Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb. Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin [1790]. Sga Storace had 1st appeared in concerts from 1774 to 1778, and at king's on 24 Apr. 1787 and thereafter]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The new Music composed by Storace, the rest compiled from Linley? Sen., Purcell, Sarti, Paisiello, Martin y Soler?, Pleyel, &c. The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "In her own particular line on the stage [Sga Storace] was unrivalled, being an excellent actress, as well as a masterly singer. She settled entirely in England, and after quitting the opera (to which she was frequently recalled in times of distress, as was too often the case), she engaged at Drury Lane, where the English opera was raised to an excellence not known before, by her singing, with that of Mrs Crouch, Mrs Bland, Kelly, and Bannister, and under the direction of her brother Stephen Storace, who composed, or rather compiled, several very pretty operas, of which the Haunted Tower, and the Siege of Belgrade still remain favorites, and are frequently performed" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 65). Account-Book, 4 Jan. 1790: Paid Cobb on Acct. of the Purchase of the Copyright of the Haunted Tower #157 10s.; 27 Feb. 1790: Paid Cobb in full for Copyright #52 10s. Receipts: #219 9s. 6d. (200.13.0; 17.14.6; 1.2.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mattocks. Afterpiece: Taken from Moliere and Betterton. Receipts: #186 19s. 6d. (146/9/6; tickets: 40/10/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years [acted 18 Sept. 1778. Miss Scrase (see 19 Sept.) had become Mrs James Bates on 23 Sept.]. Receipts: #195 13s. 6d. (193/3/6; 2/10/0)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Kenny, Briggs, Pemberton, Newton, Leslie, Miss Heard, Miss Richards, Mrs Enoe will be taken. Receipts: #40 11s. 6d. (27/5/0; 13/6/6; 0/0/0; tickets: none listed)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kennedy. Public Advertiser, 16 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Kennedy at her house in Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Duenna, announced on playbill of 7 Dec. In afterpiece the playbill retains Mrs Morton, but on the Kemble playbill a MS annotation substitutes Mrs Inchbald. And see 10 Dec.] Receipts: #85 6s. 6d. (82/16/6; 2/10/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their Servants at half past Four o'Clock. Receipts: #304 2s. (110.18.0; 11.6.6; 2.2.6; tickets: 179.15.0) (charge: #107 14s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. Tickets delivered by the young D'Egvilles, Jones, Newbold, Shaw, Dale, Purser Sen., Smith, Aberdein, Mills, Miss Tidswell, Mrs Heard, Miss Dancer, Miss Bradshaw, Mrs Haskey, will be admitted. Receipts: #241 8s. 6d. (23.4.0; 15.3.6; 0.15.0; tickets: 202.6.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author of the Opera [who is named in Kemble Mem., but not on the playbill]. [Mrs Henry's 1st appearance was at cg, 25 Jan. 1788.] Receipts: #134 4s. 6d. (79.11.0; 52.9.0; 2.4.6; tickets: none listed) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wells. 2nd piece: With the Manual Exercise by Mrs Wells

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four o'clock. Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years [acted 15 May 1782]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 5 years [not acted since 25 Mar. 1775]. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Banquo to Bensley, but "Poor Bensley's illness last night took him off; but on another night he will give and take in the triumph" {Public Advertiser, 4 Feb.). In afterpiece he is assigned to The Guardian. On the Kemble playbill in both cases his name is deleted and MS annotations substitute Hull's.] "Macbeth at Drury-lane will. . . gag the drivellers who, on the failure of Constance [in King John], ventured a sweeping prophecy of condemnation that 'the Siddons never could play Shakespeare.' Would it not have been better to have borrowed Farren, rather than Hull, for Banquo?" (Public Advertiser, 4 Feb.). "'Why,'say some of the critics, 'should Mrs Siddons wear a white dress in her last scene of Lady Macbeth? She is supposed to be asleep, not mad.' What reason except custom can be given for a mad heroine appearing in white we know not [and see DL, 20 Dec. 1782]. Yet there is an obvious reason why a person walking in their sleep should wear a white dress of the loose kind worn by Mrs Siddons ... It [is] the nearest resemblance which theatrical effect will admit, to the common sort of night-dresses" (Public Advertiser, 7 Feb.). Receipts: #346 16s. (198/10/0; 7/2/6; 0/8/6; tickets: 140/15/0) (charge: free)

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 Kemble. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. "Mrs Siddons spoke the speech on mercy as it certainly should be spoken--but as in truth we never heard it spoken--as a reply to 'On what compulsion must I?' From every other Portia it has always appeared as a recitation, prepared for the occasion" (Morning Chronicle, 8 Apr.). Morning Chronicle, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Kemble, No. 19, Charles-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #284 2s. 6d. (160/19/0; 20/17/6; 1/1/0; tickets: 101/5/0) (charge: #107 0s. 5d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Forster. Public Advertiser, 21 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Forster, the corner of Castle-street, opposite Hart-street, Bloomsbury. Receipts: #174 4s. 6d. (39.15.0; 21.3.0; 1.0.6; tickets: 112.6.0) (charge: #105 16s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered for this Evening [Account-Book: by Appleby, Bayne, Dale Jun., Daglish, Douglas, Gardiner, Gillis, Kirk, Lyon, Standen, Pilsbury, Mrs Lewis] will be admitted. Receipts: #192 1s. (7.11.0; 2.14.6; 0.15.6; tickets: 181.0.0)

Event Comment: The Maid of the Mill [advertised in Public Advertiser, 19 Sept.] is obliged to be deferred on account of the Indisposition of Mrs Crouch. Paid Booth tailor, #4 6s. 6d.; Scenemen #5 4s.; Carpenters #3 16s.; Renters' Income #30 [this last paid daily]. Receipts: #111 8s. 6d. (71.11.0; 39.4.0; 0.13.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett and Mrs Hedges. Receipts: #218 7s. (22.17.0; 16.9.6; 1.0.6; tickets: 178.0.0) (charge: #106 18s. 11d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Goodall. Gazetteer, 28 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Goodall, No. 26, Villers-street, York Buildings. Receipts: #237 7s. (65.19; 35.11; 5.19; tickets: 129.18) (charge: #114 19s. 7d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wells [whose 1st appearance in tragedy was at this theatre, 30 Apr. 1783]. Public Advertiser, 29 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Wells, No. 5, York-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #143 17s. (33/4/0; 24/0/6; 0/10/6; tickets: 86/2/0) (charge: #114 8s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kemble. Tickets delivered for The Careless Husband will be taken. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their Servants at half past Four o'Clock. [Mrs Siddons's 1st appearance as Lady Restless was at Manchester, 17 Feb. 1777.] Public Advertiser, 12 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Kemble, No. 16, Charles-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #293 12s. 6d. (148.16.0; 15.3.0; 0.7.6; tickets: 129.10.0) (charge: #105 11s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wilson. Receipts: #239 16s. (49.1; 17.16; 0.12; tickets: 172.7) (charge: #113 8s. 4d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. 2nd piece [1st time; INT 1]. Receipts: #247 15s. 6d. (40.8.0; 17.2.0; 1.1.6; tickets: 189.4.0) (charge: #114 17s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett and Mrs Hedges. Receipts: #195 15s. (20.16; 12.2; 1.4; tickets: 161.13) (charge: #109 15s. 4d.)

Event Comment: "[Miss Younge's] playing [the Trial] Scene without a Perriwig, or any of the Buffoonery in Mimicry of Bar Quackery [in which Mrs Clive used to indulge] cannot be too much commended" (.Public Advertiser, 4 Dec). Receipts: #181 0s. 6d. (178/8/6; 2/12/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons (the last Night of her Engagement). [She had 1st acted Juliet at Birmingham, 6 Sept. 1776, and 1st recited the Ode, written by Robert Merry (European Magazine, Apr. 1789, pp. 335-38), at the King's on 21 Apr.] Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes, To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their Servants by Half past Four o'Clock. Public Advertiser, 29 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, Gower-street, Bedford Square. "The pouting Scene with the old Nurse was the cleverest thing I ever saw--so pretty, so Babyish, so charming" (Thraliana, II, 748). On this and every Evening for the Remainder of the Season the Doors will not be opened till 5:30, and the Performance will commence exactly at 6:30. Receipts: #320 6s. 6d. (112.12.0; 11.12.0; 1.7.6; tickets: 194.15.0) (charge: #112 13s. 7d.)