Event Comment: By Command. Present the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prince George, Prince Edward, and Prince William, with the Lady Augusta and Lady Elizabeth (Account Books, Egerton 2268). Receipts: #87 7s. 6d

Event Comment: Play by Command of their Royal highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, Prince Edward, Prince William, Lady Augusta and Lady Elizabeth

Event Comment: Benefit for Quin. Mainpiece: By Command of their Royal Highnesses Prince George, Prince Edward, Prince William, Prince Henry, Lady Augusta and the Lady Elizabeth. Six rows of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Stage will be Enclosed and form'd into an Amphitheatre. Paid Quin in full of his agreement #122; Advanced Servandoni #5 5s. [The Account Book itemizes the income this night as #93 15s. in money; #99 5s. in tickets, a total of #193 without stage (i.e., presumably without counting money to Quin gained from friends invited to sit in the Amphitheatre on stage.) This was also a "Free Benefit," i.e., clear of costumary house charges.] Receipts: #193

Event Comment: This day is publish'd Much Ado About Nothing. Price 1s. Written by William Shakespear. Printed for J. and P. Knapton, &c. [14 printers]. Receipts: #100 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Old Cole [William Cole] Citizen of London and Family, under Misfortunes, who has been a Free Mason these thirty years, and Master of several Lodges. Being the last time of performing till the Christmas Holidays

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Pritchard. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. This day publish'd, Price 1s. Brief Remarks on the Original and Present State of the Drama. To which is added Hecate's Prophecy, being a characteristic Dialogue between future Mangers and their Dependents. [William Shirley? A most virulent attack on Garrick's management as well as Rich's Quotes from the Herald No. XX, a denunciatory article on the managers, deplores the pamphleteering attempt to praise Garrick, asks "Shall he shine the God of our Idolatry, merely for excluding every other emulous and aspiring candidate?"] Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Philips and Mrs Lee. Tickets deliver'd by Miss Williams and Miss Berkeley will be admitted. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire, and Dress'd in the Habits of the Times

Event Comment: Benefit for Love. A sequel to the 2nd part of Henry IV. Written in imitation of Shakespeare, and adapted to the stage with considerable alterations by the author (Winston MS 9). [Play by William Kenrick.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Never performed before. Written by Milton, the Music entirely New (playbill). Music by William Jackson (Wyndham, Annals of Covent Garden, I, 178). As condolence on Death of Duke of York (Genest, V, 186). Paid for licensing Lycidas #1 1s. (Account Book). Receipts: #251 11s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A dramatic enterainment by William Whitehead. New Scenes, Dresses, and other Decorations. The Farce receiv'd great applause (Hopkins Diary). [An account of the staging of the afterpiece appeared in the Freeholder's Magazine, Jan., concluding: These are the outlines of the Fable of this singular production, which, excepting the episode of Tom Southerton and Dolly Flack, seemed to give great satisfaction to the audience."

Event Comment: LLalauze stated he had been 42 years an inhabitant of this country,--retained by Rich 32 years, who promis'd him an annuity of #50 a year whenever he was incapable of performing. This was not in his Will but the Executors allowed it him 3 years. Having sold the property they discontinued it; The new parties engag'd him last year but they would not this season. So Foote gave him the House of 14 Feb. at Haymarket gratis (Winston MS 10). Paid Henry Williams for performing the Bells 4 nights #1 10s. Paid Wm Gard 4 nights in the Lyon 10s.--and Thos Singleton for same 10s. (Account Book). Receipts: #188 13s

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Piece in 2 Acts [by William O'Brien] never perform'd. [Genest, V, 363, assigns parts as follows: Grub-$Shuter; Consol-$Quick; Chapeau-$Lewes; George Bevil-$Wroughton; Robin-$Dyer; Mrs Grub-$Mrs Green; Emily-$Mrs Bulkley; Jenny-$Mrs Kniveton. See playbill 8 Oct. 1773. Plot given in detail in Town and Country Magazine for this month.

Event Comment: [Macklin dismissed after this night. See the account in The Genuine Arguments of the Council, with the Opinion of the Court of the King's Bench, &c., By a Citizen of the World, (London, 1774). Extracts in E. R. Page, George Colman, the Elder (New York, 1935). See notes for 23 and 30 Oct. and the subsequent action in note for 20 Nov. He did not return until 18 May 1775. This night was aparently, except for #4 5s. which was not recorded on the books of the theatre until 18 June well after the season closed. Macklin's suit in court against the rioters was judged 24 Feb. 1775. A column and a half account of the trial appeared in the Public Advertiser, Saturday 13 May 1775, giving the testimony of the witnesses accused of starting the riot, the lawyers, and the judge. The accused were Leigh, Miles, James, Aldus, and Clarke. The first four were convicted of a conspiracy and a riot, the last of a riot only. During the Course of the Business Lord Mansfield took Occasion to observe, that the Right of Hissing, and Applauding in a theatre was an unalterable Right, but there was a wide Distinction between expressing the natural Sensations of the Mind as they arose on what was seen and heard, and executing a pre-concerted Desagn, not only to hiss an Actor when he was playing a Part in which he was universally allowed to be excellent, but also to drive him from the theatre, and effect his utter ruin." See also William W. Appleton, Charles Macklin, An Actors Life (Cambridge, Mass., 1960), Chapter X.

Event Comment: Benefit for Wild, prompter, and Mahon. Gazetteer, 26 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wild, No. 20, Martlet-court, Bow-street, Covent-garden; of Mahon, No. 6, Paradise-street, Marybone. Mainpiece: With the Triumphal Entry of Alexander into Babylon. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by-Richards]: The Music entirely new, composed by William? Bates. Receipts: #256 13s. 6d. (126.0.6; tickets: 130.13.0) (charge: #72 15s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by William Shirley. Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 19 Dec. Prologue by the author (London Chronicle, 23 Dec.). Epilogue by Richard Cumberland (Collection...of English Prologues and Epilogues, IV, 194]: With New Scenes and Dresses. "I have been at another new play, The Roman Sacrifice. It is the old story of Junius Brutus, without a tolerable line. I went to see it, as I had never seen Henderson, and thought I could Judge him better in a new part; but either the part was so bad, or he wants to copy, that I should not have found out he was at all superior to all other actors" (Walpole [23 Dec. 1777], X 170). Receipts: #2223s. 6d. (207.8.0; 13.13.6; 1.2.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Younge. Mainpiece: With the grand Triumphal Entryv. [Public Advertiser, I Apr., identifies the Epilogue as an alteration by Garrick of his epilogue to Alfred.] Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by J Hough]: The Music composed by William? Bates. Tickets delivered for The Brothers will be taken. Books of the Performances to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 7 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Miss Younge at Thelwall's, Silk Mercer, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #285 13s. 6d. (141.9.0; 11.15.0; 0.2.6; tickets: 132.7.0) (charge: #76 19s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Miss Hopkins'. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2 (?), by Thomas Holcroft. Not in Larpent MS; not published]: The Music [by William Shield (European Magazine, Jan. 1782, p.59)] entirely new. Public Advertiser, 15 Apr. Tickets to be had of the Miss Hopkins', No. 7, Little Russel-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #129 8s. 6d. (61.15.0; 24.5.6; 0.1.0; tickets: 43.7.0) (charge: #66 11s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; co 2, by Henry Bate (later Sir Henry Bate Dudley). Music by William Shield]. Books for both Pieces to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 15 June 1779: This Day is published The Flitch of Bacon (1s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by William Kenrick, based on The Country Lasses, by Charles Johnson]: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. The Overture and the rest of the Music composed by Hook. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 2 Dec. 1778: This Day at Noon is published The Lady of the Manor (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Miles Peter Andrews and William Augustus Miles; Larpent MS 485; not published; Synopsis of plot in London Magazine, July 1779, pp. 306-7]: The Airs partly selected from Dibdin, Giordani, Dr Arne, &c. The Overture and New Music composed by Dr Arnold. With New Dresses and Decorations. The Scenes painted by Rooker. Songs of the Opera to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Frederick Pilon, based in part on Le Poulet, by Louis Carrogis, dit Carmontelle. Incidental music by William Shield. Larpent MS 491; not published. Author of Prologue unknown. This farce was altered, and produced on 2 Feb. 1780 as The Deaf Lover]. Paid Music the 24th Inst. #7 4s. 4d. Receipts: #190 4s. 6d. (18.5.0; 0.19.6)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties."The croud was so great at Drury-lane playhouse, to see the young prince William in his naval uniform, that it was found necessary to throw a kind of bridge from the stage to the pit to liberate several people, who otherwise must have perished in the throng" (Gentleman's Magazine, Mar. 1780, P. 151). Receipts: #271 14s. (259.13; 9.6; 2.15)

Event Comment: By particular desire of their Excellencies the Persian Ambassadors. Benefit for Griffiths, Norris, Spencer & Williams. [Afterpiece in place of The Flitch of Bacon, announced on playbill of 21 May.] Receipts: #251 0s. 6d. (35.14.0; 14.17.6; 4.8.0; tickets: 196.1.0) (charge: none listed)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft; in 1796 altered by the author and acted as The Mask'd Friend. Prologue by William Nicholson (see text). Epilogue attributed to Frederick Pilon (Public Advertiser, 15 Oct.)]: With New Dresses, Scenery, &c. Public Advertiser, 12 Nov. 1781: This Day will lie published Duplicity (price not listed). Paid Music #8 4s. 8d.; Chorus Singers #3 15s. Receipts: #204 16s. (202/7/6; 2/8/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by William Hodson, based on The Coffee House Politician, by Henry Fielding. Prologue by the author (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 2 May 1783: This Day is published The Adventures of a Night (ix.). Receipts: #166 7s. (112/9; 52/3; 0/10; tickets not come in: 1/5)