Event Comment: The new Musical Farce of A Devil of a Lover [advertised on playbill of 12 Mar.] is obliged to be deferred till Saturday (on account of the indisposition of a Principal Performer). Receipts: #142 14s. (138.5; 4.9)

Event Comment: The New Play of The Stranger [advertised on playbill of 15 Mar.] is unavoidably postponed till Thursday next. Receipts: #327 8s. (253.18.6; 70.2.6; 3.7.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; D 5, by Benjamin Thompson, altered from Menschenhass und Reue, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Prologue by William Linley; Epilogue by Matthew Gregory Lewis (European Magazine, Mar. 1798, p. 260)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, &c. With Musick [by Thomas Shaw]. "Mrs Siddons was succesful in all the impassioned parts; but she cannot sustain a mixed character. She is the Muse of Tragedy herself, and when she descends from her lofty state to the level of familiar dialogue, she instantly ceases to astonish and we to admire" (Monthly Mirror, Apr. 1798, p. 234). "The dialogue must be considerably abridged, as well for the purpose of preserving the interest of the piece, as for shortening the time of representation, which is at least an hour too long, it being half past ten before the curtain dropt" [see 26 Mar.] (Morning Herald, 26 Mar.). Receipts: #420 7s. 6d. (378.11.6; 40.18.0; 1.8.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Holman. 2nd piece [1st time; D 5, by Joseph Trapp, adapted from Siri Brahe; oder, Die Neugierigen, by J. A. Gruttschreiber, itself a translation of Siri Brahe, by Gustavus III. Larpent MS 1206; not published. Prologue and Epilogue by John Taylor (Poems, I, 56-57)]: Written by the Late King of Sweden. Times, 28 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Holman, No. 73, New-street, Hanover-square. Receipts: #231 16s. (138.12.0; 4.10.6; tickets: 88.13.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Incledon. 1st piece: The Airs (with the exception of When sable Night) new composed for the Occasion. 3rd piece [1st time; M. INT 1]. Morning Herald, 11 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Incledon, No. 15, Charlotte-street, Bloomsbury. Receipts: #528 10s. 6d. (275.9.6; 5.10.0; tickets: 247.11.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece [1st time; MF 2. Larpent MS 1210; not published]: Written by Charles? Dibdin, Founded on his Popular Novel under that Title, and enriched with a Selection of his most recent and favourite Songs. Do conclude with a new Finale by Dibdin. The Overture by Dibdin. "[It is a] wretched inanity; without interest, without humour, without character, original only in its dullness and unmatchable absurdity" (Monthly Mirror, May 1798, p. 306). 2nd piece: Compressed into Three Acts. 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal Hay-Market. Morning Herald, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 65, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #511 13s. 6d. (251.7.6; 68.7.0; 1.13.0; tickets: 190.6.0) (charge: #212 19s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kelly. Ballet: By permission of the Proprietor of the Opera House. Composed by Gallet. With appropriate Dresses, Scenery, and Decorations. Times, 30 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Kelly, No. 9, New Lisle-street, Leicester-fields. Receipts: #681 4s. (370.8.0; 45.1.6; 3.12.0; tickets: 262.2.6) (charge: #237 3s. 2d.)

Event Comment: The new Piece of A Day in Rome [advertised on playbill of 10 May] is obliged to be withdrawn till next season [see 11 Oct. 1798], on account of Fawcett's illness. [3rd piece in place of Botheration, advertised as above.] Receipts: #59 0s. 6d. (36.15.0; 22.5.6)

Event Comment: On account of the Indisposition of a principal performer the new Comedy of She's Eloped! [advertised on playbill of 16 May] is obliged to be deferred till Saturday next. Receipts: #266 (192.11; 68.5; 5.4)

Event Comment: Benefit for King. [This was Smith's last appearance on the stage, from which he had officially retired on 9 June 1788.] Broadside in Kemble playbills announcing this benefit: Mr King most respectfully informs the Public that his Night is fixed for Friday the 18th of May, when will be presented The School for Scandal. Mr King has the pleasure to add that Mr Smith, who was so long and so worthily applauded by the Public, and was the original performer of Charles Surface in the above, distinguished Comedy, at the particular request of Mr King, backed by a strong assurance from many admirers and encouragers of the Drama that it will not only add to Mr King's emolument but highly gratify the Town, has kindly consented to return to the Theatre for one night, and resume his favourite Character. "We had been told that Smith pourtrayed the Manners of a finished gentleman with more delicacy and characteristic propriety than any actor of his day; but this did not appear to us to be his particular excellence; he stands too wide to be graceful, and his deportment gains no advantage from a perpetual application of his hand to the lower part of the waist. These habits are far from elegant. His Charles, however, is a favourable specimen of that sort of acting which commonly falls under the denomination of the old school: light, airy, and natural; which excites applause without any anxious endeavour to produce it; which suffers the points to tell of themselves, and does not place them as so many traps to ensnare the injudicious part of the audience" (Monthly Mirror, May 1798, p. 299). "He was received with the most heart-felt gratulations by an audience who did not expect any apology for such acting, though he saw fit to deliver one at the conclusion of the play" (Monthly Visitor, May 1798, p. 72). Times, 4 May: Tickets to be had of King at his house, New Store-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #674 6s. (388.0.6; 55.17.6; 2.0.0); tickets: 228.8.0) (charge: #212 5s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dignum. Times, 5 June: Tickets to be had of Dignum, No. 23, New North-street, Red Lion-square. Receipts: #635 16s. 6d. (46.14.0; 55.0.0; 1.14.0; tickets: 532.8.6) (charge: #220 9s. 4d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; D 5, by Thomas Holcroft, based on Diego und Leonore, by Johann Christoph Unzer. Prologue and Epilogue by Francis Godolphin Waldron (Thomas Holcroft, Life, ed. Elbridge Colby, 1925, II, 125)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Scenery by Marinari. [Johnston was from cg.] Times, 12 July 1798: This Day is published The Inquisitor (2s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Overture, Chorusses, and new Musick by Dr Arnold. Scenery by Rooker, Marinari, &c

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Scenery re-painted, and the Dresses and Decorations entirely new. Musick composed and selected by Kelly. Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood, Chalmers, and others. Machinery and Decorations designes, and under the direction o, Johnston, and executed by him and Underwood. The Dresses by Johnston, Gay and Miss Rein. Receipts: #441 16s. 6d. (301.14.0; 139.11.6; 0.11.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb. Text: T. N. Longman and O. Rees, 1800. Miss Waters is identified in the Songs]: The Scenes, Music, Machinery, Dresses, and Decorations are all entirely new. The Music composed by Mazzinghi and Reeve. The Scenery painted by Richards, Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Backmore, &c. [based on drawings of Indian scenery by Thomas Daniell]. The Machinery and Decorations by Cresswell, Sloper, Goostree, &c. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs, also describing the Scenes and Spectacle of the Return from the Tiger Hunt, to be had at the Theatre, price six pence. "The whole [forms] an exhibition of the utmost grandeur...The expense attending the decoration must have been immense...The dailogue is certainly not of the first description of writing, but it forms, on the whole, a very safe vehicle for some of the best music the English stage has for some time been able to boast"(Morning Herald, 13 Nov.). Account-Book, 27 Dec.: Paid Cuthbert for Wheels, &c. for the Elephants #13 18s. Receipts: #364 7s. 6d. (363.19.6; 0.8.0)

Event Comment: [Miss Stephens is identified in MS list in Kemble playbill s of new performers for this season. Afterpiece in place of The Liar, advertised on playbill of 28 Nov.] Receipts: #102 17s. 7d. (27.8.1; 74.15.6; 0.14.0)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Miss Biggs, but "Biggs, of Drury-lane Theatre, died yesterday [actually not until 9 Dec.]. The grief of his sister on the occasion prevented her performing in Cumberland's new comedy last night; in consequence of which the part of Matilda was read by Miss Heard" (Morning Herald, 8 Dec.).] Receipts: #158 0s. 6d.(98.0.0; 56.11.6; 3.9.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Frederick Reynolds. Prologue by Counsellor Moore (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1798, p. 368). Epilogue by John Taylor (see text)]: With new Scenes and Dresses. "Lewis's Gossamer is one of those characters which no actor could play but himself, because no man has that happy freedom and facility, that fashionable playfulness and spirit, so joyous, free, and unrelaxing, which distinguish all his performances of this nature" (Monthly Mirror, ibid). Morning Chronicle, 8 Mar. 1799: This Day is published Laugh When You Can (2s.). Receipts: #268 10s. (263.17; 4.13)