Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5]: Written by the Author of Percy [Hannah More. Prologue by the author; Epilogue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 1 Dec. 1779: This Day is published The Fatal Falsehood [sic] (1s. 6d.). Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Charles Dibdin]: The Overture and all the Music composed by Dibdin. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations to both Pieces. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 6 May 1779: This Afternoon at three is published The Chelsea Pensioner (1s.). The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same for rest of season]

Event Comment: Benefit for Wright and Butler, carpenter. Afterpiece: To conclude with the Scene of the Waterfallv, as it was originally performed. Public Advertiser, 5 May: Tickets to be had of Wright, No. 24, Bennet-street, Westminster; of Butler, next door to the Theatre. Receipts: #267 9s. 6d. (37.11.0; 13.8.6; 0.4.0; tickets: 216.6.0) (charge: #74 14s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher [and altered by George Colman elder]. The Music by Purcell. New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Servants to keep places are to be at the Door in Suffolk-street by Five o'Clock

Event Comment: Books of the Songs [in afterpiece] to be had at the theatre

Event Comment: [Mrs Lloyd is identified in playbill of 18 Aug. She has "the name of Lloyd, but [is] better known by the name of Mrs C@@we (who played several parts at the military theatre of Boston in America about two years ago)" (Morning Post, 16 July).

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [Mrs Kennedy was from the York theatre.

Event Comment: [Miss Harper was taken ill; The Irish Widow was thereupon substituted and begun, but the audience was clamorous, and insisted on The Son-in-Law. A long delay ensued until the proper acters had been brought back to the theatre and until they were dressed. Mrs Jewell read Miss Harper's part. While trying to find out what the audience wanted, Bannister retorted sharply from the stage to one of the noisiest of the objectors. This action caused several letters to be written to various newspapers debating the right of a "servant of the public" to reprimand a member of the audience even when that member might be in the wrong (Morning Chronicle, 16 Sept., et seq.).] The last Night of the Season

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With alterations [by David Garrick]. "The managers, to our astonishment, continue to play with Garrick's alterations. [The original play] is materially injured by those which Garrick adopted in compliance to the French criticks" (Morning Chronicle, 20 Sept.). [For a summary of these alterations see my Shakespeare in the Theatre, II, 188-89.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Ist Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had of Fosbrook, at the Stage-door. No Money to be taken at the Stage-Door, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 30 Oct.]. Receipts: #174 6s. 6d. (135.1.0; 38.17.6; 0.8.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With accompaniments to the Airs composed by Thomas? Linley? Sen. [Miss Wright's 1st appearance, as an actress, was at this theatre on 7 May 1779.] Afterpiece: With Alterations and Additions; To conclude with a Grand View of Greenwich Hospital, designed by DeLoutherbourg. Paid Land Tax 3rd & 4th Qtrs. to Lady Day #41 16s. Receipts: #187 3s. 6d. (151.3.0; 35.15.6; 0.5.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Edward Neville]: The Overture and Music composed by Dibdin. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 20 Oct.: This Afternon at Three is published Plymouth In An Uproar (1s.). Receipts: #242 16s. 6d. (241.5.0; 1.11.6)

Event Comment: A new Serious Opera [1st time; SER 3, by Pietro Metastasio; a pasticcio]. The Music by various eminent Composers [Anfossi, Myslivecek and Piccinni]. Amongst them several airs by Handel. Under the Direction of Bertoni. With entire new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations, both for the Opera and Dances. Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. and 2nd Gallery 3s. By Their Majesties' Command no Person can be admitted behind the Scenes. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughtout season]. To prevent inconvenience to the Nobility and Gentry in getting to their carriages, they are most respectfully intreated to give positive orders to their Servants to set down and take up with their Horses Heads towards Pall-mall. The Door in Market Lane for Chairs only. To prevent mistakes, Ladies who have not sent the names of the Subscribers to their Boxes are particularly requested to send them as early as possible to Johnson, at the office of the Theatre, in order to [permit] their Tickets being engraved. Subscriptions are received by Johnson in Union Court, Hay Market

Event Comment: "As soon as the Play was over at Covent Garden Theatre yesterday evening, Reinhold walked forward and told the audience that 'It would be esteemed a particular mark of their Kindness and Favour if they would accept Miss Cranfield's performance of Colombine, Miss Brown having been taken extremely ill"' (Morning Chronicle, 11 Jan.). Receipts: #195 2s. (193.6; 1.16)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Paid one-half Year's Land Tax #52 10s.Paid Church and Militia Rate for Theatre, 1779, #17 10s. Receipts: #292 13s. (291.17; 0.16)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Charles Dibdin: With New Scenes and Dresses. The Overture, and all the Music entirely new, composed by Dibdin. Books of the Opera to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 18 Jan. 1780: This Afternoon is published The Shepherdess of the Alps (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #158 13s. (156.16.6; 1.16.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 5, by Richard Cumberland. Larpent MS 508, which also lists the following parts: Marsyas, Gumias, Chloris. Text not published; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 2 Feb. Songs published, without listings parts (G. Kearsley, 1780)]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The Songs set to music and a new Overture by Butler. Book of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 1 Feb. 1780: This Afternoon is published the Songs in The Widow of Delphi (6d.). Receipts: #228 4s. 6d. (227.4.6; 1.0.0)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Tickets to be had and places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook, at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at half a guinea each. Pit. 5s. 1st Gallery 3s. 6d. 2nd Gallery 2s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]

Event Comment: [Burkett is identified by MS annotation on Kemble playbill; he was from the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin.] Receipts: #223 15s. 6d. (221.10.0; 2.5.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Hannah Cowley.] Miss Younge had a song [Wake, thou son of dullness] composed by Michael Arne. Authors of Prologue and Epilogue unknown]: New Scenes and Dresses. Account-Book, 16 June: Paid Mrs Cowley for suspending the publication of the Belle's Stratagem #100. Public Advertiser, 1 Apr. 1782: In a few Days will be published The Belle's Stratagem. A spurious Copy having been published in Ireland [in 1781] make[s] it necessary to observe that the above is the genuine Comedy, as performed at Covent Garden Theatre. Ibid., 9 Apr. 1782: This Day is published The Belle's Stratagem (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #213 19s. (212.15.6; 1.3.6)

Event Comment: [This was a puppet show, rewritten by Charles Dibdin from his Comic Mirror; it consisted of 7 different acts, presented in 3 Parts. The audience was both misled into thinking that it was to be performed by actual persons, and made angry because of the "almost unintelligible manner of conveying [the various acts], as the singers were scarcely audible, and the objects very indistinctly visible.' A riot ensued. Lighted candles were thrown on the stage against the curtain, chandeliers broken, benches torn up. The audience was not "satisfied" until Colman the proprietor of the theatre, disclaimed any concern with the entertainment, and Dibdin made an apology. Although announced for repetition on 3 Mar., it was not again performed. (See Dibdin, II, 65; Morning Chronicle, 2 Mar. )]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mattocks. Morning Chronicle, 25 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Mattocks, Russel-street, Covent-garden. 2nd piece: Founded on Nancy; or, The Parting Lovers [by Henry Carey]. Books of the Interlude to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #203 1s. (179.11; tickets: 23.10) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by William Augustus Miles]: The music entirely new, composed by Michael Arne. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Books of the Opera to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 15 Apr. 1780: This Day is published The Artifice (1s.). Receipts: #119 8s. 6d. (71.12.0; 47.1.6; 0.15.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. Mainpiece: As originally written by Shakespeare. [Genest's remark (VI, 133), "Garrick's alteration [which had been performed uninterruptedly at this theatre since Dec. 1772] seems never to have been acted after this night", is correct.] Public Advertiser, 15 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 8, Air-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #280 8s. 6d. (124.18.0; 20.0.0; 0.5.6; tickets: 135.5.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [Mrs Arne was from the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin.] Receipts: #137 19s. (136.13; 1.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wright and Butler. Morning Chronicle, 17 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wright, No. 24, Bennet-street, Westminster; of Butler, next door to the Theatre. Afterpiece: With Alterations and Additions. Not acted these 4 years. To conclude with a Grand Sea-Fightv, Dance, etc. [These were included in both subsequent performances.] The Scenery designed by DeLoutherbourg, and executed under his direction. Receipts: #276 14s. 6d. (52.9.0; 12.5.6; 0.4.0; tickets: 211.16.0) (charge: #74 14s.)