Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Pantomime Entertainment not acted these eight years. [See 20 Oct. 1768.] New Scenes, Dresses and other Decorations. Doors open at 5 o'clock. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. Theatrical intelligence, Covent Garden: Mrs Hunter, lately returned from Ireland was very well receiv'd in Mrs Oakly, and to do her justice she played the part throughout better than it has been performed for some time at either house. The labourings of Mr Wroughton's jealousy in Oakly reminded us of the progressive workings of a fatt of small beer, when inflated with powerful yeast....Orpheus and Eurydice was reviv'd after the play-the dullest of all dull Pantomimes (Harlequin's Jacket excepted). The two additional scenes we were summoned by the bills to behold, are two of the late memorable regatta:-The first is a perspective of Ranelagh Gardensv to the water, illuminated with party-coloured lamps, which terminates with the temporary obelisk erected on that occasion:-Behind this we just catch the streamers of the barges and etc., supposed to be rowing up to the stairs, and landing their company, to martial music and under the discharge of cannon, imitated by the unnatural slamming of one of the Green Room doors. This scene, however, had a tolerable appearance, but being on too confined a scale, its intended effect must have been lost. The other represented the inside of as much of the Temple of Neptunev as was possible to give the spectators in a theatre:-we cannot extol it by any means as a perfect representation:-and to prevent it coming too near the original, Harlequin, Perot, Pantaloon, and etc. were made to lounge in the orchestra instead of its being occupied by a good band of music:-in short the whole pantomime went off rather flat. It is recommended to the managers here never to suffer the scene shifters to appear again in such garb as they did; old greasy plush waistcoats, with red-stocking sleeves!-such a habit may be in keeping with a blacksmaith's forge, but not for a theatre royal in the metropolis of a polished country (Folger News Clipping)

Event Comment: The Grecian Daughter cannot be perform'd on account of Mr and Mrs Barry's Indisposition

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never performed before. New Scenes and Dresses. This Comedy is a first production of Mrs Cowley--It was receiv'd with very great Applause-Indeed the performers play'd very well and deserv'd it--the Prologue was written by the Author of the Play dull and Mr Gar. wrote a most Excellent Epilogue quite Local--which was received with uncommon Applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly. Mainpiece reviewed in the Westminster Magazine for Feb.: "As we have lately been much afflicted with the melancholy fate of theatrical authors, we have a pleasure more than common in the great sucess of this piece."] Receipts: #256 5s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [Extra night] By Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for Mrs Jewell. The Out-standing Tickets of Mr Jewell [from his benefit on 3 Sept.], and those issued for King Richard III will be admitted

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Barnes. Morning Herald, 15 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Barnes, No. 21, Crown-street, Westminster. Receipts: #134 11s. 6d. (69/3/6; tickets: 65/8/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Wright. Account-Book adds: "Mrs Sharp [who was at first advertised as sharing in the benefit] having sold her 1/2 to Miss Wright." Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years [acted 6 Apr. 1780]. Receipts: #244 17s. 6d. (67/17/0; 18/9/6; 0/11/0; tickets: 158/0/0) (charge: #107 13s. 4d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Hunter. Tom Thumb [announced on playbill of 19 May] is unavoidably obliged to be changed, on account of Mrs Kennedy's Indisposition. Receipts: #170 17s. 6d. (77/15/6; tickets: 93/2/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: The Carmelite [announced on playbill of 11 Oct.] is obliged to be deferred on Account of the Indisposition of Mrs Siddons. Mainpiece: With accompaniments to the airs composed by Linley [Sen.]. Receipts: #75 16s. (53/12; 21/4; 0/0; tickets not come in: 1/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Abington. Pit and Boxes will be laid together. Ladies and Gentlemen are most earnestly requested to come early, to prevent Inconvenience in getting to their Places, and to send their Servants to keep them by Four o'clock. "At the close of the entertainment Mrs Abington came forward, and delivered a short poetical address to her fashionable auditory [written by Maurice Morgann (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1797, p. 263)], apposite to her feelings on the present occasion" (Morning Herald, 11 Feb.). "The character [of Scrub] throughout was well conceived, and executed with a sprightliness and degree of humour that kept the house in a continual roar of laughter" (Public Advertiser, 11 Feb.) "Mrs Abington's voice was in its usual tone; her manners and deportment were inattentive and torpid, rather than active and interesting" (Morning Post, 11 Feb.). "With all her endeavours to give new points to the character, she entirely failed. Her appearance en culottes, so preposterously padded, exceeded nature. Her gestures to look comical could not get the least hold of the audience, though they had seen her before in men's clothes, when playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice, where her figure, dressed as a lawyer in his gown, gave effect to her excellent delivery on mercy, and the audience had been always delighted. But this leu de benefice, comparatively speaking, was disgusting and absurd as she dressed the character ... However, I have heard it originated in a bet she had previously made" (Henry Angelo, Reminiscenes, 11, 281-82). Receipts: #406 13s. 6d. (249/9/6; 1/9/0; tickets: 155/15/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: "The simple melody of 'Cease your funning' need alone be adverted to in proof of the pathos of Mrs Billington's manner; and when it was encored, the repetition had every mark of variety" (Morning Herald, 22 Feb.). Receipts: #218 7s. (217/0; 1/7)

Event Comment: The Duenna [advertised on playbill of 10 Oct.] is obliged to be deferred on Account of Mrs Billington's Indisposition. Receipts: #126 16s. 6d. (124.8.6; 2.8.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; BALL. P 2]: Composed by Charles? Farley; Founded chiefly on a principal Episode ["The History of Don Raymond," Vol. I, chaps. III, IV] in the Romance of The Monk [by Matthew Gregory Lewis]. With entire new Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Music by Reeve. The Scenery designed by Phillips, and executed by him, the assistance of Hollogan, Blackmore, Thorne, Byrn, &c. The Machinery by Cresswell and Sloper. The Dresses and Decorations by Dick, Goostree and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs and Chorusses [T. N. Longman, 1797] to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #377 17s. (364.3.6; 13.13.6)