Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Morning Chronicle, 6 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. [1st piece originally acted in 1767 as Dido. Prologue by David Garrick.] 3rd piece [1st time; INT 1, consisting of 3 tales in verse inserted into a continuous verse narrative]: As intended for Representation at the Theatre Royal, Hay-market, by George Colman Ynger. Morning Herald, 3 Apr. 1797: This Day is Published My Nightgown and Slippers (2s. 6d.). True Briton, 25 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Palmer, No. 39, Great Pulteney-street, Golden-square. Receipts: #491 16s. (152.3; 77.16; 11.16; tickets: 250.1) (charge: #232 18s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wathen. 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. True Briton, 2 June: Tickets to be had of Wathen, No. 2, Frith-street. Receipts: #358 1s. (54.12.0; 61.13.6; 3.14.0; tickets: 238.1.6) (charge: #212 5s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Elliston [whose 1st appearance as Othello was at Bath, 8 July 1797]. Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane. True Briton, 30 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Elliston, No. 3, Frith-street, Soho

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece [1st time; MF 2. Larpent MS 1210; not published]: Written by Charles? Dibdin, Founded on his Popular Novel under that Title, and enriched with a Selection of his most recent and favourite Songs. Do conclude with a new Finale by Dibdin. The Overture by Dibdin. "[It is a] wretched inanity; without interest, without humour, without character, original only in its dullness and unmatchable absurdity" (Monthly Mirror, May 1798, p. 306). 2nd piece: Compressed into Three Acts. 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal Hay-Market. Morning Herald, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 65, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #511 13s. 6d. (251.7.6; 68.7.0; 1.13.0; tickets: 190.6.0) (charge: #212 19s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Barrymore and Wathen. 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay-Market. Morning Chronicle, 8 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Barrymore, No. 20, Judd-place, Somers Town; of Wathen, No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #640 5s. 6d. (181.1.0; 53.7.0; 0.3.0; odd money: 14.17.0; tickets: 390.17.6) (charge: #212 6s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Waters. Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre-Royal, Drury Lane. Morning Chronicle, 3 May: Tickets to be had of Miss Waters, No. 43, Conduit-street, Hanover-square. Receipts: #461 0s. 6d. (172.11.0; 5.1.0; tickets: 283.8.6)

Event Comment: By Desire of His Excellency The Turkish Ambassador [Ismail Ferrouh Effendi]. Benefit for Miss Leak. ["His Excellency never made his appearance during the whole evening" (Dramatic Censor, II, 238).] Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Morning Chronicle, 22 May: Tickets to be had of Miss Leak, Upper Mews-gate, Castle-street. Receipts: #445 9s. (101.11; 64.1; 2.14; tickets: 277.3) (charge: #212 3s. 5d.)

Event Comment: At Common Prices. Places for Boxes to be taken of Hobson, at the Stage Door of the Theatre. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3]: Written by [John] O'Keeffe. The Music by Shield. With a new French Medley Overture, new Dresses, &c. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Mrs T. Kennedy was from the Newcastle theatre.]

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author of the Farce [who is named in Kemble Mem., but not on the playbill. Kemble's 1st appearance as Leon was at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin (Genest, VI, 295); Palmer's as the Copper Captain at hay, 15 July 1777]. Receipts: #133 15s. (94.17; 37.3; 1.15; tickets; none listed) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Newdigate newsletters (Folger Shakespeare Library), 22 Oct. 1687: There are to be 5 Pageants on the Ld Mayors day one representing Liberty by a Beautifull young Lady attended with Riches Plenty and ffreedom &c. (transcribed by Professor John Harold Wilson). Luttrell (A Brief Relation, I, 418): The 29th was the anniversary of the lord mayors show, the new one, sir John Shorter, now entring on his office; the shew was splendid and the entertainment great, according to custome: his majestie, with the prince of Denmark, did the citty the honour to dine with them at Guildhall, as also the nobility, foreign ministers, amongst which was the popes nuncio (who was invited particularly by some of the aldermen): the streets were new gravell'd all that morning on one side of the way, from Charing-crosse to the citty, for his majesties passage. His majestie was well satisfied with the whole entertainment. The Duke of Beaufort to the Duchess, 29 Oct. 1687 [a summary, apparently]: Has just come from the greatest entertainment he ever saw at a Lord Mayor's feast in the city, and the best ordered, though there was the greatest concourse there and in the streets that was ever known, and the greatest acclamations, all through the city as the King passed. The Queen did not dare venture, remembering that the Bristol entertainment had put her out of order, but all the nobility in town, and the foreign ministers were there. The Pope's Nuncio in particular was invited by the Lord Mayor and nobly entertained (HMC, 12th Report, Appendix, Beaufort MSS., Part IX, pp. 90-91)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years [acted 7 Oct. 1791]. Middleton, after performing the first scene of Nerestan, retired abruptly into the wardrobe, pulled off his coat, and telling the dresser he should be back in ten minutes, left the theatre; he did not return, however, according to his appointment, and Davenport read the remainder of the character: a fit of insanity is supposed to have seized him" (Monthly Mirror, Jan. 1797, p. 55). [Middleton did not appear on the stage again until 27 Feb. 1797.] Afterpiece [1st time: P 2 (?), by James Wild and John Follett. MS of Songs only: Larpent MS 1148; synopsis of action in Pocket Magazine, Dec. 1796, p. 412]: With entire new Scenery, Machinery, Music, Dresses. The Overture and Music by Reeve. The Scenery painted by Phillips, Blackmore, Hollogan, Thorne, Byrn. The Machinery, Trick and Changes of Scenery invented and executed by Cresswell and Sloper. The Dresses by Dick, Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "Among the changes are a trunk into a gingerbread nut-man's wheel-barrow--a poor man's hut into an old oak, with a group of Gypsies boiling their kettle under it--one of the clowns into a thick candle, and the candle afterwards into a green-house tub, with a large shrub in it" (Oracle, 20 Dec.). Receipts: #193 5s. 6d. (183.4.6; 10.1.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett. 3rd piece [DO 2. Larpent MS 1251; not published]: Never acted at a Public Theatre [1st acted privately at Brandenburgh House, Hammersmith, 28 Feb. 1798]; Written by her Serene Highness the Margravine of Anspach. The Music partly by the Margravine, and partly by Sarti, Guglielmi, Paisiello, and Saphio. Grand Overture, La Chasse, by Reeve. The Scenery painted by Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, &c. The Machinery by Sloper. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Morning Chronicle, 17 Apr.: Her Serene Highness the Margravine of Anspach having, with unprecedented Kindness and Liberality, lent Mr Fawcett the Manuscript of the above magnificent and interesting Opera, he begs leave to state that nothing shall be wanted on his Part to render it as acceptable to the Public as it was to the Nobility who had the pleasure of seeing it at the Brandenburgh house Theatre. Ibid, 4 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Fawcett, No. 41, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #532 6s. 6d. (239.1.6; 2.9.0; tickets: 290.16.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Trevor [who had 1st appeared at this theatre, as a chorus singer, on 16 Jan. 1800]. "A settled, preconcerted plan was evidently laid to injure the lady who came forward in double capacity, not merely as a candidate for public favour, but in the responsible situation of a performer taking a benefit...The moment the lady made her appearance on the boards, before she even opened her mouth, before a single note furnished an opportunished an opportunity of appreciating her abilities, opposition began to manifest itself in all the various forms which malice on such occcsions is wont to resort to. The Hisses grew louder and louder,...the theatre absolutely assumed the appearance of a riot, rather than that of a civilized company, assembled for the purpose of amusement" (Dramatic Censor, II, 212-13). Morning Chronicle, 19 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Trevor, sister to Mr Kelly of Drury-lane Theatre, No. 31, Bedford-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #268 12s. (124.13; 4.8; tickets: 139.11)

Event Comment: Benefit Denoyer. By Command of His Royal Highness. Mainpiece: Taken from Moliere. London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 17 March: The celebrated Monsieur Denoyer and Mademoiselle Salle, by Permission of the Masters of the two Theatres Royal, have agreed to dance together at each other's Benefit

Event Comment: Paid to Sun Fire Office Insurance #15; Paid for a poker and shovel 5s. (Treasurer's Book). [This policy was doubltless similar to No 109085 dated 29 July 1747 issued to James Lacy and David Garrick Esq. Patentees of His Majesties Company of Comedians of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, for #4,000: "On the Goods and Furniture, Wardrobe Apparel, Machines and Scenes, not valued as pictures, in the House, Dressing Rooms, Wardrobe, and Scene Rooms, of the said Theatre Royal, adjoining togethe r and situate in Drury Lane aforesaid and not elsewhere, not exceeding #4,000...Note: Except such Loss and Damage as may happen by any Fire occasioned by means of any representation in any Play or Farce or in any Rehearsal of the same." (From copy of original policy, by courtesy J. A. Miller, Esq. General Manager, Sun Insurance Office Ltd., sent me in ltr. dated 5 July 1951.)] Receipts: #110 (Cross). #104 5s. (Treasurer's Book)