Event Comment: Benefit Delane. Afterpiece: Written by Mr Gay, Author of the Beggar's Opera. [Tickets at Delane's Lodgings, the Golden Ball in Exeter-Court, the Strand.

Event Comment: Benefit Chapman [who states that he is in danger of losing vision in one eye. Tickets at Chapman's House, the Corner of Bow Street cg.] London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 27 March: Last Week died, after a most tedious and expensive Illness, at Chelsea, Mrs Laguerre, formerly a celebrated Dancer on the Stage. Daily Post, 29 March: During the Rehearsal [on 27 March], of a new Tragedy, written by Mr Thompson, call'd Edward and Eleonora, (which was to have been acted on this Day) he receiv'd, to his great Surprise, a Message from the Lord Chamberlain, absolutely forbidding the acting of the said Play. No Objection having been made to the Whole or any Part of it, we must conclude it was consider'd as immoral or seditious

Event Comment: LLord Wentworth to the Earl of Strafford, 19 Jan.: We was at Covent Garden Play House last night, my mother was so good as to treat us with it, and the Dragon of Wantcliff was the farce. I like it vastly and the musick is excessive pretty, and tho it is a burlesque on the operas yet Mr Handel owns he thinks the tunes very well composed....and it has been acted 36 times already and they are always pretty full. The poor operas I doubt go on but badly, for tho every body praises both Cafferielli and the opera yet it has never been full, and if it is not now at first it will be very empty towards the latter end of the winter.--Wentworth Papers, p. 539

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 15 Feb.: On Monday last Mr Lacy, who set up the Oratory in York Buildings, and was committed to Bridewell some time since, by two of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace on the lade Act of Parliament, was brought by Habeas Corpus to the King's Bench, in order to be bail'd, but after several Learned Arguments by his Council, which were answer'd by the Attorney and Solicitor-General, the Court remanded him back again

Event Comment: By Command of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. For the Benefit of the Brave and Unfortunate Capt John Peddie, of the Prince of Orange, who, after defending his Ship, and saving her by the most Gallant Behaviour, against a Spanish Privateer, had the Misfortune to lose her, and all he had on Board, in the late Storm. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Addison. Pit and Boxes 5s. Galleries 2s. and 1s. Receipts: money #52 1s.; tickets #295 (Account Book); #350 (Rylands MS.)

Event Comment: Written by Mr Dryden. Receipts: #104 4s. 6d. (Account Book); #100 (Rylands MS.)

Event Comment: Written Originally by Shakespear, and revised and adapted to the Stage by Mr Theobald. Receipts: #129 19s. 6d. (Account Book); #130 (Rylands MS.)

Event Comment: By the late Mr Addison. Benefit Capt Norton, late Commander of the Crawley Pink, who was taken the 18th of Sept. last, after a Gallant Engagement of Five Hours with Twelve Spanish privateers

Event Comment: London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 4 Nov.: We are informed, that when Mr Handel waited on their Majesties with his New Opera of Ariodante, his Majesty . . . was graciously pleased to subscribe 1000/. towards carrying on the Opera [at CG. No confirmation of this point is known]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not Acted these Fifty Years. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Written by Shakespear. N.B. The above Play of King Henry IV is the Genuine Play of Shakespear, and not that alter'd by Mr Betterton, and so frequently acted at the other Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit of Sga Frasi. The breakfasting in the Haymarket is deferred till Saturday morning on account of the [benefit for] Sga Frasi; and Mr Foote has promised to give his first entertainment tomorrow at Covent Garden for the Benefit of Mr Bencraft and Mrs Hale

Event Comment: Benefit Prompter and Jarvis, Housekeeper. Afterpiece: With Alterations. Written by Mr Carey, Author of the Dragon of Wantley

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 4, by George Colman elder. Prologue by the author (Morning Chronicle, 13 Oct.). Scenery by Rooker (ibid. 1 Sept.). Larpent MS 490; not published; synopsis of plot in London Magazine, Sept. 1779, pp. 405-7]. "The first three acts want business, and the denouement is rather suddenly brought about...The greatness of the task of performing a character of which Mrs Abington had been announced as the intended representative seemed to inspire [Miss Farren] with additional zeal, and helped her to gain additional credit" (Morning Chronicle, 1 Sept.)

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by George Colman, the elder]. "The ground-work was the apologies received from the great actors, who all preferred their suburban shades to the temperature of the Haymarket...The prompter enters to apologize to the audience and return the money, but his plea is rendered nugatory by certain oratorical and mimetic personages stationed in the pit and boxes, who not at first being recognized by the house as professional people, a great confusion was produced. When Mrs Webb arose to address the audience, the joke became apparent, and a prodigious interest was excited' (Boaden, Siddons, 1,208). [In 2nd piece the playbill lists Baddeley, but "Previous to the beginning of the Play, Palmer came forward...and acquainted [the audience] that Baddeley then lay speechless [as the result of a stroke], and Hitchcock, the prompter, would, with their permission, read Baddeley's Part" (London Chronicle, 31 May). The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Public Advertiser, 6 July 1780: This Day is published The Manager in Distress (1s.)

Event Comment: 2nd piece (1st time; C 3, by John O'Keeffe. Prologue by George Colman, ynger (see text)]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Salary list (Enthoven Collection): Paid O'Keeffe for London Hermit #108 15s. Morning Chronicle, 17 July 1793: This Day is published The London Hermit (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Henry Lee. Larpent MS 1221; not published in this form, but altered by the author in 3 acts, as Caleb Quotem and His Wife!; or, Paint, Poetry, and Putty (J. Roach, 1809)]: The Musick by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "Suett was, as he always is on a first night, most shamefully imperfect" (Monthly Mirror, July 1798, p. 52). [For Lee's accusing Colman, in his The Review, of plagiarism, see Genest, VII, 387-90. And see 1 Sept. 1800.