Event Comment: Mainpiece: (Never Performed) a Comic Opera by Isacc Bickerstaffe. [The Theatrical Monitor, No XIV (27 Feb.), remarked: We were scraped, squalled and clapped, out of our senses at Covent Garden....It was thought there were no less than 500 orders in the house. O Shameful! Why are not a generous audience left to judge of a piece, Without this forc'd imposition." N.B. Hardly possible for "500 orders" to have filled the house which took in #233 19s.] Receipts: #233 19s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter. Charges #64 5s. Balance to Shuter #106 9s. 6d. plus #95 17s. from Tickets. (Boz 309; Pit 124) (Account Book). [The Epilogue is Larpent MS 294, criticising the "rules" and praising "Laughter" as the all-in-all of Comedy]:@What matters it you or me to know@How Blockheads wrote two thousand years ago?@ Receipts: #170 14s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Messrs Richards and Dall for their expenses to Stratford #14 14s. (Account Book). [Apparently for gathering material for painting appropriate scenes for Harlequin's Jubilee (see 27 Jan. 1770) or for Man & Wife, 7 Oct.] Receipts: #91 8s. 6d

Event Comment: [Alter'd from +Lionel and Clarissa. Mrs Wrighten made her first appearance in the Stage in Diana. A very fine Voice--Aukward & Clumsy figure--Well faced (Hopkins Diary). Mrs Wrighten's first Appearance (Cross Diary). New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Greater part of the Music entirely New (playbill)

Event Comment: Oratorio composed by Handel. Tickets to be had and places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at Half a Guinea each. Pit 5s. First Gallery 3s. 6d. Second Gallery 2s. The Doors to be opened at Five o'Clock. To Begin at Half past Six. N.B. Those ladies who had Side Boxes last year, are humbly requested if they intend to continue them the ensuing season, to give immediate notice to Mr Johnston to have them secured. [The Westminster Magazine (March) commented: "One of those whims by which the public are continually influenced, has made it the ton to resort to this theatre to hear and see Miss Linley, the syren of Bath. This young lady who is greatly indebted to nature for the eclat with which she is followed, and not a little to the fortuitous concurrence of remarkable incidents in her life has drawn crowded houses incessantly; and this success has been insured by the constant attendance of his Majesty and the Royal family at this theatre."

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Rec'd Stoppages #1 1s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations and New Airs [composed by Fisher (Gazetteer, 6 Oct.)]. Receipts: #170 16s. 6d. (170.6.0; 0.10.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for T. Ansell, Pilfold, Woolley & Marks. Tickets delivered by Furkins, Roberts, Clarridge, Doe, Wells, Francis, Walker, Brandon, Shuter and Abbot will be received. Tickets delivered for The Busy Body will be taken. Receipts: #243 13s. 6d. (137.12.6; 0.13.0; tickets: 105.8.0)

Event Comment: [The ballet had 1st been performed at King's, 7 Dec. 1776. Sg and Sga Zuchelli were from King's.] Receipts: #160 14s. (125.13; 34.5; 0.16)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Harper. Mainpiece: Never acted here. Tickets to be had of Miss Harper, No. 16, Catherine-street, Strand

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Diana to Mrs Martyr, but "News of Mrs Martyr's husband's death having reached her the day before, an apology was made for her not playing Diana; Miss Wheeler, however, from the other house proved a very agreeable substitute" (.European Magazine, Oct. 1783, p. 310). In afterpiece the playbill assigns Lucy to Mrs Wilson, but on the Kemble playbill a MS annotation substitutes Mrs Davenett.] Receipts: #134 19s. 6d. (133/9/0; 1/10/6)