Event Comment: Mainpiece: The Overture and New Musick composed by Dr Arnold

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2]: Written by the Author of the Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Musick composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin, 1783.

Event Comment: A revived Serious Opera, in 2 acts; the Music composed, with Improvements, by Sacchini. Public Advertiser, 25 June: On Saturday last was revived at the King's Theatre the Serious Opera of Creso [see 8 Nov. 1777], under the new title of Euriso

Event Comment: The new Musical Comedy of The Baron [announced on playbill of 6 July] is obliged to be deferred till Monday

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by George Colman elder; also ascribed to George Keate. Larpent MS 565; not published]: In Three Scenes of Dialogue. 2nd piece: The Music compiled by Dr Pepusch. 3rd piece [1st time; B. BALL I (see king's, 29 Mar.)]: Ballet Tragi-Comique by Signior Novestris [i.e. George Colman, the elder]. The Music by Signior Gluck. With New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Machinist and Painter-Signior Rookereschi. Tailor-Signior Walkerino. Morning Chronicle, 9 Aug.: Bannister with great good sense played chastely, and suffered the burlesque to arise out of his serious performance of Polly, not attempting to render the character ridiculous by making it more outre than it was rendered by his voice and figure

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. Second Course [1st time; M. INT I, by James Cobb. Larpent MS 567; not published]: With Songs and a New Overture. Entrement [1st time: INT I, by Charles Stuart. Larpent MS 566; not published]. Desert: Never acted here; by Permission of Harris [proprietor of cg. The playbill assigns Princess Huncamunca to Mrs Kennedy, but "Huncamunca was very well performed by a Lady who resembled Mrs Kennedy in her voice" (Public Advertiser, 23 Aug.; and see 24 Aug.)]

Event Comment: Afterpiece: To conclude with a Procession of the principal Grand Masters, from the Creation to the present Century, dressed in the Habits of their respective Ages and Countries. With new Music [by Charles Dibdin], Scenes, Dresses, Pageants, and Decorations. The Paintings by Richards, Carver, Hodgins. The Pantomime by Messink. Books of the Songs, with an Explanation of the Pageants, to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #224 0s. 6d. (223/5/6; 0/15/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft; in 1796 altered by the author and acted as The Mask'd Friend. Prologue by William Nicholson (see text). Epilogue attributed to Frederick Pilon (Public Advertiser, 15 Oct.)]: With New Dresses, Scenery, &c. Public Advertiser, 12 Nov. 1781: This Day will lie published Duplicity (price not listed). Paid Music #8 4s. 8d.; Chorus Singers #3 15s. Receipts: #204 16s. (202/7/6; 2/8/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Now 1st performed under the title of The Lady's Opera, with a new Introduction. [Miss Catley had acted Macheath at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, in the season 1764-65. MS of Introduction (consisting of a dialogue between A and B): Larpent MS 572.] Receipts: #171 18s. 6d. (170/9/0; 1/9/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years [not acted since 28 Apr. 1773]. With new Scenes [by French and Carver (text)] and Dresses. [In the Vocal Parts the playbill lists Sga Prudom, but "at the end of the second act, Smith came forward and apologized for the absence of Signora Prudom, and begged that Mrs Wrighten might be permitted to take her part . . . Mrs Wrighten was received with applause" (London Chronicle, 20 Oct.). Sga Romanzini was from the Royal Circus.] Receipts: #123 8s. 6d. (92/15/0; 29/11/0; 1/2/6)

Event Comment: Mainpicce [1st time; burl 3, by Charles Dibdin]: Taken from [Amphitryon, by John] Dryden. [MS: Larpent 573; not published.] With new Scenery, Dresses, &c. The Music by several eminent Composers [Charles Dibdin, William Shield, &c.]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #153 15s. 6d. (151/8/0; 2/7/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Never performed here. Written by [John] O'Keeffe; As it was performed at the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket [beginning with 4 Sept.], with the greatest Applause. The Overture and new Music composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #205 7s. 6d.(203/6/6; 2/1/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Samuel Jackson Pratt. Author of Prologue unknown. Epilogue attributed to the Hon. Richard Fitzpatrick (Crouch, 1, 125), and to Richard Brinsley Sheridan (I. A. Williams in The London Mercury, Aug. 1924, pp. 412-15)]: With New Scenes (see 29 Nov.), Dresses and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 12 Dec. 1781: This Day is published The Fair Circassian (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #149 19s. (126/19/0; 22/17/6; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Mrs Greville and Williams. Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years. Tickets delivered for the 17th of December will be admitted. Tickets and places to be had of Williams at Mr Spoke's, Tottenham Court; Mr White, Auctioneer, Queen street, Westminster; Messrs Ellis and Scott, Old Bond-street; Mr Hewitt, New Bond-street; Mr Cowcieroy, Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury; and at the Excise Office Coffee-House, Old Bond-street

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; c 5,by Richard Griffith. Prologue by Richard Tickell (see text). Author of Epilogue unknown]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 27 Mar. 1782: This Day is published Variety (1s 6d.). Receipts: #226 9s. 6d. (218/5/0; 7/14/6; 0/10/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: The characters to be entirely new dressed. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:00

Event Comment: 1st piece: In 3 Scenes of Dialogue. 2nd piece: The Music compiled by Pepusch. [The playbill assigns Filch to Mrs Wilson and Mat o' th' Mint to Miss Morris, but "Miss Morris was merely a temporary substitute for Mrs Wilson who, it seems, is too far advanced in her pregnancy to dress en bomme" (Miming Chronicle, 4 June). But beginning with 7 June Mrs Wilson acted regularly until 3 Aug. Who acted Mat o' th' Mint on this present night has not come to light; the part was perhaps omitted.] 3rd piece: Ballet Tragi-comique. Composed by Signior Novestris [i.e. George Colman, the elder]. The Music by Gluck. With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Machinist and Painter-Sg Rookereschi. Tailor-Sg Walkerino. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Musick composed by Dr Arnold. "The same person who, in the play, performed the school-fellow of the Nabob with a great deal of nature, and original humour, here acted the part of the school-master; his name is Edwin, and he is, without doubt, one of the best actors of all that I have seen ... [He], in all his comic characters, still preserves something so inexpressibly good tempered in his countenance, that notwithstanding all his burlesques, and even grotesque buffoonery, you cannot but be pleased with him . . . Nothing could equal the tone and countenance of self-satisfaction, with which he answered one who asked him whether he was a scholar? 'Why, I was a master of scholars.' A Mrs Webb represented a cheesmonger, and played the part of a woman of the lower class, so naturally, as I have no where else ever seen equalled. Her huge, fat, and lusty carcase, and the whole of her external appearance seemed quite to be cut out for it" (Carl Philipp Moritz, Travels in England in 1782, London, 1924, pp. 73-74)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Dramatic Proverb with Songs [1st time; mf 2, by Charles Dibdin, based on the unpublished L'Aveugle Pretendu, by Louis Francois Archambault, dit Dorvigny. MS: Larpent 594; not published; synopsis of plot in European Magazine, July 1782, p. 67]. The Music by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Music composed by Dr Arnold

Event Comment: Paid Wild [prompter] for 3 licenses [from Lord Chamberlain, to act new plays] #6 6s. Receipts: #147 7s. (142/9; 4/18)