Event Comment: [Extra night] Benefit for the General Lying-In Hospital, Bayswater, Under the Patronage of Her Majesty. Tickets to be had at the Hospital; of Longman and Wilkinson, Cheapside; Broderip andCo., Haymarket; and of Brandon at the Theatre, where Places for the Boxes may be taken. Many of the Re-Renters have generously relinquished their Privilege upon this Night. [Faulkner had acted at dl on 21 Dec. 1796, and Mrs Johnstone at cg on 4 Jan. 1798.] Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: Benefit for the Composer [Dr Arne]. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Boxes (by desire) Half a Guinea. Pit 5s. First Gallery 3s. Upper Gallery 2s. Tickets to be had of Dr Arne, in the Piazza, next the Church, in Covent Garden. Places to be taken of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No Admittance behind Scenes. No Money to be returned after Curtain is drawn up. Places to be had of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door. To Begin precisely at half an hour after Six. [Customary information at foot of each bill, will not be further noted.] [Announcement of improvements in the physical plant appeared in the newspapers in August 1762. Aug. 2. "A great number of workmen are now employed in getting ready Drury Lane Theatre for the ensuing season. The stage has been greatly lengthened, and the Pit and Boxes considerably enlarged, having taken in one of the lobbies for that purpose; the two galleries are also entirely rebuilt, and rendered much larger and more commodious, and the slips on each side are formed into green boxes. It is computed from the several alterations made that the house will contain #90 more than heretofore." Aug. 11: "We hear that the greatest improvements are making in Drury Lane Theatre against the ensuing season ever known, particularly a fine artificial cascade which will be exhibited in an entertainment the grandest and most beautiful ever seen in this or in any Kingdom."-Theatrical Miscellanies, Boston Public Library, Cuttings, G 60.23.

Event Comment: MMrs Love play'd Mrs Peachum very bad. Her fit seem'd a very Aukward Imitation of Mrs Pritchard in the Jealous Wife (Hopkins). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No money received at the Stage Door. None returned after the curtain is up. Play to begin exactly at 6 o'clock. Places may be had of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door. Vivat Rex et Regina. [Customary notice, which will not be repeated here, Sept. 15 David Garrick & his Lady set out for Italy from his house in Southampton St. Covent Garden (Winston MS 9). Winston also refers to a Sept. 9 Letter from T. Davies, cg, to the poet Charles Churchill begging he would not introduce so unimportant a person as himself in his Smithfield Rosciad.] Receipts: #248 9s. (Cross Diary)

Event Comment: Places for the Boxes to be had of Mr. Johnston at the Stage Door. No Money will be returned after curtain is drawn up. Play begins 6 p.m. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. [No further mention shall be made of this notice which appears regularly this season.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. Mainpiece: Not acted for 3 years. [See 21 March 1763.] Part of Pit laid into Boxes. No building on Stage. Farce never before acted. [Attributed to Mrs Clive, not printed.] Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Clive, at the Two Red Lamps, in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields, and of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door

Event Comment: Paid B. Johnson's Head a bill #2 18s. 6d.; Paid Mr Johnston's bill for gilt leather #23 7s. 11d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #204 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. Part of pit laid into boxes. House charges #61 4s. [Profit to Mrs Pritchard #68 8s.] Lent to Mr Johnston, Prompter, by order #2 2s.; Paid to James Aickin on his note #40; Paid Poor's rate (1!2 year for St Martin's) #20 4s.; Salary list #294 2s. 8d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #129 12s. (Treasurer's Book). Went to see Macbeth for Mrs Pritchard's Benefit. Got a good seat in the Pit, which was not full for half an hour after I went, tho part of it was laid into the boxes. Read the Public Advertiser of Today' and part of London Chronicle before the play began...Dance of the Furies in the 4th Act, and end of the Play (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Being desir'd by many Persons of Quality, for ONE NIGHT ONLY, and By Permission of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Catch-Club, at the Thatch'd House in St Jame's St., will be perform'd the Favourite Catches and Glees which were exhibited Last Summer at Ranelagh-House, With TWO DESIR'D ALTERATIONS. After the 2nd Act, a Concerto on the Violin, by Barthelemon. A Considerable number of the Best Vocal and Instrumental Performers are engag'd on this occasion. Books for the Performance to be had at the theatre. Great care will be taken to keep the Theatre Cool. Ladies and Gentlemen send servants before the opening of the doors, which will be at Half-past 4. No persons can possibly be admitted behind the scenes. To Begin at exactly Seven o'clock. Tickets to be had and places to be taken (ONLY) of Mr Johnston at the stage Door (playbill)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett, and Mr and Mrs Johnston (sufferers from a fire)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Tickets to be had and Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at Half a Guinea. Pit 5s. First Gallery 3s. 6d. Second Gallery 2s. The doors to be opened at 5 o'clock. To begin at Half past six. [Stanley and Smith carried their Royal Prerogative over to Drury Lane this season.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Last time for the Institution of the Garter this season. Paid R. Johnston's bill for gilding &c., #19 10s.; Mr Greenwood for painting #8 8s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #240 13s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Author's Night. Paid Sga Hidou for lace per Mr Johnston #31 18s. 10d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #186 3s.; Charges: #73 10s.; Profit to author: #112 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Prince Hoare. Larpent MS 1126; not published; synopsis of plot in Monthly Magazine, May 1796, p. 320]: With new Scenes, Dresses, Decorations, &c. The Musick principally composed by the late Mr Storace [who had died on 19 Mar.], with a few Selections from Paisiello, Haydn and Sarti. [Grove, under Storace, states that the music was completed and prepared for the stage by Kelly and Sga Storace.] The Scenes designed and executed by Marinari and assistants. The Dresses by Johnston, Gay and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. "It was exceedingly tedious the first night, not being over till eleven o'clock. Since, it has been prudently cut down, and yet has lost nothing. A prologue, written on the very morning of representation, deploring the loss of the composer, was spoken (perfectly) by the last unfortunate Benson [for whom see 9 June. It was written by Hoare (Universal Magazine, May 1796, p. 362), and Was perhaps spoken only on the 1st night; it is not listed on any playbill]" (Monthly Magazine, May 1796, p. 320). "In short, possessing all the science of Harrison, the melody of Incledon, and the pleasing articulation of the late Mrs Kennedy, we have no hesitation in pronouncing [Braham] the first public singer of the present day. He was three times encored. His action is indifferent, and his dialogue scarcely audible" (Morning Herald, 2 May). Receipts: #297 14s. (258.10.6; 38.19.6; 0.4.0)