Event Comment: Benefit for Vestris Sen</a>. Opera: In 2 acts; the music by Rauzzini. With new scenes painted by Novosielski. New Dresses and Decorations for both the Opera and Dances. Tickets to be had of Vestris, No. 5, Leicester Street, Leicester Fields. Public Advertiser, 7 Apr.: By desire of the Frequenters of the Opera House books of the ballet of Medee et Jason are sold at the Theatre

Event Comment: Opera [1st time; Past 3, author unknown]. The music [to Part I] composed by Giovanni Battista? Bianchi, [to Part II by] Rauzzini, [to Part III by] Giordani. With Grand Chorusses. With new Decorations devised and painted by Novosielski, and new Dresses. The Side-boards, with a cold Collation and all sorts of Wines, at 12 o'clock. The Performance under the direction of Vestris Sen</a>., and to conclude with a Ball. Tickets, at 2 Guineas each, are ready to be delivered at the Office in Union-court, where Boxes may be taken. No Masks will be admitted. The Doors will be opened at 9:00, and the Performance to begin at 10:00. Books of the Performance will be given out (gratis) at the Theatre. Morning Herald, 7 June: The Omaggio, or homage paid by the vassals and tenants to their Lord, is naturally calculated to give free scope to lively, and sentimental music. In the former stile Bianchi and Giardini [sic] were equally succesful; and in the latter Rauzzini was surprisingly great, both as composer and performer...Slingsby would, in our opinion, have come out with as great a share of applause as the best of them, having to go through an English dance in his own stile, but by some unaccountable accident...the music-band stopped short when he was in the very climax of his exertions. The scenes are in the rural stile, with the addition of natural trees, flowering shrubs, &c., set in the neatest order...The company did not begin to move till about four, and by five the rooms were cleared. Public Advertiser, 7 June: The Vestris' gave incontrovertible proof of the variety of their powers...They did more, they shewed what this country had never seen-the possibility of presenting to the eye a large and extensive stage filled with dancers all in motion at the same time

Event Comment: [Prologue by John Peter Roberdeau (European Magazine, Aug. 1791, p. 141).] "Of Palmer Sen.'s? acting the chief fault is...a manner by far too juvenile. He has very much the turn of countenance and mode of speech suitable to Falstaff, but his gait has no appearance of debility or infirmity, and is such as any man might use, incumbered by the same dress" (Gazetteer, 21 June)

Event Comment: Benefit for Watson, Carleton Jun., Wilson, Hicks & R. Palmer? Sen.. Receipts: #289 16s. 6d. (30.16.0; 7.7.6; 0.11.0; tickets: 251.2.0) (charge: none listed)

Event Comment: [Palmer's 1st appearance as Comus was at the hay, 24 June 1780.] Paid Printer [of playbills] #8 8s.; Supernumeraries #3 12s. 6d. Receipts: #127 19s. 6d. (101.19.0; 25.10.0; 1.10.6)

Event Comment: "Palmer and Bannister having withdrawn from the theatre, The School for Scandal and The Quaker, which were intended for the opening pieces, were changed" (Town and Country Magazine, Oct. 1787, p. 445). [These two actors thought themselves ill-used because of the refusal of the dl management to acknowledge their right to open the Royalty (see 20 June 1787). Oulton, 1796, II, 1-8, prints an exchange of letters between Palmer, Bannister, and King (the dl acting manager) relating to this situation.] "Some twenty of thirty bars of Handel, on the approach of the court to the play [in III. ii of mainpiece]...made a fine preparation for the scene which followed" (World, 19 Sept.). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 13 Nov.]. Receipts: #186 5s. 6d. (151.0.0; 35.4.6; 0.1.0)

Event Comment: [Palmer's 1st appearance as Capt. Duretete was at Liverpool, 18 Aug. 1773. As afterpiece the playbill announces The Prize, but "The Public are respectfully informed that on Account of the sudden Indisposition of Bannister Jun. The Prize cannot be performed. This Evening will be presented Tit for Tat" (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill). In it "Barrymore being Ill, Benson play'd Villamour" (Powell).] Powell: New Ballet rehearsed at 12. Receipts: #117 12s. (71.0.6; 41.13.6; 4.18.0)

Event Comment: Last night of performing till the Holidays. Benefit for Watson, Palmer, Kaygill and Roberts. Tickets deliver'd by Wood and Humphrey will be taken. Paid Printer's Bill #9 6s.; Mr Wegg's Rent to Lady Day last #103 (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #240 3s. Charges: #84. Profits to Watson, Palmer, Kaygill and Roberts: #166 3s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Watson, Roberts, Palmer. Tickets deliver'd by Wood and Humphreys will be taken (playbill). Receipts: #245 12s. 6d. Charges: #84. Profits to Watson, Roberts and Palmer: #161 12s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for R. Palmer and Russell. Morning Chronicle, 16 Apr.: Tickets to be had of R. Palmer, No. 12, King's Row, Pimlico; of Russell, No. 8, Broad-court, Bow-street. Receipts: #507 15s. 6d. (111.13.0; 69.19.6; odd and after-money: 11.6.0; tickets: 314.17.0) (charge: #219 12s. 5d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for J. Palmer, Kear, Keen. House charges #66 12s. 6d. [Deficit to actors #36 12s.] Paid Shaw 7 nights in Cymon #3 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #30 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Watson, Roberts, Kaygill and Palmer. House charges #84. [Deficit to beneficiaries #50 6s.] Bower's and Veal's deficiency of benefit received #61 5s. 6d. Rec'd from Mr Rowland 1 year's rent to Lady Day last (taxes and bills deducted) #30 6s. 1d. Paid Ridley Dorman for attending practices #10 10s.; Mr Larbor for attending Guidetti #2 2s. Mr Williams for 2 nights in Musical Lady #1 1s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #33 14s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for J. Palmer and Duquesney

Event Comment: Benefit for Watson, Roberts, Kaygill and Palmer (pit doorkeeper). Tickets deliver'd by Humphreys, Denny, Claggit, and for the 22nd Inst. will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Watson, Roberts, Kaygill and Palmer (Doorkeepers). Tickets deliver'd by Wood and Humphries will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for R. Palmer, Philimore, Walker & Kirk, house-keeper. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years [acted 29 Apr. 1777]. Receipts: #270 19s. (19.1; 5.15; 0.13; tickets: 245.10) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for R. Palmer, Williames & Mrs Booth. Receipts: #136 17s. 6d. (28/2/0; 11/2/6; 0/0/0; tickets: 97/13/0) (charge: #106 3s. 5d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Vestris? Jun. Opera: In 2 acts; the music by Piccinni, and conducted by Bianchi. With new Scenes painted by Novosielski. New Dresses and Decorations both for the Opera and Dances. Mme Simonet will this Evening reassume her station at the Opera House; but as she is not perfectly recovered from the consequences of her late Accidnet, she hopes for the indulgence of the Public, from whom she has already received so many flattering proofs of Approbation. Tickets, 10s. 6d., to be had of Vestris, No. 5, Leicester-street, Leicester-fields. "Last Thursday was the benefit of Vestris and son; the house could not receive and contain the multitudes that presented themselves. Their oblations amounted to fourteen hundred pounds" (Walpole [26 Feb. 1781], XI, 406)

Event Comment: 2nd piece: In one act. ["The following Gentlemen of the Chorus absent from this Evening Performance, viz., Messrs Boyce, Hobler, Dixon, Dorion Sen., Annereau; Dancers: Messrs G. D'Egville and Hamoir" (Powell).] Powell: Heiress rehearsed at 10; High life at 12; New Ballet [Glorious First of June] at 12. Receipts: #209 16s. 6d. (143/18/0; 63/7/6; 2/11/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Palmer. Part of Pit laid into boxes. House charges #64 4s. [Profit to Mrs Palmer #167 17s.] Receipts: #232 1s. (Treasurer's Book). Fifteen minutes past 4 went into the Pit at Drury Lane...even the lowest characters in this play well performed here. Holland being suddenly taken ill, Bensley played Sir John Melville. I like his figure better than Holland's, tho he's well suited to the characters he usually plays. At the end of the play we had a minuet by Mr Georgi and Mrs Palmer, the dancing very graceful. Then Vernon presented the Cries of London (an imitation of Shuter) in which he introduced of his own a description of the Tombs in Westminster Abbey. The thought of the statues of those, who never prayed while living, praying most devoutly, is good. In the character of Friendly, Vernon introduced a sketch of Ancient and Modern Hospitality. I suppose this is Vernon's first attempt at an imitation of Shuter. He did tolerably but Shuter's figure is of great advantage to him. After dinner bought the Public Advertiser of the 18th for the Playbills and the Atheist a pretty good fable in verse by J. Oakman (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years. Rec'd Mr Stevens 1 year's rent to Lady Day last (taxes deducted #13 3s. 8d.) #3 6s. 4d. (Treasurer's Book). Mrs Barry Isabella (1st time) great Applause (Hopkins Diary). Burton died on Sunday 3 May (Winston MS 10). Receipts: #158 15s. Charges: #64 17s. Profit to J. Palmer: #93 18s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 21 Nov. 1769.] Paid half year's land and window tax for St Martin's to Lady Day last #38 4s. 4d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #157 6s. 6d. Charges: #67 19s. 6d. Profits to J. Palmer: #89 7s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. Afterpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 9 April 1771. Seemingly MacNamara Morgan's adaptation of the Winter's Tale.] Paid half yrs. New River Water to Xmas last #3 2s.; Housekeeper's Bills 2 weeks #8 8s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #199 16s. Charges: #65 5s. Profit to J. Palmer: #134 11s. (Treasurer's Book)