Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, probably by Richard Wilson. Larpent MS 557; not published]. 3rd piece [1st time; F 2, by James Cobb. Larpent MS 556; not published. Author of Prologue unknown]. Receipts: #222 6s. 6d. (122.18.6; tickets: 99.8.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. 2nd piece [1st time; INT I, probably by Richard Wilson. MS: Larpent 667; not published]. 3rd piece: Never perform'd here. [Prologue and Epilogue by John Gay.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. 1st piece [1st time; prel I (?)]: A Tragical Tragedy, altered [probably by Richard Wilson] from Fielding's Pasquin. In the Tragedy will be introduced the Triumphal Entry of the Queen of Ignorance. 2nd piece: In 3 acts. [This play is by Thomas Baker; it is not TUNBRIDGE Wells; or, A Day's Courtship, by Thomas Rawlins, the younger.] 3rd piece [1st time; M. INT I, author unknown. Words printed complete in Public Advertiser 19 Aug. 1782]

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for The Literary Fund. [In this performance the male parts were acted chiefly by amateurs; the female parts were acted by professionals. Prologue and Epilogue by Thomas Morris (Morning Herald, 17 Apr.).] The Committee for the Management of the Literary Fund respectfully inform the Public that affecting instabces of Merit in distress exceed their power of relief by the ordinary Subscription; and that they wish to have recourse to every honourable expedient to increase that power. The Admission will be by Tickets, at the Opera Prices. Boxes and Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. 2nd Gallery 3s. No more Company will be admitted than the House will hold with perfect convenience; and when the proper number of Tickets is issued, no means of admission can be obtained. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 precisely. Registers: Thomas Dale, M. D.; Mr Deputy Nichols. Treasurers: Thomas Morris, Esq.; Mr E. Brooke. "In the course of the play we observed several restorations of Shakespeare's text, with some interpolations. The boldest of the latter was the introduction of Richard's son to him in the tent, the night befiredthedbefore the Battle of Bosworth field. This scene was borrowed, as we believe, from Thomas? Hull's Legendary Tale of Richard Plantagenet. It was well written, and produced a considerable degree of effect. The Ghosts were banished, and the start and stagger of Richard, heretofore the theatrical trick of the scene, necessarily omitted" (Diary, 17 Apr.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these Six years [8 April 1735]. Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry VIv. The artful acquisition of the Crown by King Richardv. The Murder of Young King Edward Vv and his Brother, in the Tower. The Landing of the Earl of Richmondv, and the Death of King Richard in the memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv, being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster. [This customary description appears in all subsequent notices.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Containing the Distresses and Death of King Henry VI; the Artful acquisition of the Crown by King Richardv; the Murder of young King Edward V, and his brother in the Tower; The landing of the Earl of Richmond, and the death of King Richard in the memorable Battle of Bosworth Fieldv, being the last that was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster. With many other Historical passages. [This descriptive passage accompanies all notices of the play this season and will not be recorded here further.

Event Comment: [Extra night] By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Wilson. 3rd piece: Not acted these 4 years [not acted since 1 July 1776]

Event Comment: Richard by Mr Dodd-O la! Ola! (Hopkins Diary). Benefit for Dodd. Afterpiece: Not acted for 3 years. [See 9 April 1768.

Event Comment: Prelude [1st time;PREL I, probably by Richard Cumberland. Larpent MS 472; not published]. Mainpiece [1st time; M 3, by Richard Cumberland, based on Calypso and Telemachus, by John Hughes]: The Overture and all the Music entirely new, and composed by Butler. With new Scenery painted by Richards and Carver, and new Dresses. Books of the Masque to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 27 Mar. 1779: This Day is published Calypso (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; PAST 2, by Richard Josceline Goodenough, altered from his unacted play The Cottagers]: The Overture and Music composed by Baumgarten. [Baumgarten used this overture again in Robin Hood (see cg, 17 Apr. 1784).] Books of the Pastoral to be had at the Theatre. [Wordsworth is identified in the playbill of 22 Dec. Mrs Webb was from the Hay.] Public Advertiser, 24 Nov. 1779: This Day is published William And Nanny (1s.). Receipts: #122 15s. (116.15.6; 5.19.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Text (which assigns no parts) 1st published in his Posthumus Dramatic Works, I, 1813. Epilogue by the author (Public Advertiser, 24 Apr. 1782). Prologue probably by same; speakers unknown]: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. Receipts: #171 14s. (166/6; 5/8)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; c 3, altered from the same, probably by the author, Richard Bentley]: Written in the manner of the Italian Comedy. With new Scenes and Dresses. [Author of Prologue unknown.] "It was originally produced at Drury Lane in the summer of 1761 [27 July] . . . and has now been new dished up, and seasoned to the day" (European Magazine, ibid). J. P. Collier states that "it is not a revival of the former piece" (MacMillan, Larpent Catalogue, p. 98). It was not, strictly speaking, a "revival", but, rather, a revision, as a collation of Larpent MS 586 (the present version, which is unpublished) with MS 199 (Bentley's 1761 version) makes clear. In 1761 Bentley introduced "the speaking Harlequin after the manner of the Italians . . . Mr Harris some years after gave it a second chance on the stage" (Cumberland, Memoirs, I, 212-14). Receipts: #215 19s. (213/5/6; 2/13/6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece: Prologue by Richard Cumberland. Afterpiece: Prologue by George Colman, the elder.] To begin at 6:00. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Ferdinand to Johnstone, but "The sudden illness of Johnstone gave much dissatisfaction, though Cubitt did all in his power to supply his place" (Town and Country Magazine, Sept. 1785, p. 451). William Palmer was from the Norwich theatre; Meadows from the HAY.] The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 14 Nov.]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon, at the Stage-Door. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s.] The Alterations and Improvements in the Theatre this Season are made by Richards, and executed under his Superintendance by Catton and others. [Public Advertiser, 22 Sept., notes that these improvements consisted of the enlargement of the boxes, in which "the seats are formed into recesses which communicate with the other boxes"; all the pillars, "even those of iron in the back boxes [being] capped, cased, fluted and gilt"; the front of the boxes and galleries being newly painted a "warm lilac"; the back of the boxes being wainscotted and painted crimson.] Paid Charewomen for cleaning Theatre #13 0s. 6d. Receipts: #214 2s. 6d. (210/10/0; 3/12/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Sir Richard Steel. Receipts: #122 6s. 6d. (112.3.6; 10.3.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Branson and Mrs Wilson. Receipts: #185 12s. (108.14; tickets: 76.18) (charge: #52 10s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. 1st piece: Taken from Beaumont and Fletcher. 2nd piece [1st time; F 2, by John Dent. Prologue by Turner (see text)]. 4th piece: A Tragical, Comical, Operatical, Pastorical, Pantomimical, Farcical, Burlettical, Preludical, Interludical, Whimsical, Rhetorical, Diabolical, Oratorical Representation, being the most Comical Tragedy that ever was Tragedized by any Comical Company of Tragedians. With the Triumphal Entry of Chrononhotonthologos into Queerumania, attended with Drums, Trumpets, Fiddles, Flutes, Fifes, Flagelcts, Lutes, Bag-Pipes, Tabours and Pipes, Marrowbones and Cleavers, Post-Horns, French-Horns, Salt Box, Broomstickados, &c

Event Comment: [Mrs James Wilson was from the Portsmouth theatre.] Receipts: #198 (148/5; 49/0; 0/15)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Leonard Macnally, adapted from the same, by Michel Jean Sedaine. Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Chronicle, 17 Oct. For text of abridged version see 21 Oct.]: Taken from the celebrated French Opera of that Name. With the original Overture, Airs, Duetts, Trios, Chorusses and Finale, by the celebrated Gretry. To which are added Compositions by the following Masters; Anfossi, Bertoni, Duni, David, Rizzio, Carolan, Tenducci, and Shield. With new Dresses, Scenery and other Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [The printed score (Longman & Broderip, c. 1786) indicates that the music was adapted by Shield; it does not refer to Duni, Rizzio or Tenducci, but includes Philip Hayes and John Wilson. After the 1st 4 performances the mainpiece was reduced to an afterpiece of 3 short acts; see 21 Oct.] Account-Book, 28 Nov.: Paid Macnally in full for Coeur de Lion #121 18s. 6d. "Inchbald we thought [was] rather hardly dealt with. His voice happened to fail him in a particular turn of the tune he was singing, and some of the audience were ungenerous enough to disconcert him so far that he made a modest bow and retired [leaving his part unfinished. In consequence of this] a duet that was to have been sung by the King from the battlements of the castle, and Blondel without the walls, on which the turn of the fable hinged, was omitted; a circumstance that could not but materially affect the intrinterest, as it destroyed the connexion of the fable" (Morning Chronicle, 17 Oct.). [The following day Inchbald withdrew from his engagement at cg.] Receipts: #249 12s. 6d. (247.11.6; 2.1.0)

Event Comment: "[In mainpiece] Richard , last night, was personated by Davies, and the Governor by Macready" (General Advertiser, 19 Oct.). Receipts: #226 18s. (222.7.6; 4.10.6)