Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlin. Benefit for Mrs Fisher. Deferr'd from 11 April

Event Comment: [Mrs Siddons's 1st appearance as Horatia was at York, 10 May 1777. Afterpiece in place of The Wedding Day, advertised on playbill of 14 Nov.] Receipts: #350 11s. (270.10.6; 72.3.0; 7.17.6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of NOTORIETY, advertised on playbill of 23 Oct.] Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2 , by Mrs Burke. MS: Larpent 992; not published]: With new Music [by Tommaso Giordani (Morning Herald, 25 Oct.)). Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #228 0s. 6d. (206/10/6; 21/10/0)

Event Comment: 3rd piece [Ist time; MF 2, attributed to Mrs Rainsford, for whom see Morning Herald, 9 May; London Chronicle, 23 May, states that it was written by "A Lady," but gives no name. MS: Larpent 1025; not published]: The Music composed by Webbe. Receipts: #118 4s. (109/3; 9/1)

Event Comment: [By Mrs Aubert.] Never Acted before. In Daily Courant, 26 May: Never acted before, being unfortunately prevented on Friday last, by the unexpected Arrest of the Person who was to have played the Doctor

Event Comment: Mrs Mills, a Drury Lane actress, died on this day

Event Comment: Mainpiece: For this Night only. By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay Market. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Julia to Mrs Jordan, and as afterpiece announces The Wedding Day, but "Mrs Jordan being suddenly taken ill, the Pubick are respectfully informed that Mrs Powell will, with their permission, attempt the Character of Julia in the Surrender of Calais; to which will be added The Adopted Child [with cast listed as above]" (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill).] Receipts: #238 7s. (166.0.6; 66.19.0; 5.7.6)

Event Comment: [See note for 9 Jan. 1770 of a mild riot this night during best scene of The Orphan.] Afterpiece: A New Opera [by George Alexander Stevens] the Music composed by Mr Fisher. Books of the entertainment to be had at the theatre. Gave Duke of Glocester's Footmen #2 2s. (Account Book). [Afterpiece a roaring burlesque of Lee's Rival Queens. Larpent MS 302 includes Semi Chorus, Grand Chorus, and Perdiccas, not listed in the Playbill. The Court awakes with total hangover. Alexander orders a pot of coffee to clear his head. Thais begs him to leave the gout giving juice-Retire with me @ In my Chinese pavilion, drink some Tea." Afterpiece reviewed inthe Freeholder's Magazine for Jan.] Mr Shuter and Mrs Mattocks gave great satisfaction in their different characters; the words of the songs were written by Mr George Alexander Stephens, author of the celebrated Lecture upon Heads, and several other whimsical productions; and the airs which had Uncommon merit, were composed by Mr Fisher, a young genius, who has hitherto been but little known in the musical world. Receipts: #215 8s. 6d

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Masque [by Capt. Edward Thompson] never perform'd. With New Music, Dresses, Scenery, and Decorations. The Music composed by Fisher. The Scenes painted by Dall and Carver. Books of the songs to be had at the Theatre. [The Westminster Magazine for March also lists Boreas -Reinhold; Carlos -DuBellamy; Traverse -Mahon; Druid -L'Estrange, and tells the story of the play. The reviewer did not approve of the piece, since for him it lacked unbounded fire of fancy, originality of idea, language, and character. He approved of Fisher's music.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Tragedy [by Joseph Cradock] never performed. The Music composed by Mr Fisher. Words of the Epithalamium to be had at the Theatre. Paid Palmer (wax chandler) #140; Paid Buxton & Enderby (oyl merchants) #136 3s. (Account Book). Receipts: #220 16s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Pantomime (never performed). The Music entirely new, by Fisher, New Scenes, Machines, Dresses, and Decorations. Books of the Songs, Chorusses, &c. to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under FULL PRICE will be taken. [The note about full prices and availability of books of songs, &c. accompanies each subsequent bill for Sylphs this season. The Westminster Magazine (Jan. 1774) fears the afterpiece may have been composed by Woodward. The reviewer recounts the story in some detail, likes the paintings and scenery, but states categorically: "We do not hesitate to pronounce it the worst Harlequin entertainment we remember to have seen...The music too is very insipid and pilfered from other masters."] Receipts: #237 3s. 2d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Music by Fisher. The whole to conclude with a Capital Scene by Servandoni. Books of the Songs, Chorusses &c. [of the afterpiece] to be had at the Theatre. [Customary note on all succeeding bills advertising the Sylphs this season. Mrs Williams was probably Mrs Willems.

Event Comment: The Afterpiece a New Pantomime [by Henry Woodward, satirizing Garrick's Jubilee] with New Music by Fisher. New Scenes painted by Messrs Dahl and Richards. Nothing under Full Prices will be taken. [Full Prices notice throughout the run of the pantomime this season. Town and Country Magazine (from Theatre No XIII) comments: "In the Pageant scene several of the characters that walk at Drury Lane are highly ridiculed, particularly Mark Antony and Cleopatra, who dance off with their black retinue to the playing of casquets." The scene closes with the descent of the statue of the late Mr Rich under the name of Lun, and the Harlequins all pay him honour.] Receipts: #250 6s

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Pantomime Entertainment, never performed. With New Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Machinery. The Overture composed by Fisher. The scenes painted by Messrs Dahl and Richards. Nothing under FULL PRICE will be taken. The Words of the songs to be given at the Doors. [This information included in all subsequent bills for the pantomime this season, until 25 March when the half-price practice is announced. Full account of the content of the afterpiece is given in The Westminster Magazine for Dec. The reviewer was delighted with the adherence to the classical myth in the first and last scenes, and with the variety of action and excellence of the machinery and painting in the interventing comic portion.

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Turner Robinson

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Walter and Mrs Pelling. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Congreve. [Tickets of Mrs Walter at Mr Hook's, Carpenter, in Stanhope Street; of Mrs Pelling at Mr Dagley's, Silversmith, near Castle Tavern, DL.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wells. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. General Advertiser, 16 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Wells, No. 15, Beaufort-buildings. Receipts: #337 17s. 6d. (178.3.0; 3.17.6; tickets: 155.17.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wells. Mainpiece [1st time; C 4, author unknown, not in Larpent MS; not published. Epilogue by Robert Merry (World, 30 Apr.). On 11 May acted as The Female Pursuit]: Taken from Moor's Gil Blas. Public Advertiser, 27 Apr.: Mrs Wells trusts the Public will have the Candour to excuse her not appearing in the Play, as the principal Woman's Character has many changes in it, and the Fatigue of going through various and numerous Imitations would render her incapable of undertaking it. Gazetteer, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Wells, No. 12, Weymouth-street, Portland-place. Receipts: #301 14s. (166.2; 10.1; tickets: 125.11)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wells [who imitated Mrs Siddons, Mrs Crawford, Mrs Jordan, Mrs Martyr, Mrs Kennedy (World, 19 Aug.). 1st piece in place of Seeing is Believing; 2nd of Ways and Means, both advertised on playbill of 17 Aug.]

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Margarita

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Charke. By particular Desire. Tickets for Mrs Elmy, Miss Packington, Miss Jones also taken