Event Comment: Benefit Mechel, Mlle Mechel (the French Boy and Girl). Afterpiece: a new Pantomime Entertainment. [Tickets at Mechel's in Newport Street.] Receipts: money #70 8s. 6d.; seals #71 14s. (Account Book); #150 (Rylands MS.). [The two dancers were charged #60 for their benefit. This is the last entry in the incomplete Account Book.

Event Comment: Benefit for Macklin. Afterpiece: A Comedy in 2 acts written by Foote, with Prologue and Epilogue by him. Miss Macklin did Calista and a part in the farce,-all went well (Cross). A Comedy in answer to the French Farce A Frenchman in London, with a Dialogue Prologue, spoken by Macklin & his wife. Epilogue spoken by Miss Macklin. All by Foote. Part of Pit laid into the boxes, with an amphitheatre on stage, all at 5s. Full Prices (Winston MS 8). The Englishman at Paris has been better recev'd that I expected. Garrick, &c., &c....say kinder things of it than modesty will permit me to repeat. Upon the whole it was damnably acted, Macklin miserably imperfect in the words and in the character (a stain to Comedy). You might have seen what I meant,--an English Buck, by the power of dulness instantaneously transformed into an Irish chairman. Miss Roach, accompany'd by some frippery French woman occupy'd, to the no small scandal of the whole house, the Prince's box, whilst the duchess of Bedford &c., &c. were oblig'd to take up with seats upon the stage. The piece will be printed the 25th instant, which I will enclose to you (Samuel Foote to Mr Delaval, MS in Folger Shakespeare Library, written either 24 March, or, perhaps more likely, 24 April, since Foote states later in the letter he is leaving for foreign parts the first of May)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Martyr. 3rd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, by John Cartwright Cross. Larpent MS 1124; not published]: Founded on the recent and glorious Achievement, at the above French Fort, of Sir Sydney Smith. [On 17 Mar. 1796 a force under Sir William Sydney Smith had destroyed six French vessels in the Bay of Herqui.] To conclude with the British striking the French Colours on the Fort, burning their Corvettes in the Harbour. The new Music by Shield. Oracle, 29 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Martyr at her house, No. 16, Martlett-court, Bow-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #384 11s. 6d. (192.14.0; 10.1.0; tickets: 181.16.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Musical Entertainment never perform'd before. The Music composed by Dr Arne. Full Prices. Boxes #53 (Account Book). [About 212 persons in Boxes. A profitable and popular afterpiece for Rich, but it cost him each night this season 10s. 6d. for Mr Wrexell for the Clarinet, and 5s. to Dell for the French Horn.] Receipts. #181 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Henry Knapp; music by Samuel Arnold. Author of Prologue unknown. London Chronicle, 24 Aug., states that this was based on a French comedy of the same title.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard (Cross). Mainpiece: Not acted these 30 years. This day publish'd. Price 1s. Reflections upon Theatrical Expression in Tragedy. [By Roger Pickering. This is a defense of the theatrical profession, "which in all countries is considered low and contemptible." Author's thesis: "A master of theatrical expression in all its extensive significancy must be possess'd of such accomplishments, as to set the profession above all contempt." Garrick is mentioned as best example. True tragic expression "requires Genius, Education, Reading, Experience...and a solidity of thought which never accompanies abject morals" (p. 11). Includes an interesting treatise on acting-sections on figure, voice, ear, memory, management of feet and legs. Comments on costume: "Taste in dress demands that an actor be conversant in the mode of dress ancient and modern, in other countries as well as in our own...Alexander and Cato were not masters of the snuff box, nor Greek women of French heels." The appendix asks why all our plays are not dressed in character in point of time and place, and why they do not contain at least one "scene" proper to the country. The author (p. 61) sees need for variety in acting same role, especially when a play has a continuous run of several nights. He calls (p. 77) for creation of appropriate mood for the play by selection of proper music between the acts. Wants a softening of the prompter's bell. Concludes by damning contemporary audience manners, especially those of the stage loungers (pp. 79-81).] Receipts: #314 (Cross)

Event Comment: Rec'd Stopages #18 3s.; Paid Salary List #567 16s.; J. French on Acct #5 5s. Receipts: #239 5s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Mainpiece: By Desire. Rec'd stopages #12 7s. Paid salary list #566 6s.; J. French on acct #5 5s. (Treasurer's Book). Mrs Smith's Benefit for 2 May advertised as Cymbeline and a new Comic Opera (in 2 Acts) call'd the Wish. The Music entirely new, the principal characters by Vernon, Bannister, Davies, Mrs Wrighten and Mrs Smith. With a New Occasional Prologue spoken by King. [But this was changed on 27 April.] Receipts: #212 1s. Charges: #66 3s. Profits to Bannister #145 18s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. 1st piece: Taken from Beaumont and Fletcher. 2nd piece [1st time; F 2, by John Dent. Prologue by Turner (see text)]. 4th piece: A Tragical, Comical, Operatical, Pastorical, Pantomimical, Farcical, Burlettical, Preludical, Interludical, Whimsical, Rhetorical, Diabolical, Oratorical Representation, being the most Comical Tragedy that ever was Tragedized by any Comical Company of Tragedians. With the Triumphal Entry of Chrononhotonthologos into Queerumania, attended with Drums, Trumpets, Fiddles, Flutes, Fifes, Flagelcts, Lutes, Bag-Pipes, Tabours and Pipes, Marrowbones and Cleavers, Post-Horns, French-Horns, Salt Box, Broomstickados, &c

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: Written by Ben Jonson. Afterpiece: With a New Overture by Dr Arnold. With Italian, French, Irish, Scotch, Welsh and English