Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. 1st piece [1st time; D 4. Larpent MS 1249; not published synopsis of plot in Universal Magazine, Apr. 1799, p. 273]: Translated from [Der Graf von Burgund, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von? Kotzebue (Author of The Stranger, Lover's Vows, &c.) by Miss Anne? Plumptre, and adapted to the English Stage by Alexander? Pope. Morning Chronicle, 25 26 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house, No. 5, Half Moon-street, Piccadilly. [This was Mrs Abington's last appearance on the stage.] "The perpetuated evidence of youth was in character with her person and her powers; the slimness of her figure, the fulness of her voice, the freshness of her spirits, the sparkle of her eye, and the elasticity of her limbs, savoured alike of a juvenility that puzzled the mind, whilst it pleased it: of her it was justly said that 'she had been on the stage thirty years; she was one-and-twenty when she came, and one-and-twenty when she went!'" (John Bernard, Retrospections of the Stage, 1830, II, 228-29). Receipts: #334 19s. 6d. (194.1.0; 2.5.0; tickets: 138.13.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Pope. The Comedy in 2 acts taken by Miss Pope from Mrs Sheridan's Discovery. House charges #64 17s. [Profit to Miss Pope #115 5s.] Paid B. Johnson's Head bill 18s. 7d.; Manager's subscription for St George's #10 10s.; Soldier's practice for Alexander 8s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). [Neville attended this night and in his Diary compliments all the performers and dancers. I am afraid Vernon's attempt to imitate old Shuter will prove vain. He added something to the introduction to the Cries tonight."] Receipts: #180 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years [acted 22 Jan. 1784. Epilogue by John Wolcot (European Magazine, May 1786, p. 369)]. Afterpiece: With Additional Songs, &c., as 28 Apr. Morning Herald, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house, Half-Moon Street, Piccadilly. "There is a mellow richness in [Pope's] voice superior to any other performer on the stage" (Candid Strictures, p. 47). Receipts: #255 16s. 6d. (156/13/0; 2/14/6; tickets: 96/9/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. 2nd piece: Written by Edward Jerningham, Esq., with Alterations and Additions (interspersed with Music, after the manner of Rousseau's Pygmalion). The Music composed by Hook. The subject of the above Performance is taken from a remarkable incident in the Life of Margaret . Morning Herald, 2 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house, No. 5, Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #368 15s

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. At the particular Desire of his Excellency the Ambassador [see 7 May] from the Sublime Porte:. 3rd piece: At End of Act I of the DIVERTISEMENT. Written by Edward Jerningham, Esq., with Alterations and Additions, interspersed with Music, after the manner of Rousseau's PYGMALION. Morning Chronicle, 19 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Pope, Half-Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #231 17s. (138/14; 3/3; tickets: 90/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. [2nd piece 1st acted at cg, 3 May 1793, as To Arms; or, The British Recruit.] Morning Chronicle, 26 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house, Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Account-Book, 21 Apr.: Paid Mrs Pope for Dresses as per Bill #32 19s. 6d. Receipts: #293 18s. (138.5; 9.7; tickets: 146.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. 1st piece: Not acted these 10 years. [3rd piece in place of The Irish Mimick, advertised on playbill of 3 May.] True Briton, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house, No. 5, Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #398 12s. 6d. (237.14.6; 10.15.6; tickets: 150.2.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. Mainpiece: In Act I Banquetv. [In Act IV] the Procession from the Abbeyv, at the Coronation of Anne Bullen . To conclude with the Ceremonial of a Royal Christeningv. Public Advertiser, 9 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house in Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #289 8s. (202.6; 2.1; tickets: 85.1)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years [not acted since 1 Feb. 1777]. Public Advertiser, 11 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house in Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #207 4s. 6d. (132.6.0; 2.1.6; tickets: 72.17.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. [Author of Epilogue unknown.] Public Advertiser, 25 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house, Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #312 12s. 6d. (216.12.6; 9.8.0; tickets: 86.12.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. "Desdemona was happily pourtrayed by Mrs Pope, particularly...her manner of receiving the blow from Othello, by shewing she felt it as for the loss of her husband's affection rather than the indignity offered her sex" (Public Advertiser, 21 Apr.). Public Advertiser, 31 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house in Half-Moon Street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #184 9s. 6d. (125.10.0; 3.13.6; tickets: 55.6.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. Mrs Pope not being sufficiently recovered from her Indisposition to perform to-night, Mrs Mattocks has kindly undertaken the part of Lydia Languish , and Margaret of Anjou [advertised on playbill of 1 May] is unavoidably obliged to be changed to The Soldier's Festival. Morning Herald, 8 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house, Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #216 16s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. 1st piece: Not acted these 5 years. Morning Chronicle, 15 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house, Half Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #412 14s. (255/19; 6/18; tickets: 149/17)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years. Afterpiece: Not acted these 5 years. Oracle, 25 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house in Half Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #498 5s. (319.2; 8.12; tickets: 170.11)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. 1st piece: Altered from Massinger. Not acted these 14 years [acted 12 Oct. 1785]. Oracle, 31 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Pope, No. 5, Half-Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #214 14s. (106.16; 7.3; tickets: 100.15)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. Times, 28 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Pope, Half Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #296 (167.0.0; 17.17.6; tickets: 111.2.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years. In I a Grand Banquet Scene. A Procession from the Abbey at the Coronation of Queen Anne Bullen. The Piece to conclude with the ceremony at the Royal Christening. [Holman's 1st appearance as King Henry was at this theatre, 24 May 1793.] Morning Chronicle, 27 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope, Half Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #391 0s. 6d. (299.15.6; 2.9.0; tickets: 88.16.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. 1st piece: Not acted these 7 years [acted 1 Jan. 1795]. Morning Chronicle, 23 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house, Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #272 4s. 6d. (159.14.0; 2.10.0; tickets: 110.0.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. Tickets delivered for March 15 and 31 will be taken. Public Advertiser, 14 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Pope at Mrs Sledge's, Henrietta-street, Covent Garden. "In the prominent display of Iago's jealousy, a material question of the play--slightly handled by the poet, and almost untouched by every preceding player--in this, Henderson's claim to praise is quite unrivalled" {Public Advertiser, 25 Apr.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years [acted 31 Dec. 1783. Pope had acted Beverley in Edinburgh in the summer of 1786 (Morning Post, 26 Sept.). The playbill assigns Stukeley to Aickin, but he "having had the misfortune to lose his wife, Stukeley was played by Inchbald" (Morning Chronicle, 26 Sept.), from the York theatre, 1st appearance on this stage (see 4 Oct.)]. Afterpiece: Never acted there. Paid Properties the 22nd Instant 6s. 8d.; Wardrobe #6 2s. 6d.; Guard [master carpenter] for Scenemen #10 18s. 6d.; Supernumeraries #4 7s. 6d. Receipts: #194 16s. (193.0.6; 1.15.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. Mainpiece: Grand Triumphal Entryv, as 28 Apr. Public Advertiser, 9 May: Tickets to be had of Pope, Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. For the remainder of the Season the Doors to be opened at 5:30, and to begin at 6:30. Receipts: #138 18s. (80.18.6; 9.4.6; tickets: 48.15.0)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Pope, but "Pope's part in The Mysteries of the Castle was read by Middleton, on Saturday evening last, on account of the indisposition of the former" (Morning Herald, 9 Mar.).] Receipts: #174 6s. (165.16; 8.10)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. Morning Chronicle, 13 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house, Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #187 0s. 6d. (87.0.6; 7.12.0; tickets: 92.8.0)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; D 3, by Henry Neuman, based on Der Opfertod, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Text (R. Phillips, 1799) assigns no parts]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice, at the Theatre. The Theatre, since the last Season, has been newly Decorated. [Beginning with 19 June the playbill: Printed by T. Woodfall, Drury Lane; on 4 Sept.: No. 104, Drury Lane.] Morning Chronicle, 27 June 1799: This Day is published Family Distress (2s.). Gentleman's Magazine, May 1800, pp. 406-8, prints a letter from "J. B." in which strong exception is taken to Kotzebue in general, and this play in particular. "Theatrical entertainments have an extensive influence upon the manners of Society. When well regulated, and the pieces for representation well selected both as to matter and manner, they may be esteemed friendly to morality, and improvers of public taste. But what shall we say when both these ends are disregarded; when moral virtue is banished from the scene, and purity of taste is destroyed by affected language and pantomimical decorations? Improvements in almost every art and science have been within a few years, rapid and important. But that is not the case with the stage; nor can it be, while Kotzebue and his friends usurp the venerable boards of Shakespeare." The writer then, in sarcastic terms, outlines the plot of Family Distress. [Pope and Miss Chapman were both from cg.