Event Comment: [These performances were held in a temporary booth erected following the destruction of the theatre by fire (see 26 June). In August King Lear, with Everard as Lear and Cooke as Edgar, was acted here three times [Edward Cape Everard, Memoirs of an Unfortunate Son of Thespis [Edinburgh, 1018], p.78). Everard states that the booth was kept open for about six weeks, but no further records of what was acted have survived.

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Charles Dibdin, based on La Bohemienne, by Charles Simon Favart. Music by Samuel Arnold]. Books of both Pieces to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 10 Aug. 1778: This Day is published The Gipsies (price not listed)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; co 2, by Henry Bate (later Sir Henry Bate Dudley). Music by William Shield]. Books for both Pieces to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 15 June 1779: This Day is published The Flitch of Bacon (1s.)

Event Comment: "This may be called the Coalition Season, the Actors of both Theatres playing at either house indiscriminately" (MS annotation by J. P. Kemble on Kemble playbill). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had of Fosbrook at the Stage Door. No Money to be taken at the Stage Door, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 16 Oct.]. Receipts: #226 8s. 6d. (193.9.0; 32.12.0; 0.7.6)

Event Comment: Books of the Burletta to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Afterpiece: The Scenery, Machinery, &c. painted by Carver, Greenwood and Garvey. The Overture and the rest of the Music composed by Fisher. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: [As mainpiece the playbill announces Caractacus, but it "was not performed last night at Covent Garden theatre, on account of Leoni's sudden illness. The Busy Body was substituted in its stead" (Morning Chronicle, 4 Nov.).

Event Comment: [The playbill announces this as "By Command of Their Majesties," but "His Majesty intended going to Drury-lane Theatre last night, but was prevented by the multiplicity of business at St James's" (Morning Post, 19 Nov.).] Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years [acted 2 May 1776]. Receipts: #212 11s. 6d. (184.8.0; 27.6.6; 0.17.0)

Event Comment: Announced by the playbill, but "Not perform'd on Acct. of Mr Garrick's Death (at 8 o'Clo'Morng)" (MS annotation on Kemble playbill). See also Public Advertiser, 21 Jan.: Drury Lane Theatre was shut up last night on [this] melancholy Occasion

Event Comment: Benefit for Vernon. Mainpiece: With a Grand Procession, as 23 Dec. 1778. [Miss Pinto was from the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin.] Public Advertiser, 15 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Vernon at Mahon's, the corner of Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #217 1s. 6d. (121.8.0; 21.11.0; 0.19.6; tickets: 73.3.0) (charge: #73 3s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Paid Norris #105; Mrs Kennedy #115; Webster #80 17s.; Boy's Choir #52 10s.; David Richards #40; Parke #20; Advertisements in Public Advertiser #9 5s.; Band #354 9s. 6d.; Chorus Singers #174 19s. 6d.; Cramer, Cervetto, Crosdill #5 5s. a performance. Received from Stanley for Oratorio rent of theatre #308. Receipts: #206 3s. (204.10; 1.13)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by Frederick Pilon. Author of Epilogue unknown. This Prelude had reference to the illuminations held on 11 Feb. 1779 in honor of the acquittal, on a charge of misconduct in the naval operations off Brest, of Admiral Augustus Keppel. In 1780 it was acted at this theatre, with alterations, as A Gazette Extraordinary]. Tickets delivered for The Distress'd Mother will be received. Public Advertiser, 30 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lee Lewes at his house in Bow-street, Covent Garden. Ibid, 4 May 1779: This Day is published Illumination (1s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jackson. 3rd piece [1st time in London; F 2, by James Solas Dodd, based on Le Naufrage, by Joseph de laFont, and 1st acted at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 1772, as The Funeral Pile. "The performers were exceedingly correct, which is unusual in benefit piece" Oulton, 1796,1,81). Prologue by the author (Town and Country Magazine, May 1779, p.270)]: With an Indian Processionv. Public Advertiser, 24 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jackson in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Reddish [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Public Advertiser, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the Turnpike, Tottenham Court Road. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to try whether he could not go through the character of Posthumus. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late John Ireland gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the room with the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, I play Romeo.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience his recollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only the stage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (Boaden, Kemble, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wright and Butler, carpenter. Afterpiece: To conclude with the Scene of the Waterfallv, as it was originally performed. Public Advertiser, 5 May: Tickets to be had of Wright, No. 24, Bennet-street, Westminster; of Butler, next door to the Theatre. Receipts: #267 9s. 6d. (37.11.0; 13.8.6; 0.4.0; tickets: 216.6.0) (charge: #74 14s.)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Justice Woodcock to Parsons, and as afterpiece announces Tony Lumpkin in Town, but "In consequence of Parsons' illness, Edwin played the part of Justice Woodcock, with which he seems well acquainted; and he plays it with great pleasantry in his own particular style of humour....Parsons' illness also prevented the performance of Tony Lumpkin in Town, and Nature will Prevail was substituted" (Gazetteer, 8 June).

Event Comment: Books of the Songs [in afterpiece] to be had at the theatre

Event Comment: [Mrs Lloyd is identified in playbill of 18 Aug. She has "the name of Lloyd, but [is] better known by the name of Mrs C@@we (who played several parts at the military theatre of Boston in America about two years ago)" (Morning Post, 16 July).

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [Mrs Kennedy was from the York theatre.

Event Comment: [Miss Harper was taken ill; The Irish Widow was thereupon substituted and begun, but the audience was clamorous, and insisted on The Son-in-Law. A long delay ensued until the proper acters had been brought back to the theatre and until they were dressed. Mrs Jewell read Miss Harper's part. While trying to find out what the audience wanted, Bannister retorted sharply from the stage to one of the noisiest of the objectors. This action caused several letters to be written to various newspapers debating the right of a "servant of the public" to reprimand a member of the audience even when that member might be in the wrong (Morning Chronicle, 16 Sept., et seq.).] The last Night of the Season

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With alterations [by David Garrick]. "The managers, to our astonishment, continue to play with Garrick's alterations. [The original play] is materially injured by those which Garrick adopted in compliance to the French criticks" (Morning Chronicle, 20 Sept.). [For a summary of these alterations see my Shakespeare in the Theatre, II, 188-89.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Ist Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had of Fosbrook, at the Stage-door. No Money to be taken at the Stage-Door, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 30 Oct.]. Receipts: #174 6s. 6d. (135.1.0; 38.17.6; 0.8.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With accompaniments to the Airs composed by Thomas? Linley? Sen. [Miss Wright's 1st appearance, as an actress, was at this theatre on 7 May 1779.] Afterpiece: With Alterations and Additions; To conclude with a Grand View of Greenwich Hospital, designed by DeLoutherbourg. Paid Land Tax 3rd & 4th Qtrs. to Lady Day #41 16s. Receipts: #187 3s. 6d. (151.3.0; 35.15.6; 0.5.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Edward Neville]: The Overture and Music composed by Dibdin. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 20 Oct.: This Afternon at Three is published Plymouth In An Uproar (1s.). Receipts: #242 16s. 6d. (241.5.0; 1.11.6)

Event Comment: By Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for a Gentlewoman. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [Author of Prologue unknown.] Afterpiece: Written by Thomas King, Esq. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:30. The Public may be assured that the principal Performers in the above play and farce are Persons accustomed to the Stage, and that the utmost Attention will be paid to the credit of Performance. Tickets delivered by Mrs Lefevre and Blackburn will be admitted

Event Comment: "As soon as the Play was over at Covent Garden Theatre yesterday evening, Reinhold walked forward and told the audience that 'It would be esteemed a particular mark of their Kindness and Favour if they would accept Miss Cranfield's performance of Colombine, Miss Brown having been taken extremely ill"' (Morning Chronicle, 11 Jan.). Receipts: #195 2s. (193.6; 1.16)