Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years [acted 19 Feb. 1784]. Afterpiece: Written by the late Henry Fielding, Esq. [The playbill lists Edwin as Coupee, but "Brown, in consequence of the sudden illness of Edwin . . . [undertook] the part of Coupee" (Morning Chronicle, 1 Feb.). He was from the Norwich theatre.] Receipts: #291 10s. (286/14/6; 4/15/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Johnston & Miss Williams. Mainpiece: Written by R. Cumberland, Esq., and perform'd at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane, with great Applause. Never acted there. Tickets to be had of Mr and Mrs Johnston & Miss Williams at the Windsor Castle [Inn], Plough and Harrow, Angel, Cock and Magpie, Salutation; and of Waldron, No. 17, Dorville's Row, where places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: Paid Supernumeraries #9 13s. 6d.; Carpenters #15 12s. 1d. Afterpiece: Written by the late Henry Fielding, Esq. Receipts: #225 12s. (181.3; 43.18; 0.11)

Event Comment: Benefit for Farren. Mainpiece: Written by Richard Cumberland, Esq. Not acted these 10 years [acted 15 Jan. 1778]. Public Advertiser, 11 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Farren at his House in Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. Receipts: #303 7s. (90.8.6; 5.14.6; tickets: 207.4.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Written by the late Henry Fielding, Esq. Receipts: #98 4s. 6d. (79.10.0; 18.2.0; 0.12.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Edwin. Mainpiece: By Permission of George Colman, Esq. [the holder of the copyright]. Public Advertiser, 24 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Edwin, No. 19, Piazza, Covent-garden. Receipts: #386 7s., as follows: money taken at the doors was #256.0.6, on which he paid charge of #100.11.6, leaving a balance due him of #155.9.0, which he was paid on 7 Apr.; after money, #4.8.6, was retained by the theatre; he sold 411 box tickets, 83 pit tickets, 107 gallery tickets for #125.18.0, free of charge; his total profit therefore was #281.7.0

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. [Author of Prologue to 1st piece unknown. 2nd piece: By permission of G. Colman, Esq. [owner of the copyright]. 3rd piece [1st time; F 2 (?)]: Altered from Woman's a Riddle [by Christopher Bullock; alterer unknown. Not in Larpent MS; not published]. Public Advertiser, 2 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #286 11s. (145.16; 14.5; 1.12; tickets: 124.18) (charge: #106 1s. 5d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, ascribed variously to John O'Keeffe and to James Foord; adapted from La Gageure Imprevue, by Michel Jean Sedaine. Text prints a Prologue "Supposed to be written by G. Colman, Esq., and intended to be spoken by Bannister Jun.," but "it arrived, by accident, too late at the theatre to be studied and recited" (London Chronicle, 25 Aug.)]. "A new afterpiece was...attempted to be represented, [but] it was not heard out" (Public Advertiser, 19 Aug.). Public Advertiser, 8 Oct. 1788: This Day is published A Key to the Lock (1s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their Servants by Half past Four o'Clock. Mainpiece: Not acted these 10 years. [Epilogue by Robert Jephson.] Afterpiece: Written by D. Garrick, Esq. Public Advertiser, 31 Jan.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #340 5s. 6d. (166.10.0; 11.0.0; 1.4.6; tickets: 161.11.0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. Public Advertiser, 11 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Afterpiece: By Permission of G. Colman, Esq., taken from The Genius of Nonsense. Receipts: #266 3s. 6d. (137.1.0; 15.3.0; 0.13.6; tickets: 113.6.0) (charge: #116 5s. 2d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Altered from Shirley, by David Garrick, Esq. Receipts: #193 0s. 6d. (185.10.0; 7.10.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Quick. Mainpiece: Written by R. Cumberland, Esq. Afterpiece: Written by Colley Cibber, with capital Additions by Fielding, Dean Swift, G. A. Stevens, &c. &c. &c. Public Advertiser, 20 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Quick, Broad-court, Bow-street. Receipts: #327 4s. (177.2.6; 9.11.6; tickets: 140.10.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Harley. Mainpiece: As altered from Beaumont and Fletcher by the Duke of Buckingham and D. Garrick, Esq. Not acted these 7 years. Morning Chronicle, 20 May: Tickets to be had of Harley, No. 22, Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. Receipts: #242 1s. 6d. (84.10.6; 7.5.0; tickets: 150.6.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In 5 Acts, altered from the Dramatic Romance by David Garrick, Esq. With a new Overture and new additional Musick by Storace [on 2 Jan. 1792 and thereafter, added: Shaw] and other Eminent Masters. Entirely new Scenery by Greenwood, and new Dresses, Decorations and Machinery. To conclude with a Grand Procession of the Hundred Knights of Chivalry, and the Representation of an Ancient Tournament. [These were included in all subsequent performances.] Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Post, 3 Jan. 1792, prints a full description of the Procession of over 100 persons: 1st, Anglo-Saxon Knights and banners; then ancient British knights, Norman knights, Indians, Turks, Scythians, Romans, a dwarf, a giant; at end, "soldiers drawing a superb picture of St. George, knights in chain mail, a cupid leading a knight covered with a silver net, Hymen, piping fauns, bands of cupids drawing an altar--flame burning, cupids hovering over it, and others feeding doves below, a troop of Arcadian shepherds drawing the car of Cymon and Sylvia, characters of the drama, and chorus." "At the conclusion of the procession, a tournament took place of both horse and foot, between several combatants in armour, who fought with lances, swords and battle-axes: three of Hughes' horses [from the Royal Circus] were introduced, and managed with much dexterity; the Prince of Wales' Highlander made one of the procession, and entered the lists as a champion, fighting with an enormous club; against him a small female warrior was opposed, by whom he was subdued. It was by far the grandest spectacle ever seen upon the stage. Many of the characters were taken from Sir Philip Sydney's Arcadia, in which the scene of the piece was laid; and the dresses of the knights, armour, &c. from the drawings and descriptions of the best antiquarians" (Oulton, 1796, II, 215). [This was Edmund Kean's 1st appearance on the stage; he was about four years old. He personated a cupid lying in Cymon and Sylvia's car (Kelly, Reminiscences, II, 21-22).] Account-Book, 13 Jan. 1792: Paid Hughes for his Horses #16 19s. 10d.; 23 Jan.: Paid Gough for his Greyhounds in Cymon #5 19s. 6d. Receipts: #420 6s. (385.0; 35.5; 0.1)

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: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Sims. Mainpiece: As altered from Wycherley by David Garrick, Esq. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Sims, the Theatrical Register, Wrekin Tavern, Broad-court, Long-acre; at the Blue Post Coffee-house, Charlotte-street, Rathbone-place; the Tun, Goodge-street, Middlesex Hospital; the Green Man, Union-street, Middlesex Hospital; the Wheat Sheaf, Rathbone-place; of Price, at the Coach and Horses, Holborn; at the Duke of Clarence Coffee-house, Haymarket; Spencer's, Two Blue Posts, Southampton-buildings; and of Rice at the Theatre

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 Bannister Jun. Afterpiece: By permission of G. Colman@Jun. Esq. [i.e. the holder of the copyright]. Morning Herald, 3 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #486 17s. (227.2.6; 43.2.0; 2.2.0; tickets: 214.10.6) (charge: #126 0s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clendining. The Poetry of the additional Songs [in 1st piece] by Peter Pindar, Esq. [pseud. for John Wolcot]. Morning Herald, 27 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Clendining, No. 19, Martlett-court, Bow-street, Covent-garden. "Mrs Clendining's endeavours to entertain were successful, and Fitzroy by Incledon gave a rich feast to the musical amateur. The air beginning, 'Dear Tom, this brown jug,' had a fine effect by the music being omitted" (Diary, 18 May). Receipts: #273 17s

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)