Event Comment: Benefit for Wrighten, prompter. Public Advertiser, 7 May: Tickets to be had of Wrighten, Kennington-lane, near Vauxhall. Receipts: #254 8s. 6d. [64.9.0; 11.13.6; 0.19.0; tickets: 177.7.0) (charge: #106 3s. 9d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett [who had 1st acted Jemmy Jumps at York, 28 Apr. 1788]. Tickets delivered for The Female Pursuit will be admitted. Morning Herald, 5 May: Tickets to be had of Fawcett, No. 153, Drury-lane, facing Long-Acre. Receipts: #282 4s. 6d. (155.1.6; 6.17.0; tickets: 120.6.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Storace. Mainpiece: By Permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Prince Hoare, based partly on LE TABLEAU PARLANT, by Louis Anseaume]: The Music by Storace. "The songs are written with taste, and set to very lively and agreeable tunes by Storace's brother...[They are] calculated to afford her a complete opportunity of displaying that mixture of laughable levity, friskiness and merriment which on the stage give her so much attraction" (Public Advertiser, 18 Dec.). Tickets to be had of Sga Storace, No. 36, Howland Street, and of Rice at the Theatre, where Places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Sedgwick [whose 1st appearance as Comus was at dl, 20 May 1790]. Morning Chronicle, 18 May: Tickets to be had of Sedgwick, No. 27, Maiden-lane, Covent-garden. Receipts: #456 17s. (129.14.6; 82.10.6; 7.13.0; tickets: 236.19.0) (charge: #219 4s. 8d.)

Event Comment: 2nd piece: By Permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Event Comment: Benefit for Delpini. [1st piece in place of The School for Arrogance, advertised on playbill of 8 June.] 2nd piece [1st time; BALL. P 1, author unknown]. 4th piece: To conclude with a View of the Temple of Magic. True Briton, 2 June: Tickets to be had of Delpini, No. 27, Maiden-lane, Southampton-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #211 0s. 6d. (105.5.6; 13.11.6; tickets: 92.3.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Townsend. Times, 22 May: Tickets to be had of Townsend, at Mr Kilvington's, Drury-lane. Receipts: #229 17s. 6d. (71.10.0; 3.16.6; tickets: 154.11.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre-Royal Drury-Lane

Event Comment: Benefit for Johnstone. [Mrs Brown is sister to Miss Biggs of Drury Lane, and...has played frequently in her father's company in the country [i.e. Barnstaple, &c.]" (Monthly Mirror, Sept. 1798, p. 179). Morning Herald, 22 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Johnstone, No. 19, Piazza, Covent-Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Wathen. 2nd and 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre-Royal, Drury Lane. 2nd piece: Never acted at this Theatre [i.e. in the regular summer season; it had been acted "out of season" on 9 Feb. 1797]. Morning Chronicle, 16 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Wathen, No. 2, Frith Street, Soho

Event Comment: [Emery was from cg. Mainpiece: Epilogue by the younger George Colman.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin precisely at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice, at the Theatre. Printed by T. Woodfall, No. 1, Cross Court, Russel Court, Drury Lane

Event Comment: The King's Company. This marks the opening of the new Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, Drury Lane, to which Killigrew moved his company from Vere Street. Downes erroneously gives the opening date as 8 April, a fact which led to the creation of the famous spurious playbill for Bridges Street, Thursday, 8 April 1663. See Montague Summers, The Restoration Theater (London, 1934), p. 15. Pepys, Diary: This day the new Theatre Royal begins to act with scenes the Humorous Lieutenant, but I have not time to see it, nor could stay to see my Lady Jemimah lately come to town, and who was here in the house. Downes (p. 3): Note, this Comedy was Acted Twelve Days Successively

Event Comment: At Miller-Hall-Milward Great Theatrical Booth, at Hosier Lane End

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Afterpiece: With a new Grotesque Part. See Fog's, 15 March, for an essay on Drury Lane and Cibber

Event Comment: For the Benefit of the Editor of Shakespear. For the Entertainment of the Grand Master, and the Antient and Honourable Society of the Free and Accepted Masons. N.B. By Appointment of the Grand Master, the Brethren are desir'd to meet at the Castle Tavern, Drury-Lane, cloath'd; thence to go in Procession, as usual, to the Play

Event Comment: At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespear. Afterpiece: Written by the Author of the Toy Shop. Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, 26 Feb.: On Monday Night last a great Disturbance happened at Drury-lane Play-house, occasioned by a great Number of Footmen, who assembled themselves in a riotous and tumultuous Manner, with great Outcries of burning the House, unless they were immediately admitted into what they call their Gallery; and in order to strike a Terror, they began to hew down the Door of the Passage which leads to the said Gallery, of which Col. Deveil, who was then in the House, had immediate Notice, and thereupon came out where they were thus assembled, and notwithstanding they threatened to knock his Brains out, he read the Proclamation to them, admonish'd them to retire, and desist from so unlawful an undertaking. [The footmen soon withdrew.

Event Comment: DDaily Advertiser, 19 Feb. Yesterday died of an Astmatick Disorder, at his Chambers in Clement's Inn, Mr Benjamin Griffin, a celebrated Comedian, belonging to Drury-Lane Theatre

Event Comment: FFawkes and Pinchbeck's Booth, end of Hosier Lane, West Smithfield. Noon to 10 p.m. Boxes 2s. Pit 1s. Gallery 6d. Mainpiece: Written by Henry Fielding, Esq. Afterpiece: The Present Tense...by Punch's Company of comical Tragedians from the Haymarket [i.e., a puppet show]

Event Comment: On Friday Night last as Mr Lowe, belonging to Drury Lane Playhouse was going down Snow Hill, he was stopt by two fellows, one of whom, without speaking a word, gave him a most violent blow on the Temple, with a great stick, which stunned him so that he fell back against a shop Window, and remained insensible for some time; as soon as he recover'd he felt in his pockets and found they had robb'd him only of 11 shillings in silver, being (as he supposes) disturb'd by some people passing by, for they had not taken his watch, nor a Guinea and a half which he had also in his pockets

Event Comment: A new English Pastoral Serenata. Set to Musick by William DeFesch. 6 p.m. 5s. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Tickets at the Author's Lodgings, at Mrs Misaubain's, on the Pav'd Stones, in St. Martin's Lane

Event Comment: The Proprietor of Drury Lane Theatre having receiv'd letters from several Gentlemen pressing him to revive the Tragedy of King John; to comply with this request (as he shall always make it his business to oblige the Publick) he immediately put the play in rehearsal; but upon information that the author of a Play on the same subject, had insinuated that this was calculated only to prejudice him, the Revival was intended to be deferr'd till the run of his play should be over; but upon perusal of the Bills he finds this is no Alteration, as was thought, but a new Tragedy founded only upon that plan; therefore in compliance with the above request, and at the same time to take off all imputation of an injury to this author, the Proprietor has deferr'd the bringing it on till Tuesday next, the day after the author's benefit, when will be exhibited the Historical Play of King John, as written by Shakespear

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Being the most tragical tragedy that ever was tragedized by a company of tragedians. At the Particular Desire of Several Persons of Quality (General Advertiser). [The following unsigned statement of the financial condition of the theatre on 11 April is in the Harvard Collection of Documents dealing with affairs of Drury Lane, folio MS Thr. 12. This itemizes the outstanding liabilities to the amount of #8,808 14s. including #1,275 of arrears in actors' salaries]: I told Mr- the intended purchaser that the whole would not amount to #12,000. He said if it was more it should rest on me, for that was the utmost shilling he would give. But upon strict enquiry I find it will amount to #12,808 14s. This difference is not altogether owing to an error in calculation, but has been likewise heightened by a falling off of business, nor is it possible to ascertain the debt of a theatre for a day, it is of so fluctuating a nature. Q: whether this loss ought to light upon me, who have endeavored to get a purchaser & increased the value of the Estate to the utmost of my power? Errors excepted. [James Lacy or John Powel are the most likely authors of this statement. Whatever the authority, it is clear that settlement had not yet been made for transfer of ownership. For Powel, see G. W. Stone, Jr., The Authorship of Tit for Tat," Theatre Notebook, X (1955), 22-28.

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber Play'd (Cross). The Letter sign'd E. L. written in the Name of several Persons of Distinction, is receiv'd; and the Play of King Lear will be acted there, as soon as Mr Garrick is able to perform so long a Character (note "From the Theatre Royal Drury Lane" inserted in the General Advertiser). Receipts: #160 (Cross); #156 17s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: PPrince &c. (Cross). Lost on Wednesday Night the 21st Instant at Drury Lane Playhouse. A Steel and Gold Sword, with a Silver Gripe, the maker's name Fleaureau. Whoever has taken it up, and will bring it to Mr Fleaureau, Swordcutler in the Haymarket, shall have a Guinea and a half reward, and no Questions asked. N. B.: No greater reward will be offered (General Advertiser). Receipts: #190 (Cross); #176 5s. (Powel)

Event Comment: The Play of Twelfth Night, or What you Will (written by Shakespear) is now reviving at Drury Lane Theatre, and will be acted for the first time on Twelfth Night. Receipts. #100 (Cross); #115 10s. 6d. (Powel)