Event Comment: Benefit Hawker and Thomas. By Subscription. Written by the late Mr Farquhar. At 6 p.m. N.B. Several Gentlemen and Ladies have complained of the coldness of the House, particular Care will be taken that Night to make the House much warmer

Event Comment: Benefit Thomas Mountier, the Chichester Boy, who sung at Mr Smith's Concert in lif. At the Request of a great Number of Gentlemen and Ladies. Pit and Boxes will be laid together at 5s. Gallery 2s. 6d

Event Comment: Whereas Thomas Arne, Jun. Proprietor of English Operas [at lif], has new set to Musick, after the Italian Manner, the Opera of Rosamond, Written by the late Mr Addison, Which is now in Rehearsal....This is to give Notice, that he...hoping to receive Encouragement from the Town, will (notwithstanding his Expences are considerably greater than any of the other English Theatres) Entertain the Town at the following Prices (viz) Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. 6d. And that he will give a private Rehearsal of the said Opera, to such Friends as shall oblige him with a Subscription...at One Guinea, to be paid on Receipt of a Ticket, which will admit the Bearer into the Boxes five Nights

Event Comment: A new Musical Drama, compos'd by Mr Handel. Libretto by Thomas Broughton. [Mrs Cibber was scheduled to sing the part of Lichas, but was indisposed.

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes to be put together, and no person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be deliver'd that day at the office at cg theatre, at half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half an hour after Four o'clock. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at half an hour after Six. The Subscribers who favoured Mr Handel last season with their subscription, are desired to send to the office at cg on the day of the performance, where two tickets shall be deliver'd to each Gratis, in order to make good the Number of Performances subscrib'd to last season. [Recitative and chorus. Words taken from Milton and Spenser (Edition of 1746). Rehearsed at Handel's lodgings on 7 Feb. Burney and DeFesch in orchestra. (Deutsch, Handel, pp. 629-30.) Librettist not known, possibly Thomas Morell.

Event Comment: At Phillips's Great Theatrical Booth opposite Cow Lane. With the surprising performances of an Englishman and a Citizen of London [Lort] who performs all the Equilibres on the Slack Rope that were performed by the muchfamed Turk. Prices: 2s. 6d., 1s. 6d., 1s., 6d. To begin at Twelve. [Time and prices the same at all booths.] Afterpiece: With the Escape of Harlequin into a Glass Bottle, also the last new additional Scene of Sig Jumpedo Jumping Down his own Throat. [An unhappy evening, for "last night the gallery of Phillips' booth fell down, with a great number of people in it, by which accident several persons were hurt, and some dangerously. This misfortune could be owing to nothing but the carelessness of the workmen, who upon such occasions deserve to be severely punished" (General Advertiser, 24 Aug.). The Daily Advertiser noted that Mr Stringellow, a goldsmith, in Aldersgate St., and Thomas Hodges, a journeyman-plaisterer in Golden Lane, were killed.

Event Comment: Benefit for Sparks. Receipts: #83 2s. 6d. plus Tickets #184 12s. (boxes 335; pit 551; gallery 182). Advanced Mrs Bellamy on her salary #105. Two new Renters came in at 1 share each: Sir Thomas Robinson and Robert Hassell (Account Book). Mr Smith takes this earliest opportunity to return thanks the Ladies and Gentlemen who honoured him with their presence at his Benefit on Tuesday Night, and is very sorry for any interruption that might happen in the performance. The indulgence of his friends that night far exceeded his most sanguine exceptations; otherwise he should have provided proper accomodations for them on the stage (Public Advertiser). [See Theatrical Review, 1757 and Beginning of 1758, for contemporary comment on mainpiece: "It is not paying it a very great, much less an underserved compliment to give it the preference over all the dramatic pieces that have been presented at either house these six or seven years...Tears were the first praises I gave it...no play except Lear ever make such a strong constant impression on my feelings."

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Vernon, who humbly hopes her friends will excuse the change of the farce, as it proceeds from an unforeseen Accident, the indisposition of Mr Mattocks. [She had scheduled Thomas and Sally.

Event Comment: Book of the opera to be had at the Theatre. A serious English Opera with music by Mr Bates. [These notes appear on all bills this season.] Well received but neglected (Victor, History of the Theatres, III, 63). [Altered from the Italian by Thomas Hull.] We hear a patent will be made out, in favor of an eminent English actor, who intends to establish a Playhouse at New York (Winston MS 9)

Event Comment: HHamlet, Mr Garrick (Cross Diary). Wit's Last Stake by Thomas King, as it is performed at Drury Lane, published at 1s

Event Comment: Benefit for Sg Daigville & Signa Vidini. [24 April letter signed Ned Shuter dated from his Majesty's Bench of Justice, St Georges Fields: "Theatrical Memoirs giving circumstantial account of my family-Admit my father was a chairman, my mother sold oysters in winter and cucumbers in summer. I was not born in a cellar but in a two pair of stairs front room at one Mrs Merit's an eminent Chimney Sweeper, Vine Street, St Giles" (Winston MS 10). Thomas Weston's apology for the delay of his Benefit. It was owing to his distressed affairs which he had new laid open to the managers. See comment form Edinburg Evening Courant, 29 April.] Paid Renters #88 for Oratorio nights; Mr Dibdin's draft on managers #50; Master Brown 5 nights, #1 17s. 6d.; Rec'd from Messrs Smith and Stanley charges for 11 Oratorio nights at 28# per night, plus candles &c . #342 4s.; Rec'd stopages #9 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #151 4s. Charges: #65 11s. Profits to Daigville & Sga Vidini: #85 13s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; past 2, by Richard Tickell]: Altered from [the same, by] Allan Ramsay. [MS not in Larpent; not published.] With the original Airs, new Accompaniments, and a new Overture [by Thomas Linley, Sen.]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "The above Opera, written by Allen Ramsay, has been long and justly admired, but by those only whose knowledge of the Scottish dialect has enabled them to judge of its excellencies. That an English audience might become partakers of this entertainment seems to have been the laudable design of the Dramatist, Mr Tickel, in now divesting it of its numerous provincialities, grown almost obsolete, even in Scotland, at this distant period . . . The characters were drest with a rustic simplicity, which, tho' not exactly characteristic of the Highland manner, were perfectly Pastoral" (Universal Magazine, Nov. 1781, p. 237). Receipts: #202 9s. 6d. (167/18/0; 33/3/0; 1/8/6)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Mrs Yates, and her Infant Children. [Mr and Mrs Litchfield, with Mrs Litchfield as Little Pickle, are identified in Morning Chronicle, 10 Feb. Address by Thomas Roberts (European Magazine. Feb. 1797, p. 121).] Tickets to be had of Mrs Yates, No. 26, Great Pultney-street, Golden-square; and of Rice at the Theatre, where Places for the Boxes may be taken