Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; INT 1 by Francis Godolphin Waldron): Altered from THE FATAL EXTRAVAGANCE of [Joseph] Mitchell and Aaron Hill. "I went on Monday evening with Mrs Darner to the Little Haymarket, to see The Children in the Wood, having heard so much of my favourite, young Bannister, in that new piece; which, by the way, is well arranged, and near being fine. He more than answered my expectation, and all I had heard of him. It was one of the most admirable performances I ever saw: his transports of despair and joy are incomparable, and his various countenances would be adequate to the pencil of Salvator Rosa. He made me shed as many tears as I suppose the original old ballad did when I was six years old. Bannister's merit was the more striking, as, before The Children in the Wood, he had been playing the sailor in No Song No Supper, with equal nature" (Walpole [4 Dec. 1793], XV, 266-67)

Event Comment: Principal Instrumental Performers-C. Ashley, Bridgtower, Archer, Harvey, Sarjant, Mahon, Boyce, Cantelo, Parkinson, Taylor, J. Sharp, Lavenu, Napier, Simpson, the Flacks, Purney, Seutze, Gwilliam, Monro, Wood, Warren, Woodham, Francis, M. Sharp, &c. Organ by J. Ashley. Double Drums by R. Ashley. The Chorusses will be numerous and compleat, and the Orchestra will consist of upwards of Two Hundred Performers. The whole under the Direction of Ashley. Boxes 6s. Pit 3s. 6d. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places to be taken, and Tickets for the Boxes may be had of Brandon at the Office in Hart-street. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]. [This performance was originally advertised to take place at the Pantheon, Oxford-street, but "The routed Host of Harmonists, driven from their new works in Oxford-road, hastily encamped last night [at Covent Garden]. Their performance...went off as might be expected from a scanty band, thus collected, without any previous rehearsal" (Morning Herald, 21 Feb.). The Pantheon had been destroyed by fire in January 1792. Work on its reconstruction had only recently been begun, and Was still not completed. It was reopened with a masquerade on 9 April 1795, the "usual licenses being now fully renewed and established" (Morning Herald, 9 Apr.).

Event Comment: Under the license of the Lord Chamberlain. Leader of the band-Mountain. Grand Piano Forte-Reeve. Among the other Instrumental Performers are W. Ware, Haigh, Leffler Sen., Leffler Jun., Nicks, Alexander, Price, Francis, Cornish, English, Eley, Forster, &c. The Doors to be opened at 6:30. To begin at 7:30. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. [For names of speakers and singers see Morning Post, 5 Mar.; Oracle, 12 Mar.

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time: C 5, by George Colman ynger. Prologue by the Hon Francis North (see text, which also gives the names of the speakers of both Prologue and Epilogue). Epilogue by the author (London Chronicle, 18 July)]. "The force and feeling which [Aickin] gave to the amiable character of Stedfast-a character, indeed, strongly resembling his own for many bearing, probity and truth-must, we are persuaded, [make] a strong, indelible impression on the minds of all as have had an opportunity of witnessing his performance of that part" (+Dramatic Censor, III, 3)

Event Comment: Composed by G. F. Handel. Among the Instrumental Performers: C. Ashley, Sarjant, Wm. Parke, Boyce, R. Ashley, Bridgtower, Pinto, Parkinson, Lavenu. the Flacks, Taylor, Mackintosh, Wm. Ware, Dresler, Francis, Gwilliam, Nicks, the Munros, Archer, I. Sharp, W. Sharp, M. Sharp, J. Sharp, Betts, Cobham, Jackson, Wood, Coyle, Cornish, Jones, Purney, Leffler, Woodham, Piele, the Cantelos, Skillern, &c. Organ-J. Ashley. Double Drums (used at Westminster-Abbey)-Jenkinson. The Chorusses will be numerous and complete; the whole under the direction of Ashley. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 precisely [same throughout oratorio season]. Books of the Performance (with the Imprimatur of E. Macleish) to be had at the Theatre, price 6d. Places for the Boxes to be had of Brandon, at the Stage-Door in Hart-street. Boxes 6s. Pit 3s. 6d. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; D 5, by Thomas Holcroft, based on Diego und Leonore, by Johann Christoph Unzer. Prologue and Epilogue by Francis Godolphin Waldron (Thomas Holcroft, Life, ed. Elbridge Colby, 1925, II, 125)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Scenery by Marinari. [Johnston was from cg.] Times, 12 July 1798: This Day is published The Inquisitor (2s.)

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: 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; T 5, by Joanna Baillie. "Adapted to the stage by J. P. Kemble" (note in his hand on Kemble playbill), Text in the author's A Series of Plays (T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, 1798). Prologue by the Hon. Francis North; Epilogue by Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Larpent MS 1287)]: The Scenery, Musick, Dresses, and Decorations entirely new. The Musick of the Third Act composed by Shaw [and sung by Sedgwick (Dramatic Censor, II, 162)] and of the Second and Fourth Acts by Kelly. The Scenes designed by Greenwood? Jun and Capon, and executed by them, Banks, &c. The Dresses and Decorations designed by Johnston, and executed under his direction by Gay and Underwood. The Female Dresses designed and executed by Miss Rein. Receipts: #308 12s. 6d. (264.3.0; 43.15.6; 0.14.0)

Event Comment: The King's company. On 31 Aug. or 1 Sept. 1664 Orrery wrote to Sir Henry Bennett: Ther was noe Play of myne Acted, they are now but Studyinge it; I hope within less then a Fortnight twill be on ye Theater And if you are not surfetted, with what of mine you have already seene [Henry V], I will beg ye honour to wait on you when tis Acted (see The Dramatic Works of Roger Boyle, ed. W. S. Clark@II [Cambridge, Mass., 1937], 1, 102). The play is also on the list of Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 138. Boswell, Restoration Court Stage, p. 281, lists it among the plays given at court, but Sir Heneage Finch's note (see below) seems to indicate an afternoon performance. Sir Heneage Finch to Sir Edward Dering, 15 Sept. 1664: Yesterday was acted, in the Greatest and noblest presence wch ye Court can make, before ye fullest Theatre, & with the highest applause imaginable, my Lo Orerys new play calld ye Generall formerly acted in Ireland by the name of Altamira, but much altered & improved. From thence the whole Court went to Wallingford house, where the Earl of Arran and the Lady Mary Stuart were that night before Supper marryd in the Gallery (Dramatic Works of Roger Boyle, I, 103, from Stowe MS 744 f. 81)

Event Comment: See 27 Feb. 1668@9. Pepys, Diary: I did meet Sir Jeremy Smith, who did tell me that Sir W. Coventry was just now sent to the Tower, about the business of his challenging the Duke of Buckingham, and so was also Harry Saville to the Gate-house....So, meeting with my Lord Bellassis, he told me the particulars of this matter; that it arises about a quarrel which Sir W. Coventry had with the Duke of Buckingham about a design between the Duke and Sir Robert Howard, to bring him into a play [The Rehearsal] at the King's house, which W. Coventry not enduring, did H. Saville send a letter to the Duke of Buckingham, that he had a desire to speak with him. Upon which, the Duke of Buckingham did bid Holmes, his champion ever since my Lord Shrewsbury's business, go to him to know the business; but H. Saville would not tell it to any but himself, and therefore did go presently to the Duke of Buckingham, and told him that his uncle Coventry was a person of honour, and was sensible of his Grace's liberty taken of abusing him, and that he had a desire of satisfaction, and would fight with him. But that here they were interrupted by my Lord Chamberlain's coming in, who was commanded to go to bid the Duke of Buckingham to come to the King, Holmes having discovered it