Event Comment: With several curious and uncommon performances by the Venetian and his children. Neville MS Diary: At 6 got into the Pit at Sadler's Wells just as the entertainment began with concerts. The singing by Mrs Lampe, Master Herryman, &c. Dancing by Sg Grimaldi, Tassoni, Miss Reynolds from Drury Lane. Tumbling, but not equal to that by Plaida's company. Postures in which the Venetian and his children (a boy and a girl particularly) excel greatly. One stands on his hands, turns his feet backwards to his haunches, and walks in this position or forms an arch with his breast, while the other stands on his head upon it, the father carries one on his hand around his body, one stands on his head on his father's hand. These I mention as a specimen of many more, equally curious, tho' seeing these postures is disagreeable to a humane mind. The Father balances too the slack rope. The whole concluded with the pantomimic entertainment called Merlin

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Paid to Mrs Nuttall for an engine etc. #6 6s. Paid Jas. Abbott 16s. 4d. for covering an elephant, etc. (Account Book). House charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: By particular Desire of several Persons of Distinction (on account of Mrs Cornelys Ball) the Opera will begin at 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: Died at Bristol, William Powell aged 33. His share retained by Mrs Powell who later married Fishar (Winston MS 10)

Event Comment: Oratorio performed but once. [Usual note about servants and sale of books of performance.] Receiv'd deficiencies for last season from Morris #13 9s. 3d.; Mrs Pitt #12 6s. 6d.; Curtat #6 6s. 2 1!2d.; Bates #6 6s. 2 1!2d.; Fox #6 5s. 5d. (Account Book). Charges: #35

Event Comment: Don Quixote deferr'd on account of the indisposition of Mrs Ward

Event Comment: Rec'd stopages #12 6s. 6d.; Paid salary list #564 6s.; J. French on acct #5 5s.; Mrs Staggledore 3 weeks not on list #3 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [The Westminster Magazine for October gave a paragraph to a general discussion of the new performers whom Garrick introduced this month. Firske (actually Grist) the young man who played Othello on the seventeenth, Mrs King, Bensley, Yates, and the dancer Sga Paccini.

Event Comment: [As mainpiece the playbill announces Percy, but "Lewis being suddenly taken extremely ill...Percy cannot be performed this Evening; instead of which Mrs Farrell will appear in the character of Macheath in The Beggar's Opera. The other characters as usual" (printed slip attached to BM playbill).]Receipts: #143 5s. (141.13; 1.12)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hopkins, prompter, and Mrs Hopkins. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. Afterpiece: A Dramatic Entertainment (in two parts) of Singing, Dancing and Dialogue in Honour of Shakespeare. In which a Pageant. The Music by Dibdin. Public Advertiser, 10 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Hopkins, No. 7, Little Russel-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #280 7s. (169.5; 21.0; 1.2; tickets: 89.0) (charge: #64 4s.)

Event Comment: [The playbill announces The Duenna, with The Duenna (1st time)-Mrs Pitt [see 25 May]. In the Account-Book this is deleted, and Love in a Village substituted.] Receipts: #122 11s. (121.14; 0.17)

Event Comment: Tickets to be had and Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook at the Stage Door, at half a guinea each. Pit 5s. 1st Gallery 3s. 6d. 2nd Gallery 2s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]. Receipts: #202 0s. 6d. (197.14.6; 4.6.0)

Event Comment: Paid Norris #105; Mrs Kennedy #115; Webster #80 17s.; Boy's Choir #52 10s.; David Richards #40; Parke #20; Advertisements in Public Advertiser #9 5s.; Band #354 9s. 6d.; Chorus Singers #174 19s. 6d.; Cramer, Cervetto, Crosdill #5 5s. a performance. Received from Stanley for Oratorio rent of theatre #308. Receipts: #206 3s. (204.10; 1.13)

Event Comment: A Serious Opera [1st time; SER 3, author unknown; a pasticcio]. The Music by several celebrated Composers, and conducted [i.e. arranged] by Bianchi. Public Advertiser, 4 Dec.: Roncaglia was welcomed with merited and very flattering Applause, yet he seemed hurt at sharing with Ansani those marks of public Favour. We exhort them both to remember that Persons of their superior Talents ought to lay aside every petty Prejudice and personal Animosity. "[Ansani] had a finely toned, full, and commanding voice, was a spirited actor, and in the first opera, called Ricimero, sustained the most prominent and important part. But he was unfortunately of a most peevish, quarrelsome temper; Roncaglia was saucy and conceited, and neither could brook the superiority claimed by the other. Their mutual jealousy, and the importance assumed by the tenor soon produced an irreconcilable breach, Ansani threw up his engagement, and the season went on heavily to its close for want of him"(Mount-Edgcumbe, p. 29)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2 (?), author unknown, based on the anonymous Harlequin's Jacket. MS not in Larpent; not published; synopsis of action in Public Advertiser, 4 Jan.]: With New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Half Price will be taken as usual. Receipts: #220 18s. (182/16/0; 37/19/6; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: Subscribers' Boxes will be kept for them, and their tickets admitted as usual, without being accounted a Subscription Night

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, author unknown. MS not in Larpent; not published. Authors and speakers of Prologue and Epilogue unknown]. Afterpiece [1st time; F2 (?),author unknown. MS not in Larpent; not published]