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: "When Euphrasia stabs Dionysius, she exclaims, 'A daughter's arm, fell monster, strikes the blow, Yes, first she strikes...' All, or at least the greatest part of this seems to be intended to precede the blow; and yet probability requires that the blow of a woman that kills an armed warrior should be unforeseen and sudden. Mrs Siddons felt the force of this. She strikes Dionysius without speaking a word, and repeats the passage over him as he lies on the ground" (Monthly Mirror, July 1800, p. 41). Receipts: #154 11s. 6d. (90.17.6; 62.8.0; 1.6.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Yates. Tragedy written by R. Glover. Part of Pit will be laid into Boxes. Send servants by 4 o'clock. Charges #64 19s. Balance to Yates #52 19s. plus #151 3s. from tickets (Box 589; Pit 26) (Account Book). Neville MS Diary: Having places in the Pit at Covent Garden went to see Mrs Yates do Medea in which she is inimitably great. My strong desire to see her in this character was one reason of continuing to town so long. Read her part before the play began. Her husband is truly comic in Tim in the Knights. Receipts; #117 18s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Johnston & Miss Williams. Mainpiece: Written by R. Cumberland, Esq., and perform'd at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane, with great Applause. Never acted there. Tickets to be had of Mr and Mrs Johnston & Miss Williams at the Windsor Castle [Inn], Plough and Harrow, Angel, Cock and Magpie, Salutation; and of Waldron, No. 17, Dorville's Row, where places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: We hear that the play Venice Preserv'd is in Rehearsal at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, and is to be perform'd on Friday next; and that the part of Pierre will be attempted by a Gentleman who never appear'd on any stage before (General Advertiser). [This month was published A Letter to a certain Patentee, in which the Conduct of Managers is impartially considered, and a few Periods bestowed on those darlings of the Publick, Mr G k, Mr F te, Mrs P d, &c." Addressed to Rich it is criticism of his personnel policies as manager, with side comments on his morals, and some on his performances: of his Orpheus and Eurydice, the author agrees that three flaming scenes of Hell, now left out, should have been omitted from the beginning. The Serpent, however, generally behaves himself so well, that "I have had more real pleasure in his appearance than if he had been a living one." Dislikes his replacing Ryan with Hallam, dislikes his abuse of Mrs Pritchard, criticizes his casting Hippisley as Polonius, since Polonius requires more than Hippisley can give, the latter being able to act only in the comic way.