Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by John O'Keeffe. Prologue by John Taylor; Epilogue by Matthew Gregory Lewis (London Chronicle, 21 May). Larpent MS 1212 (which lists the following unassigned parts: Old Man, Clerk, Countryman, Boy, Postilion, Waiter, Man); not published]. Receipts: #197 13s. (140.18; 55.11; 1.4)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull, Mrs Litchfield & Waddy. 1st piece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Hull. Larpent MS 1215; not published]: Altered from [The Bashful Lover, by] Massinger. [In it the playbill assigns Hortensio to Pope, but he was ill, and in his "stead Johnston read the part of Hortensio" (European Magazine, June 1798, p. 396). Prologue by John Taylor Poems (I, 60).] Morning Herald, 29 May: Tickets to be had of Hull, Duke's Court, Dean's-yard, Westminster; of Mrs Litchfield, James-street, Covent-Garden; of Waddy, No. 214, opposite Southampton-street, High Holborn. Receipts: #261 2s. 6d. (53.9.6; 4.16.6; tickets: 202.16.6; of which Hull took #72 7s.; Mrs Litchfield #60 17s., Waddy #69 12s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; D 5, by Elizabeth Inchbald, adapted from Das Kind der Liebe, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Prologue by John Taylor; Epilogue by Thomas Palmer (see text)]. Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Charles Smith]: The Music composed by Attwood. The Overture accompanied on the Harp by Weippert. Morning Herald, 28 Nov. 1798: This Day is published Lovers' Vows [sic] (2s.). Times, 26 Oct. 1798: This Day is published A Day at Rome (1s.). Receipts: #197 15s. 6d. (194.3.6; 3.12.0)

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)

Event Comment: By Authority of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Lacy, formerly of the Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane. Tickets to be had of Fosbrook, at the Box Office of the Drury Lane Theatre, and Rice, at the Box Office of the Theatre-Royal, Haymarket, where Places for the Boxes may be taken. [Address by John Taylor (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1798, p. 370). On this night the following appeared both at dl and at the hay: Hollingsworth, Caulfield, Bannister Jun., Suett, Miss Pope, Mrs Bland.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Joseph George Holman. Prologue by William Thomas Fitzgerald; Epilogue by John Taylor (see text)]: With new Dresses, Scenery, &c. [Afterpiece in place of The Farmer, advertised on playbill of 11 Jan.] Morning Chronicle, 26 Mar. 1799: This Day is published The Votary of Wealth (2s.). Receipts: #326 10s. 6d. (321.2.6; 5.8.0)

Event Comment: Among the principal instrumental performers are G. Ashley, leader of the band; C. Ashley, W. Parke, Boyce, R. Ashley, Parkinson, Woodham, Jenkinson, Bridgtower, the Munros, Purney, the Cantelos, Taylor, Lavenu, M'Intosh, Gwilliam, Nix, Cobham, Leffler, Betts, Piele, Flack, Dressler, Cornish, I. Sharp, W. Sharp, M. Sharp, J. Sharp, Archer, Ware, Wood, G. Jones, Moorehead, Slezak, Francis, Jackson, Beale, Skillern, Abbot, &c. Organ-J. Ashley. The Band and Chorusses will be numerous and complete; and assisted by the trombones and double drums used at Handel's Commemoration at Westminster Abbey [in 1784]. The whole under the direction of Ashley, Sen. Places for the Boxes to be had of Brandon at the Stage Door. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout oratorio season]. Half Price will be taken at the end of the second part. Boxes 6s. Pit 3s. 6d. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Books of the Performance (with the imprimatur of E. Macleish) to be had at the theatre, price 6d

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for an Infant Orphan Family. Tickets to be had at No. 17, Tufton-street, Westminster; of Appleby, Hosier, Parliament-street; Mrs Cleaver, Cannon-row, Parliament-street; Newcomb, Confectioner, Bridge-street, Westminster; Taylor, Linen-draper, Whitehall; Thomas, Butcher, Charing-cross; Medhurst, Pastry Cook, Russel-court, Drury-lane; Rice, at the Theatre, where Places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; C 5, by Prince Hoare, adapted from Armuth und Edelsinn, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Prologue by John Taylor (see text). Epilogue by the author (London Chronicle, 21 Aug. 1799)]. Morning Chronicle, 14 Aug. 1799: This Day is published Sighs (2s.)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; MD 5, by George Holman, based on Die Rauber, by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller. Prologue by John Taylor (Poems, I, 65)]: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. The Musick composed by Attwood, and selected from Dr Arnold, Callcott, and Mozart. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 4 Sept. 1799;: This day is published The Red Cross Knights (2s.). Ibid, 22 Aug.: It was remarked from its extreme length and the frequent fall of the drop scene that it was a play in ten acts instead of five--indeed this method of preparing for a new scene disjoints the business, and of course tends greatly to injure the effect

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; D 5, by Elizabeth Inchbald, based on Das Schreibepult; oder, Die Gefahren der Jugend, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Prologue by Charles Moore (MS annotation by J. P. Kemble in Kemble-Devonshire copy in Huntington Library); Epilogue by John Taylor (see text)]: With New Dresses and Scenes. Morning Chronicle, 17 Dec. 1799: This day is published The Wise Man of the East (price not listed). Receipts: #323 14s. 6d. (321.12.6; 2.2.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Henry James Pye. Prologue by William Sotheby; Epilogue by John Taylor (see text)]: With new Dresses and Decorations. "From the first drawing up of the curtain, till its final fall, we could not discover one single flight of fancy, one solitary scene of woe...It is but justice to add that for a first night the performers, with the exception of Barrymore, were very perfect in their respective parts [and see 27 Jan.]" (Dramatic Censor, I, 175, 181). Receipts: #309 13s. (246.4.6; 61.0.6; 2.8.0)

Event Comment: Principal Instrumental Performers are G. Ashley, leader of the band; C. Ashley, W. Parke, Boyce, Barret, R. Ashley, Parkinson, Woodham, Jenkinson, M'Arthur, the Munros, Purney, Cantelo, Taylor, M'Intosh, Gwilliam, Nicks, Cobham, Leffler, Betts, Flack, Dressler, Cornish, I. Sharp, W. Sharp, M. Sharp, J. Sharp, Ware, J. Ware, Wood, G. Jones, Moorehead, Slezack, Francis, Jackson, Vial, White, &c. Organ by J. Ashley. The Band and Chorusses will be numerous and complete, and assisted by the Trombones and Double Drums, used at Handel's Commemoration at Westminster Abbey [in 1784]. The whole under the direction of Ashley Sen. Places for the Boxes to be had of Brandon at the stage door. The Doors to be opened at 6:00, and the Performance to begin at 7:00 precisely [same throughout oratorio season]. Half Price will be taken at 9:00. Boxes 6s. Pit 3s. 6d. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Books of the Performance to be had at the Theatre (6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Prince Hoare. Prologue by Richard Cumberland; Epilogue by John Taylor (see text)]. Receipts: #220 16s. 6d. (163.9.0; 56.6.6; 1.1.0)

Event Comment: [Extra night] By Grant from the Proprietors, a Free Night; Benefit for Lacy, formerly of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. [Address by John Taylor (Poems, I, 68).] Receipts: #97 3s. (53.15.6; 40.16.6; 1.10.0; odd money: 1.1.0; tickets: none listed) (charge: free)