Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of Merope, announced on playbill of 4 Jan. "We played last night Much Ado about Nothing, and had an apology to make for the change of three principal parts. About twelve o'clock Mr Henderson sent word he was not able to play. We got Mr Lewis from Covent Garden, who supplied the part of Benedick. Soon after Mr Parsons sent word he could not play. Mr Moody supplied the part of Dogberry; and about four in the afternoon Mr Vernon sent word he could not play. Mr Mattocks supplied his part of Balthazar...In the middle of the first act, a message was brought me that Mr Lamash (who was to play the part of Borachio) was not come to the House. I had nobody there that could go on for it, so I was obliged to cut his scenes in the first and second acts entirely out, and got Mr Wrighten to go on for the remainder of the part. At length we got the play over without the audience finding it out. We had a very bad house. Mr Parsons is not able to play in The School for Scandal to-morrow night; do not yet know how we shall be able to settle that" (Garrick, Private Correspondence, II, 328-29: Hopkins, prompter,in letter to Garrick, 6 Jan. 1779. He does not state who took Wrighten's place as the Sexton.).] On account of the sudden Illness of a Principal Performer, the new Pantomime [The Wonders of Derbyshire, announced on playbill of 4 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred till Friday. Receipts: #74 11s. (48.19; 25.10; 0.2)

Event Comment: Benefit for Henderson. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Richard Cumberland. Text, which assigns no parts, 1st published in his Posthumous Dramatic Works, Vol. II (1813), under the title of Alcanor]. Public Advertiser, 5 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Henderson at his house in Buckingham-street, York-buildings

Event Comment: Benefit for Wood, Percey, Shade & Cameron. Tickets delivered by Lewis, Hodges, Gardner, and for Monday, the 31st of May, will be taken. MS annotation on Kemble playbill: "I believe this was the last time of Mr Henderson's acting at Drury Lane, except when he played Jaques in As You Like It for Mrs Robinson's Benefit, April 7, 1780. See October 18, 1779, Covent Garden Bills." Receipts: #301 6s. 6d. (19.14.0; 2.14.6; 0.14.0; tickets: 278.4.0) (charge: #105)

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)

Event Comment: Benefit for Henderson. Public Advertiser, 7 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Henderson, No. 21 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. [Henderson, under his stage name of Courtney, had 1st acted Macbeth at Bath, 12 Nov. 1772.] Receipts: #275 18s. [156.2; 9.1; 0.0; tickets: 110.15) (charge: #105)