Event Comment: [Puff for the afterpiece]: As this Pastoral was not originally designed for the theatre, it is thought proper to give the public some account of it, and by what means it has now found its way to the stage. The Chorusses and Airs were selected from Mr Handel, and several other eminent masters, by a gentleman whose taste and knowledge in music is perhaps his least merit. Having conceived the design of a musical entertainment of this miscellaneous nature he found himself oblig'd...to connect them [the airs] by a Recitative of his own composition: This naturally produced a kind of a little drama, and the ease and elegance of the whole is the more to be admired when it is considered that the words were of necessity composed in perfect subservience to the music. The piece has been several times performed at Salisbury and greatly admired by many of the first Rank. The author, upon Mr Norris being engaged at the theatre, was applied to for leave to bring it on the stage, to which he has most obligingly given his consent. [Cast given] After an agreeable Overture, the curtain rises and discovers a rural scene, and a troop of nymphs and shepherds assembled to celebrate the Spring. Their rejoicings open with a grand cheerful chorus. We cannot say enough of the taste and execution of Mr Vernon and Miss Young in this scene. The united sprightliness and simplicity of the duet was truly admirable. [Song given, followed by a brief description of the parting of the shepherds, the announcement of Peace so they won't have to part, and special commendation for the various songs of Mr Vincent, and Mr Norris.] We will venture to prophesy that it will be more and more admired at every representation; though perhaps it may not fall in with the Taste of the Groundlings, who, like Polonius, are for a Jig or a Tale of Bawdry, or they sleep (Public Advertiser)

Event Comment: Both pieces By Command of their Majesties. Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [See 27 Nov. 1760.] Present their Majesties, Dukes of Gloster and Cumberland, Princess of Brunswick and Lady Louisa. Gave Yeomen of the guard #2 2s.; Paid Mr Cousins for hair dressing in the Fairy Favour #1 4s. and Mr Thompson for the same #1 12s. Paid Ellis (scourer) a bill for the Men's Wardrobe, #1 4s. 6d. Paid for the license of Love in the City #2 2s. (Account Book). Receipts: #231 16s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years. [See 24 Jan. 1758.] Prologue written by Paul Whitehead. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage-Door. No persons can be admitted behind scenes, nor any Money returned after curtain is drawn up. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. [Customary note in succeeding bills.] Receipps: #190 14s. (Account Book). @The New Occasional Prologue@As when the merchant to increase his store@For Dubious seas, advent'rous quits the shore;@Still anxious for his freight, he trembling sees@Rocks in each buoy, and tempest in each breeze@The curling wave to mountain billow swells,@And every cloud a fancied storm fortells:@Thus rashly launch'd on this Theatric main,@Our All on board, each phantom gives Us pain;@The Aatcall's note seems thunder in our ears,@And every Hiss a hurricane appears;@In Journal Squibs we lightning's blast espy,@And meteors blaze in every Critic's eye.@Spite of these terrors, still come hopes we view,@Hopes, ne'er can fail us--since they're plac'd--in you.@Your breath the gale, our voyage is secure,@And safe the venture which your smiles insure;@Though weak his skill, th' adventurer must succeed,@Where Candour takes th' endeavor for the deed.@For Brentford's state, two kings could once suffice;@In ours, behold! four kings of Brentford rise;@All smelling to one nosegay's od'rous savor@The balmy nosegay of--the Public favor.@From hence alone, our royal funds we draw,@Your pleasure our support, your will our law.@While such our government, we hope you'll own us;@But should we ever Tyrant prove--dethrone us.@Like Brother Monarchs, who, to coax the nation@Began their reign, with some fair proclamation,@We too should talk at least--of reformation;@Declare that during our imperial sway,@No bard shall mourn his long-neglected Play;@But then the play must have some wit, some spirit,@And We allow'd sole umpires of its merit.@For those deep sages of the judging Pit,@Whose taste is too refin'd for modern wit,@From Rome's great Theatre we'll cull the piece,@And plant on Britain's stage the flow'rs of Greece.@If some there are, our British Bards can please,@Who taste the ancient wit of ancient days,@Be our's to save, from Time's devouring womb,@Their works, and snatch their laurels from the tomb.@For you, ye Fair, who sprightlier scenes may chuse,@Where Music decks in all her airs the Muse,@Gay Opera shall all its charms dispense,@Yet boast no tuneful triumph over sense;@The nobler Bard shall still assert his right,@Nor Handel rob a Shakespear of his night,@To greet the mortal brethren of our skies [upper galleries]@Here all the Gods of Pantomime shall rise:@Yet midst the pomp and magic of machines,@Some plot may mark the meaning of our scenes;@Scenes which were held, in good King Rich's days,@By sages, no bad epilogues to plays.@If terms like these your suffrage can engage,@To fix our mimic empire of the stage;@Confirm our title in your fair opinions,@And crowd each night to people our dominions.@--(Poems and Miscelaneous Compositions, Ed. Capt. Edward Thompson, 1777) Covent Garden opened with the Rehearsal with alterations. I was in the Pit. Powell, from Drury Lane, one of the new managers who have bought the patent from Rich's heirs, spoke an occasional Prologue. Shuter did Bayes pretty much to my liking, adding many crochets of his own.... Entertainment The Mock Doctor,...Young Jasper pretty well by one Massey, being his first appearance on that stage (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Command of Their Majesties. Present Their Majesties. Gave Yeomen of the Guards #2 2s. (Account Book). Receipts: #230 6s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Both pieces By Command of Their Majesties. Man and Wife Publish'd at 1s. 6d. (Winston MS 10). Gave Yeomen of Guards #2 2s. (Account Book). Receipts: #178 12s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Part of Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Come as early as possible to avoid confusion. Charges #64 10s. Balance to Miss Macklin #79 18s., plus #146 from Tickets (584 Box & Pit at one price of 5s. each); Paid Mr Monk #2 12s. 6d. for mending the Owl & a new Spring (Account Book). [The bonus value of the benefit to an actor or member of the company staff may be seen when one considers that Miss Macklin's regular salary was #7 per week, or about #28 per month. On this one benefit performance she made a profit in book value equal to her previous eight month's salary. Book value because the Account Book records, for the tickets which she delivered, only the face value of 5s. each. It is probable that many a wealthy theatre-goer gave her on this occasion, by way of appreciation for the pleasure of her performances, much more than the face value of the ticket.] Receipts: #144 8s

Event Comment: Benefit for Reddish [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Public Advertiser, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the Turnpike, Tottenham Court Road. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to try whether he could not go through the character of Posthumus. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late John Ireland gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the room with the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, I play Romeo.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience his recollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only the stage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (Boaden, Kemble, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60)

Event Comment: The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 3 May 1790]. Paid Say for Tallow Candles last Season #88 6s. 3d. "That beautiful and best drawn character that the world ever saw, Sir John Falstaff, was mangled by Ryder. He substitutes savageness to jollity, and stiff mimicry to the natural debauchery that should hang as easily on Sir John as the Roomy mantle he moves in...Lewis gave us more the manner of the pretty man of fashion than of a dissipated hero" (Prompter, 4 Nov.). Receipts: #168 1s. 6d. (164.12.6; 3.9.0)

Event Comment: [This is the only occasion in the 18th century when a play was acted in London on this date. "The performance at the Haymarket on the 30th of January has been noticed by his Majesty in a manner which is still a topic of conversation in the higher circles...There will be no more theatrical performances on the 30th of January" (London Chronicle, 28 Feb.). On 3 Feb. the Lord Chamberlain wrote to Sheridan as follows: "Sir--Information has been received at this Office that Theatrical Entertainments were exhibited at the Theatre, under your direction, in St. James's Haymarket on the 30th of Last Month, contrary to all precedent, and repugnant to Decency, being the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First. I do not know by what Authority such a Step was taken but, as Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household, think it my Duty to desire that you will be pleased to Cause the Practice to be discontinued in future. I am, Sir, Your Obedient, Humble Servant, Salisbury" (MS Letters to Sheridan from Various Correspondents,II, 64, in Harvard Theatre Collection). The Morning Chronicle on 31 Jan. offered another opinion: "It gave us infinite pleasure that last night we happily broke through one of the most absurd fasts in the calendar. The Managers of Drury Lane, with proper regard to the public, rescued them from the common dullness of a 30th of January." But the absurd fast remained in force until 1843.] Receipts: #339 18s. (291.4; 40.0; 8.11; ticket not come in: 0.3)

Event Comment: This play was wrote by Mr Shirly & was at Lisbon when Acted--it was receiv'd with great Applause--only a little groaning at some of the Love Scenes; the prologue greatly lik'd--he says the play attempted after ye Manner of Shakespear (Cross). Paid salary list at #51 7s. 7d. per diem, #308 5s. 6d.; Blakes per order #1 1s.; Maltair added to salary list at 10s. per day. Paid Lacy as per draft #105; Xmas box to Prince and Princess's footmen #2 2s.; Mr Maltair for 11 days #5 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [Maltair is presumably the dancer Maltare who had appeared at dl in 1740.] Receipts: #180 (Cross); #185 13s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant at the Stage Door of the Theatre. [Only sagnificant changes from this regular notice will be recorded hereafter.] Paid Mrs Margaret Lamb 6 months interest on #315 due 8 Sept. #7 10s. (Account Book). Receipts: #155 15s. (Account Book). Estimate of a Constant@N.B. The Ground Rent and Taxes is calculated to be Paid in 150 Days.@Per Annum Per Day@To 50 Old Shares at 2s. --- #5@To 50 New Ditto at 2s. --- #5@T 50 New Ditto at 2s. --- #5@To Ground Rent for the Theatre #100@To Ditto for Buildings in Harte St. #30@To Ditto for Mr Thurmond's House in Bow Street Passage #25@ #155 #1 0s. 8d.@ #11 0s. 8d.@Taxes (Viz)@To Land and Window Taxes for Theatre #98 2s.@To Do for a House in Bow St. Passage #5 15s 6d.@To Poor's Rate for the Theatre #20@To Do for a House in Bow St. Passage #1 10s.@To Watch rate for the Theatre #8 6s. 8d@To Do for a House in Bow St. Passage 10s. 6d.@To Rector's rate for the Theatre #6 13s. 4d.@To Do for a House in Bow St. Passage 8s. 4d.@To Scavenger's Rate for the Theatre #6 17s. 4d.@To Do for a House in Bow St. Passage 6s. 4d.@To Water for the Theatre #4@ #152 10s.@ #1 4d.@To Renters, Ground Rent & Taxes #12 1s.@To Gawrds [sic] per Day 14s.@To Barbers Do 5s. 4d.@To Scenemen Do #2 10s.@To Music as Per List #4 9s 2d.@For 150 Days To Candles #3 3s.@Do To Coales 10s 10s.@Passages, Stage Etc. To Lamps #1 12s.@To Bills #1 7s.@To Advertisements 5s.@To Billsetters 4s. 6d.@#16 6s. Sallery [sic] #14 6s. Estimate To Wardrobe bill about #1 11s.@#2 Sallery #5 Estimate To Property Bill Do 7s.@To Chorus Singers Do 10s.@To Mr J. Rich #5 5s.@To Mr C. Rich #1@ #36 1s.@Nightly Charge@Musick List@Messrs Wood 5s.@Gillier 5s.@Miller 5s.@Chapman@ 3s. 4d.@Goodman 3s. 4d.@Woodson 5s.@Ward 6s. 8d.@Rolland 5s.@Rawlings 3s. 4d.@Vincent 6s. 8d.@Wrexell 5s.@Beale 5s.@Jones 4s. 2d.@Biche 3s. 4d.@Heron 4s. 2d.@Stockdon 3s. 4d.@Scovell 3s. 4d.@Lampe 3s. 4d.@Smart 3s. 4d.@Assistant Writer 10d.@Harpsicord 5s.@#4 9s. 2d.@Men Dressers Charg'd in the Wardrobe Bills@Messrs Mearns 2s. 6d.@Cason 2s.@Esbury 1s.@Fenwick 1s.@Winterton 1s.@Besford 1s.@Francis 1s.@Cawder 1s.@Hays 1s.@Hollingsworth 1s.@Cabell 1s.@Nicholls 1s.@Norris 1s.@Cole 1s.@16s. 6d.@Billstickers as per List@Messrs Abbott 2s.@Mislebrook 2s.@Dymuck 2s@Tidd 2s.@Gale 2s.@Cole 1s. 6d.@11s. 6d.

Event Comment: [The Young Gentleman who played Zaphna was Wroughton. "His real name was Rottan, but altered euphonia gratia. He was designed for a surgeon and served his apprenticeship at Bath. The following playbills show that he met with approbation on the stage. He remained with Covent Garden from this time till the end of the season 1785-86. He then played in Ireland one Winter, and was engag'd at Drury Lane Theatre in the beginning of the season 1787-88. This was the occasion of Mr Wroughton's leaving Covent Garden, I mean it was thus conjectured. Mr Lewis had been appointed manager of that theatre for Mr Harris. Mr Lewis and Mr Wroughton lived next door neighbors in Broad Court at the top of Bow Street, and were sworn friends:--they laughed together, lived together--In the season 1784-85 two new performers Mr Holman and Mr Pope, appeared on the Covent Garden Stage--these young men were great favorites with Mr Harris; Mr Holman, attracting at this time very crowded audiences, stood so particularly high in his regard, that his partiality made him guilty of some injustice to older and abler actors in the theatre. Mr Henderson had really cause to complain of neglect; and Mr Wroughton thought himself equally oppressed. At this time we had a Club and met every Wednesday fortnight during Lent at the Long Room in Hamstead at dinner. Our Club consisted of a certain number of us belonging indifferently to either theatre, and two or three other gentlemen who were not actors. Mr King, Mr Quick, Mr Farren, Mr Mattocks, myself, etc., etc. When the bottle had a little warmed Mr Wroughton he threw out some sarcasms on his Friend Mr Lewis's management; Mr Lewis retorted; Their tempers grew hot, their words grew aggravating; Mr Wroughton struck Mr Lewis; Mr Lewis returned the blow. They were parted; all the pleasures of the day were over, and the Club broke up in confusion. I was not present this day, but have related what Mr Siddons told me of this Quarrel, and I imagine that Mr Wroughton's attack on Mr Lewis sprang from a suspicion that he was too willing to execute Mr Harris's designs in favour of Mr Holman. Be this as it may, Mr Wroughton was discharged from cg at the expiration of his Articles with Mr Harris."--Hopkins MS Notes.] Receipts: #186 3s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid salary 1st 5 days at #84 6s. 11d. per diem, #421 14s. 7d.; Mr S. French, six days #1 10s.; Mr Roye on acct 1st. #4 4s.; Mr Clinch, per order #5 5s. (Treasurer's Book). [This is the last payment to Mr S. French. Mr Roye hereafter seems to take his place at #4 10s. per week during the rest of the season. Query. Pierre Royer, painter? His name spelled Royer in the Treasurer's Book, 3 Jan. 1773. His total season's payment #153. Not further itemized.] Receipts: #171 8s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)