Event Comment: [La Pastorella Nobile, with La Fontaine d'Amour and La Fete Villageoise announced, in place of La Discordia Conjugale, "unavoidably postponed," but not performed. "On Saturday last [the Pantheon] was burnt to the ground. The fire broke out about two o'clock in the Painter's room...The building before seven in the morning was a mere shell" (Morning Herald, 18 Jan.). For continuation of opera season see hay, 14 Feb.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With additional Music by Reeve. Afterpiece: 1st Time at this Theatre [1st acted at the hay, 2 July 1788]. Receipts: #174 14s. 6d. (158.0.6; 16.14.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wrighten, prompter. Morning Herald, 10 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wrighten, No. 84, Hay-market. Receipts: #384 16s. (79.8.6; 37.15.0; 6.2.0; tickets: 261.10.6) (charge: #177 13s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. Wilson's most violent and sudden Indisposition will prevent his having the honor of appearing before the Public and his Friends this Evening, and sincerely hopes the Pieces he is under the necessity of substituting will meet their approbation. [2nd piece in place of Hail Fellow Well Met; 3rd piece of The Rights of Woman, both advertised on playbill of 7 May. A 4th (and new) play, The Point of Honor, by John Peter Roberdeau, was also advertised on playbill of 7 May. It was never acted. Hail Fellows [sic] Well Met and The Rights of Women [sic] were 1st acted, for Wilson's benefit, at the hay, 9 Aug. 1792.] Morning Herald, 24 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wilson at his house, Park-lane, Church-lane, Chelsea. Receipts: #285 5s. (93.17; 1.14; tickets: 189.14) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of Poor Old Hay-Market, advertised on playbill of 27 June.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kemble. Mainpiece: Never performed at this Theatre. Afterpiece: Not acted these 4 years. Morning Herald, 28 July: Tickets to be had of Mrs Kemble at Adams's Masquerade Warehouse, Hay-market

Event Comment: [As Miss Logan Mrs Gibbs had 1st appeared at the hay, 18 June 1783. She had acted later at the Royalty.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 27th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the 1793 hay season]. The Overture, Chorusses, and the new Music by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Half-Price not being taken at this Theatre, the Prices will be as in the Summer. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout season, but see 11 Nov.]. Places for the Boxes to be had of Rice at the Theatre. dl Account-Book, 23 Nov.: Received of Colman for 50 Nights Use of the Patent of Drury Lane Theatre at #15 a Nt. #750; 3 Dec.: for 10 nights Use of Patent #150 [Et seq. throughout season.

Event Comment: [1st piece in place of A Quarter of an Hour before Dinner, advertised on playbill of 19 Sept.] 2nd piece: 19th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the 1793 hay season]. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. 3rd piece: Never acted there

Event Comment: By Command of Their Maiesties. "A most dreadful accident happened this evening; no less than fifteen persons were crushed to death at the opening of the pit door" (Thespian Magazine, Feb. 1794, p. 87). [This accident gave rise to many speculations and suggestions as to the necessity of instituting easier and safer means of access to the various theatres. But little was ever done about it. Sec HAY, 4 Feb.]

Event Comment: [The last night of the season, but not so specified in the playbill. Further performances were planned; this playbill carries the advertisements for 10 Apr. But most of the actors in this HAY season were regular members of the DL company. They were, presumably, required for rehearsals for the opening of the new DL theatre on 21 Apr.]

Event Comment: Afterpiece: In one Act. [For Miss Leak's 1st appearance as Sally see HAY 24 Feb.] Powell: Thomas & Sally rehearsed at 1 0; The Inconstant at 11; The Jew at 12.30 (for Suett and Miss Tidswell). Receipts: #540 (462/7/6; 76/7/0; 1/5/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Banti. 2nd piece: A Comic After-piece; the music by Paisiello. Tickets to be had of Sga Banti, No. 3, Hay-market. "The Banti's Benefit produced (presents included) #1, 353" (World, 3 June)

Event Comment: Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Jealous, Walker, Bonsor, Gawdry, Dosel, Paskin, Hay, Wells, Gilbert, Ansell will be admitted. Account-Book, 28 June: Received for His Majesty's Box 11 nights #110; paid Advertisements in The World to 17 June #30 4s1. 6d.; 17 July: paid several Renters #21 15s. 6d. apiece; 2 Aug.: Paid Land, Commutation, Window and House tax half a year #187 12s. 9d. The Last Night of the Company's Performing this Season. Receipts: #300 0s. 6d. (39/3/0; after money: none listed; tickets: 260/17/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A Grand Serious Opera (1st time in this country [1st performed at Vienna, 1767]), accompanied with Chorusses and Dances. The music entirely by Gluck. With entirely new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Opera now to be had at the Office of the Theatre, and at Beckett, Bookseller, Pall Mall. Morning Chronicle, 28 Apr.: To be performed exactly in the same manner as it was represented at Paris, under the direction of Gluck himself. Tickets to be had of Mme Banti, No. 3, Hay-market. Bartolozzi having presented Mme Banti, for her night, with a Ticket designed on purpose and engraved by himself, she proposes to give one of the engravings along with each Box and Pit Tickets, separately from the Ticket which will be admitted at the door. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:15 [see 20 June]

Event Comment: Benefit for J. D'Egville. Ballet: As composed by Dauberval, and performed at the king's Theatre in the Hay-Market. To conclude with a Grand Display of the Manual Exercise. Morning Chronicle, 8 May: Tickets to be had of J. D'Egville, No. 29, Litchfield-street, Soho. Receipts: #376 9s. (151.16; 45.10; 6.14; tickets: 172.9) (charge: #247 12s. 9d.)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered for King Richard the Third [Account-Book: by Brandon, Arnold, Little, Brice, Blurton, Bonsor, Hay, Haseler, Lloyd, Berecloth, Savory, Noble, Linton, Castelle, Atkins] will be admitted. Receipts: #484 14s. 6d. (51.0.6; 3.14.0; tickets: 430.0.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Gibbs. Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years [acted 22 June 1790. Miss Logan is identified in MS list, in hay playbills now at Harvard, of new performers for the 1795 season. Mrs Kemble's 1st recorded appearance as Portia was at Edinburgh, 26 Jan. 1795]

Event Comment: [As Miss P. Farren Mrs Knight had 1st appaared in London on 15 May 1777 at the hay.] "[Knight's] simplicity is the type of nature, untainted With buffoonery; and what we very rarely meet with, his attention was so wholly engrossed by the business of the scene as to make him appear unconscious of being before an audience" (Morning Chronicle, 26 Sept.). Receipts: #248 3s. 6d. (240.2.6; 8.1.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: For the first time here (by permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay Market). Receipts: #291 11s. (216.19.6; 74.0.6; 0.11.0)

Event Comment: [For the naming of the characters in mainpiece, as they were called originally, see 23 Feb. 1792.] Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay Market. Receipts: #272 17s. (181.9.6; 87.9.6; 3.18.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: For this Night only. By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay Market. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Julia to Mrs Jordan, and as afterpiece announces The Wedding Day, but "Mrs Jordan being suddenly taken ill, the Pubick are respectfully informed that Mrs Powell will, with their permission, attempt the Character of Julia in the Surrender of Calais; to which will be added The Adopted Child [with cast listed as above]" (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill).] Receipts: #238 7s. (166.0.6; 66.19.0; 5.7.6)

Event Comment: 2nd piece: By permission of the proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay Market. Receipts: #198 7s. (126.17.6; 67.8.0; 4.1.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A Grand Serious Opera (1st time in this Country [1st performed at Paris, 1779]); the Music by Gluck. Accompanied With Chorusses under the Direction of Kelly. With entirely new Scenes designed by Marinari, and executed under his direction, Dresses and Decorations. Tickets to be had of Mme Banti, No. 7, Hay Market. The Company are respectfully entreated not to come upon the Stage this Night, as the Iphigenia is accompanied with a degree of Spectacle on which the effect of the Performance chiefly depends; besides, the Machinery used in this Opera will make it dangerous for the Company to be upon the Stage during the time of the representation. "We never saw a House more splendid, more crowded, nor more gratified...In spite of the request not to crowd upon the stage, it was quite thronged; and it was impossible to move the complicated and superb scenery with effect. We lament that no means can be devised to save the stage from this perpetual intrusion" (Morning Chronicle, 8 Apr.). "Banti had a crowded house for her benefit, and is said to have netted 1500 guineas" (Monthly Magazine, May 1796 p. 321)