they are additions of his own (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. At 5 went into the Pit to see Love do Kite--like him better than Bransby in that character. End Act II a Pantomime dance by children called the Lilliputian Camp: Adjutant by Miss Rogers. J. Palmer did Bounce in Harlequin's Invasion, but not as well as Bransby. When King runs off in the Dancer's scene, Rooker comes on, jumps, King not being able, having had his thigh-bone broken 2 years ago (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Benefit for Evans (sub treasurer) and Miss Rogers

Event Comment: Paid Mr Rogers for women's cloaths as per bill #70, and Stennet for a Blue & Silver suit of ditto #10 10s. Receipts: #146 18s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: This Musical Farce of one Act was wrote by Mr G on purpose to introduce Miss Abrams (a Jew) about 17 Years old. She is very small, a Swarthy Complexion, has a very sweet Voice and a fine Shake, but not quite power enough yet-both the Piece and Young Lady were receiv'd with Great Applause (Hopkins Diary). Books of the Songs, Choruses etc. of Afterpiece to be had at the Theatre. The Conscious Lovers oblig'd to be deferred till Monday, with which will be performed the last new Grand Ballet, The Savage Hunters. [Advertisement to the published edition: "The author of this musical Farce, begs leave to inform the readers, if there should be any, that it was merely intended to introduce The Little Gipsy to the public, whose youth and total inexperience of the stage made it necessary to give as little dialogue to her character as possible, her success depending wholly upon her singing-This reason added to another, which is that the piece was produced at an early part of the season, when better writters are not willing to come forth, is the best apology the Author can make for its defects."] Paid 6 days salary list at #104 7s.-per diem, #626 2s.; Mr Lamash on note #5 5s. (Treasurer's Book). [The note on sale of books of the songs and choruses for the afterpiece occurs on all subsequent bills this season in which May Day is mentioned. The songs and chorusses and overture by Dr Arne. The afterpiece reviewed in Westminster Magazine for Nov.: The preparation is palatable, and the hand of the preparer is discoverable from the affinity between the scene of Roger and the Old Man, and that of whittle and Thomas in the Irish Widow....The Music of the overture and Finale were remarkably light and pretty: some of the airs also did Dr Arne credit. As to Miss Abrams, she has a sweet pipe, and a natural shake that charmed us;-If maturity does but strengthen her voice, at the same time that it gives her ease in deportment, she will prove an ornament to the stage."] Receipts: #205 3s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent 608; not published. CG playbill of 16 Nov. 1795 has a detailed synopsis of the action]: Intermixed with Songs and Dialogue. With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, Machinery, and Decorations. The new Music composed by Shield. The new Scenes designed by Richards, and executed by Richards, Hodgins, and assistants. To conclude with a Representation of the Lord Mayor's Show on the Water. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "As to the Pantomime it wanted nothing on the first Night but Abbreviations . . . [which should be] omission of the Doctors, the two Women of the Town, and the whole of Edwin's Character" (Public Advertiser, 27 Nov.). Gentleman's Magazine, Jan. 1783, pp. 29-31, contains a detailed synopsis of the procession, and adds, "The personages of this procession were all dressed in the characters of the time in which they lived, and before each of them a label, a scroll, or a pageant was carried, bearing their name, or some allusion of the poets to their occupation. The figures in transparency were all painted as large as the life, and had a most grand and beautiful effect . . . The idea of the paintings was furnished by Mr Richards and Mr Smirk [sic], and all of them executed by the latter in a style of so much taste and excellence that it is a matter of some wonder to us, where an artist of Mr Smirk's abilities has been so long concealed . . . The glee introduced with so much applause is the composition of the late Dr Rogers (who lived in 1600); the other airs in the pantomime and procession arc by Handel, Lord Kelly, Abel, Stamitz and Shield, and have very great merit. The expense of preparing this splendid spectacle must have been very great, and the cost of continuing its representation cannot be inconsiderable, since more than 200 supernumeraries are employed to walk in the procession." Receipts: #215 3s. (206/3; 9/0)

Event Comment: In afterpiece, added, following Lord Mayor's Show: A New Historical Procession of the Several Companies, with their respective Pageants, and the Chief Magistrates belonging to the City of London, from its Foundation. The Scenes, Machinery and Decorations, both of the Pantomime and Procession, invented and designed by Richards, and executed by Him, Smirk, Hodgins, Catton, and others. Book of the Songs, with an Explanation of the Procession [reprinted in Public Advertiser, 21 Jan.], to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 21 Jan.: The glee is the composition of the late [Benjamin] Rogers (who lived in 1600); the other airs are by Handel, [the Earl of] Kelly, Abel, Stamitz, and Shield . . . More than 200 supernumeraries are employed to walk in the Procession. Receipts: #236 4s. 6d. (231/4/0; 5/0/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. Afterpiece [1st time; M. ENT 3]: The Dialogue and part of the Songs written by Richard? Wilson. The Overture, new Music and accompaniments composed by Reeve. The Songs, Duets, Glees compiled from Arnold, Rogers, Giordani, Shield, Hook, Dibdin, W. Wilson, Stevens, Broderip and David Rizzio. [Larpent MS 908; not published. Prologue probably by Richard Wilson. Epilogue by Joseph Haynes.] Public Advertiser, 14 May: Tickets to be had of Wilson. No. 10, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #354 14s. 6d. (165.17.6; 5.4.0; tickets: 183.13.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Mainpiece: Translated from Voltaire. Not acted these 20 years [acted l6 Nov. 1779]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 18 years [not acted since 19 Apr. 1774]. Morning Chronicle, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, No. 49, Great Marlborough-street. [Mrs Siddons's 1st appearance as Palmyra was at Manchester, 1 Apr. 1778. Adress by Samuel Rogers (European Magazine, May 1795, p. 344). Epilogue by David Garrick.] Receipts: #569 8s. 6d. (293.14.6; 59.10.6; 8.0.0; tickets:208.3.6) (charge:#204 1s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Frederick Reynolds. Prologue by John Taylor. Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (see text; although Boaden, Jordan, I, 286 says the Epilogue was by Samuel Rogers, being the same as that spoken on 27 Apr. 1795)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. [Afterpiece in place of No Song No Supper, advertised on playbill of 18 Apr.] Morning Herald, 29 Apr. 1797: On Monday [1 May] will be published The Will (2s.). Account-Book: Reynolds to receive #33 6s. 8d. for every night of The Will. Receipts: #413 4s. (344.12.6; 63.16.6; 4.15.0)

Event Comment: Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Aberdein, Bennett, Calkin, Cameron, Dale Jun., Dashwood, Douglas, Ditcher, Dudley, Fishett, Francois, Fuller, Gooding, Humphries, Hough, Harman, Lings, Monday, Marks, Macdougall, Rogers, Scott, Smith, Tice, Tildsley, Tirrell, Wyatt, Waterer, Williams, Willey will be admitted. [Miss Usher is identified in MS list in Kemble playbills of new performers for this season.] Receipts: #56 1s. (31.1.6; 24.4.6; 0.15.0; tickets: none listed)