Event Comment: Benefit for Condell, Potter and Evans (box-keepers). Charges #81 5s. Deficit to the Box Keepers #14 7s. 6d. apiece, cover'd by income from tickets: Condell #67 3s. (Box 169; Pit 116; Gallery 75); Potter #56 (Box 116; Pit 102; Gallery 117); Evans #83 13s. (Box 151; Pit 228; Gallery 117). Paid Cooper (printer) #33 10s. 6d.; Paid Richards (painter) as per bill #6 16s. 6d.; Paid Dr Arne for composing two songs one in Comus, the other in Twelfth Night #6 6s. (Account Book). Receipts: #38 2s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Thomas Hull, altered from The School for Guardians by Arthur Murphy. Not in Larpent MS; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser 19 Nov.]: With New Dresses, &c. The Music chiefly compiled; the rest composed by Dr Arne, Sacchini and Fisher. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 18 Nov. 1777: This Day is published the Airs in Love Finds the Way (6d.). [Miss Courtenay is identified in the Airs.] Receipts: #233 8s. 6d. (232.5.0; 1.3.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Henderson. Ode: With the Songs, Chorusses, &c. The Music by Dr Arne. "When I recited Mr Garrick's Ode in a private room, I felt what I said, and I believe gave it some effect. Very different was it upon the stage. My feelings were weakened and confounded by the band, my voice lost its scale, and was overpowered by the music in the orchestra" (Ireland, p. 47). Public Advertiser, 26 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Henderson at his house, Great Buckingham-street, York Buildings. [His 1st appearance as Sir John Brute was at Bath, 1 Jan. 1774.] Receipts: #234 13s. 6d. (charge:#105). Account-Book notes that Henderson sold 319 tickets for the boxes and 85 for the pit, together worth #92 10s., and that tickets sold at the doors were worth #142 3s. 6d

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Wordsworth, Jackson, Painter, J. Bates, Fox, Besford, Eves, Mrs Sharpe, Mrs Templeton, Miss Bassan, the widow of the late Miles, and the widow of the late Dr Arne will be taken this evening. Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years. Receipts: #219 2s. 6d. (43.14.0; 4.5.6; tickets: 171.3.0)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Prosser, Simpkinson, Jackson, J. Wilson, Smith, Mrs Lampe, Mrs Hamilton, Miss Willis, the Widow Wise, the Widow of the late Dr Arne will be admitted this Evening. Receipts: #169 (50.14.6; 5.2.6; tickets: 113.3.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Banditti (see 28 Nov. 1781). Text in his Dramatic Works, Vol. 1 (T. Woodfall, 1798)]: With new Scenes [by Carver (O'Keeffe, u, 38)], Dresses, and a new Overture. The Selected Airs by Handel, Vento, Giordani, Giardini, Bertoni, Dr Arne, and Carolan, the Irish Bard. The Overture and New Airs composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [This was Sga Sestini's 1st appearance on the English-speaking stage. For several preceding seasons she had been a member of the Italian opera company performing at the King's.] "Sestini . . . was handsome, sprightly, and a good actress, if great exuberance of gesticulation, activity of motion, and affected Italian smorfie could make her one; but her voice was gritty and sharp (something like singing through a comb), and she was nothing of a singer, except for lively comic airs. Yet she was . . . long a favourite with the mass of the public, though not with the connoisseurs" (Mount-Edgcumbe, p. 33). Account-Book, 30 June 1783: Paid O'Keeffe in full for The Castle of Andalusia #368 18s. 6d. Receipts: #166 2s. 6d. (165/9/0; 0/13/6)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Darley, Jones, Painter, Besford, Mrs Davenett, Mrs Sharpe, the Widow of the late Dr Arne, and Mrs Dalrymple will be admitted. Tickets delivered for The Maid of the Mill will be taken. [Afterpiece in place of THE Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 27 May.] Receipts: #286 14s. 6d.(93/6/6; 3/1/0; tickets: 190/7/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Ryder. Public Advertiser, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Ryder at his house, No. 5, Bow-street, Covent-garden. 1st piece: The Overture, Airs, &c. by Dr Arnold. The selected by Handel, Vento, Giordani, Giardini, Bertoni, Dr Arne, Carolan the Irish Bard. 2nd piece: 1st time Here. Translated from the French of La Bonne Mere, by Horatio Edgar? Robson, and at this Time reading with great success and general applause by LeTexier in Lisle-Street [and 1st acted at the hay, 22 Aug. 1788]. 3rd piece [1st time; F 2, by Thomas Ryder, altered from The Man of Parts, by Isaac Jackman; not published]. Receipts: #271 0s. 6d. (191.15.6; 5.7.0; tickets: 73.18.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Frederick Reynolds. Larpent MS 870; not published; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 7 May]: With entire new Dresses, Scenes, Machinery and Decorations. The Music partly selected from Cimarosa, Gluck, Martin y Soler?, Reeve, Dr Arne [the printed score (Longman and Broderip [1790]) adds: Martini, Duni, Carolan, Leveridge]. The rest composed by Shield. The Chorusses selected from Handel, and sung by the Performers from the Concert of Ancient Music. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #210 13s. 6d. (208.12.0; 2.1.6)

Event Comment: The Words of [the Afterpiece] by Addison; the Music by Arne

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: The Music by Handel, Boyce, Arne, Howard, Baildon, Festing, Geminiani, Galluppi, Giardini, Paradies, Agus, Abos &c. The Overture composed by Abel. Books of the Opera to be sold at the theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Fox, Mrs Cross, Miss Simson. By Particular Desire. House charges #64 7s. [Profit to actors #1 2s. 6d. plus tickets. Received Mr Dickinson's deficiency #54 14s.] Rec'd of Clutterbuck #100. Paid French on account #40. Paid Florio for 7 nights in Cymon #7 7s.; Chorus singers #2 10s. 6d.; Rec'd repayment of Arne's note #50 and of Hopkins' note #28; Stopages #2 3s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #65 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Masque (in three parts) [by George Colman] never perform'd, in which will be introduc'd the Principal Solemnities at the Installation of the Knights of the Garter. With New Music, composed by Dr Arne, Habits, Decorations and Scenes. Books of the Masque to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #220 10s. 6d. (Account Book). The greater part is borrowed with some variation from Ben Jonson [Masque of Oberon]. The same liberty has been taken with a few passages of Shakespeare, and a Chorus of the late Gilbert West, Esq. The final chorus is from Dryden...an effort to entertain the public by the combined powers of the most eminent proficients in the arts of Music, Painting and Poetry (Adv. to Printed Edn., Colman's Dramatic Works, IV, London, 1777)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With proper Scenes, Dresses and Other Decorations (playbill). Miss Venables (a pupil of Mr Michl Arne) made her first appearance on the Stage in Philadel. She is very Short, & has a mean appearance a tolerable Voice-but little applause Miss Younge Emmeline (first time) So, so (Hopkins Diary). [Macmillan's note from Kemble slightly expanded. Reviewer for Town and Country Magazine (Theatre XL) writes of Miss Venables, She displayed but very moderate talents for the stage. She will doubtless improve under so good a master and when she has gained a greater share of maturity will probably do honor to her tutor.'] Receipts: #140 17s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations in the Dialogue and New Music [i.e. 6 new songs by John O'Keeffe with music by Michael Arne: 3 sung by Fairfield, and 1 each by Theodosia, Farmer Giles and Fanny. They are printed in London Chronicle, 26 Sept. and in Town and Country Magazine, Sept. 1782,p. 452]. The Words of the New Songs will be given at the Boxes. Afterpiece: 6th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. [Brett was from the HAY.] Receipts: #271 10s. 6d. (269/4/6; 2/6/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wrighten, prompter. 3rd piece [1st time; M I, author unknown. Music selected from Dr Arne. MS: Larpent 833 (which notes, "The words partly new and partly compiled. In Commemoration of the Restoration of His Majesty's Health"); not published]. Public Advertiser, 18 May: Tickets to be had of Wrighten, No. 6, Little Russel Street. Tickets delivered for the 20th will be admitted. Receipts: #278 17s. 6d. (48.2.0; 13.17.0; 0.17.6; tickets: 216.1.0) (charge: #106 13s. 7d.)

Event Comment: Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Hall, Furkins, Lamp, Pilborough, Plank, Anselmo, Byrne, Copland, Rye, Mrs Arne, Mrs Linton, Jealous, Brereton, Varley, Doser, Loyde, the Band will be admitted. Receipts: #256 (21.10; 2.7; tickets: 232.3)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: The Overture, Airs, &c. by Dr Arnold. The selected, by Handel, Vento, Giordani, Bertoni, Dr Arne, and Carolan. [Afterpiece in place of Animal Magnetism, advertised on playbill of 21 Sept.] Receipts: #199 6s. 6d. (197.5.6; 2.1.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by William Pearce. Text (T. N. Longman, 1794) has cast for season of 1794-95]: With new Music [by Shield), Scenes [by Richards (Theatre Notebook, Summer, 1965, XIX, 143)] and Dresses. The Music composed by [i.e. compiled from] Baumgarten, Paisiello, Dr Arne, W. Parke, Howard, and Shield. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 26 Nov. 1794: This Day is published NETLEY ABBEY (1s.). Receipts: #399 5s. 6d. (378/1 1/6; 20/14/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Gibbs. 3rd piece [1st time; M. ENT 2, by James Roberts]: End of Act I A Grand View of the British Fleet and the French Prizes entering Portsmouth, and an appropriate Procession. The Piece to conclude with a representation of the Town, &c. of Portsmouth, as illuminated on the glorious occasion. With a Transparency of Earl Howe. [These were included in all subsequent performances.] The selected Musick by Mornington, Handel, Dr Arne, Boyce, Pleyel, &c. A Naval Overture, and the new Musick, by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 24 Oct. 1794: This Day is published RULE BRITANNIA! (1s.)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Earl of Essex, advertised on playbill of 23 Dec.] Afterpiece [1st time; P 1]: Composed, prepared and directed by Mark? Lonsdale. With new Music, Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations. The Dances by Byrn. The Music partly composed new by Shield [the printed score (Preston and Son [1794]) contains rest of new music, by Aylward , Atterbury, Spofforth, Howard, with overture by Gretry (from Evenements Imprevus)]; the rest selected by Goodwin from the works of Haydn, Aylward, Baumgarten, Boccherini, Pleyel, Gluck, Reeve, Dr Arne, Ware, Leffler Jun. & Spofforth. The Scenery (with very few exceptions) expressly designed and executed by Richards, Walmsley, Phillips, Lupino Jun. and Hodgins; assisted by Byrne, Holland, Thorne, Hollogan and others. The Dresses under the direction of Dick. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #286 1s. (270.8; 15.13)

Event Comment: For the Entertainment of their Excellencies Jousef Coja and Sidi Mohammed, Envoys from Tunis. Mainpiece: Written by Mr Farquhar. Afterpiece: Set to Musick by Mr T. Arne Jr

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by the late N. Rowe, Poet-Laureat. With New Habits. Afterpiece: Set to Musick by Mr T. Arne Jr. [See Daily Post, 6 Nov., and London Evening Post, 6 Nov., for prosecution of actors at HAY by officials of DL, CG, and GF.]