Event Comment: Receipts: #130 18s. Paid John Rich #500

Event Comment: TThe Jovial Crew deferred because of Indisposition of Miss Brent. Receipts: #135 16s. Paid Kemp for Lamps #6 8s. Dall returned to salary list at #1 10s. Paid John Rich #500

Event Comment: Benefit for Yates. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Last time of performing till Easter Holidays. Afterpiece: Never Performed There (playbill). Charges #64 5s. Balance to Mrs Yates #90 7s. 6d. plus #112 15s. in tickets (Box 406; Pit 75). Paid John Doe for sticking Black Bills #4 10s. (Account Book). Receipts: #154 12s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Tragedy [by John Home]. New Scenes and Dresses

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Lessingham. Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years. [See 29 Dec. 1766.] Afterpiece: A Comedy of two acts taken from Vanbrugh's Relapse [by John Lee?]. Tickets by Mas. Harris will be taken. Charges #65 18s.; Profit to Mrs Lessingham #39 18s. 6d., plus #79 13s. from tickets (Box 166; Pit 131; Gallery 185) (Account Book). [The Gentleman who played King Henry was George Savile Carey (Hogan).] Receipts: #105 16s. 6d

Event Comment: [Lucy identified as Miss Dayes by Kemble note on playbill and by Winston MS 10.] At the opening of this season Justice Sir John Fielding wrote to Garrick not to play the Beggar's Opera fearing it had a bad influence on the minds of the young. But both Garrick and Colman continued to play it (Winston MS 10). Receipts. #183 13s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Tragedy [by John Hoole] never perform'd. [The author in his Advertisement to the 1775 Edition express "singular obligations to Mrs Hartley, who most readily undertook the part of Cleonice, which she has continued to support, with unremitted assiduity and friendly alacrity, amidst the repeated attacks of severe indisposition." Reviewed, but without praise in the Westminster Magazine, March.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [by John Jackson]: Never performed

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: Benefit for Quick. Afterpiece 1st time; F 2, by Ursula Agnes Booth, based on the same, by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. The playbill lists Death in place of Lee Lewes, but he 'Was not to be found...Hull begged permission for Lee Lewes to read Death's part in his own undress, which [was] granted" (London Chronicle, 28 Apr.).]. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 30 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Quick, No. 15, Drury-lane. Receipts: #262 2s. (157.2; tickets: 105.0) (charge: #64 10s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jackson. Mainpiece [1st time in London; T 5, by John Jackson, 1st acted at Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, 13 Jan. 1777, as Gerilda. Larpent MS 448, which also lists the following unassigned parts: Halard, Bragances, Setoc, Bruno, Grindal, Clara. Authors of Prologue and Epilogue unknown]. [Robinson, who is identified in Morning Chronicle, 6 May, was from the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin.] Account-Book, 4 May: Paid Hull in lieu of a Benefit #100. Public Advertiser, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jackson, Great Piazza, Covent Garden. Receipts: #188 15s. 6d. (99.19.6; tickets: 88.16.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: By Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for Massey. Afterpiece: Never performed in London, written by the author of The Son-In-Law [John O'Keeffe; 1st acted at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 14 Jan. 1767. See also cg, 16 Mar. 1782, when it was acted as The Positive Man]. To begin at 7:00. Tickets delivered for the 4th instant will be taken. Tickets and places for the Boxes to be had of Rice at the Theatre, and of Massey, No.4, St. Martin's-street, Leicester-Fields

Event Comment: By Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for Davis. 1st piece: Altered from [The Soldier's Fortune, by] Otway, by John Brownsmith. [not in Larpent MS; not published.] 2nd piece: A Poetical Interlude altered from Prior's Nut-brown Maid. 3rd piece: Altered to 3 acts. [Prologue by Shatford Jones. Author of Epilogue unknown. For authorship of 1st piece and prologue see Morning Chronicle, 25 Oct.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Tickets delivered for Davis and Wright will be admitted

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Morning Chronicle, 15 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis at his house, Broad-Court. Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years [not acted since 2 May 1758]. 2nd piece [1st time in London; INT I: ascribed to John Philip Kemble, 1st acted at York, 27 Mar. 1779]. Receipts: #230 5s. (192.9; tickets: 37.16) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2]: Written by the Author of the Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Musick composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin, 1783.

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by John O'KeefFe, altered from his The She Gallant; or, Square-Toes Outwitted, 1st acted at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 14 Jan. 1767, and in London at the HAY, 13 Oct. 1779. Incidental music by Michael Arne and William Shield. Text 1st published by T. N. Longman and O. Rees, 1800. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, m, 231)]. Receipts: #228 10s. 6d. (226/14/6; 1/16/0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Music composed by Dr Arnold

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by John Dent. Prologue ascribed to George Colman, the elder (see Town and Country Magazine, Aug. 1782, p. 400)]

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Banditti (see 28 Nov. 1781). Text in his Dramatic Works, Vol. 1 (T. Woodfall, 1798)]: With new Scenes [by Carver (O'Keeffe, u, 38)], Dresses, and a new Overture. The Selected Airs by Handel, Vento, Giordani, Giardini, Bertoni, Dr Arne, and Carolan, the Irish Bard. The Overture and New Airs composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [This was Sga Sestini's 1st appearance on the English-speaking stage. For several preceding seasons she had been a member of the Italian opera company performing at the King's.] "Sestini . . . was handsome, sprightly, and a good actress, if great exuberance of gesticulation, activity of motion, and affected Italian smorfie could make her one; but her voice was gritty and sharp (something like singing through a comb), and she was nothing of a singer, except for lively comic airs. Yet she was . . . long a favourite with the mass of the public, though not with the connoisseurs" (Mount-Edgcumbe, p. 33). Account-Book, 30 June 1783: Paid O'Keeffe in full for The Castle of Andalusia #368 18s. 6d. Receipts: #166 2s. 6d. (165/9/0; 0/13/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; mf 2, by John Dent. Prologue by the author (see text)]: A new Overture and Songs by Hook. Account-Book, 19 Nov.: Paid Dent for his farce #100. Receipts: #84 17s. (53/14; 30/18; 0/5)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by John O'Keeffe; text (1st authorized) published in Cumberland's British Theatre, xxxvii. Prologue and Epilogue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, iii, 244, 246, which give names of speakers)]: With new Scenes and Dresses. "It had four new scenes to decorate it, and those extremely well painted. In one of them a portrait of Captain Ambush is exhibited, which presented a very happy likeness of Williamson, by Alefounder" (Universal Magazine, Aug. 1783, p. 76)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by John O'Keeffe, based on Le Rival Suppose, by Germain Francois Poulain de Saint-Foix. It was written in honor of the 21st birthday, 12 Aug., of the Prince of Wales. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, m, 248)]: The Overture by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 2 Oct. 1783: This Day is published The Birth Day (1s.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Charles Stuart and John O'Keene. Text 1st published, unauthorized, Dublin: For the Booksellers [1783]. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (O'Keeffe, I, 140)]: With a new Overture by Dr Arnold. With Italian, French, Irish, Scotch, Welsh and English

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [Prologue by Nicholas Rowe.] Afterpiece [1st time; co 2, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Shamrock (see CG, 7 Apr. 1783); published (1st authorized) as noted above]: The selected Music by the Author of the Piece. The Overture, new Airs and Accompaniments by Shield. With New Dresses, Scenery, &c. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 30 June 1784: Paid O'Keeffe for Copyright, &c. of The Poor Soldier #315. Receipts: #218 14s. (215/7; 3/7)