Event Comment: Benefit Master Arne. To begin at 6:30 p.m. Pit and Boxes will be laid together at Half a Guinea. Gallery 5s

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Musical Entertainment never perform'd before. The Music composed by Dr Arne. Full Prices. Boxes #53 (Account Book). [About 212 persons in Boxes. A profitable and popular afterpiece for Rich, but it cost him each night this season 10s. 6d. for Mr Wrexell for the Clarinet, and 5s. to Dell for the French Horn.] Receipts. #181 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Vernon. Tickets deliver'd by Blakes wil be taken. Afterpiece, with Music composed by Dr Arne, never perform'd there

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Gibbs. 3rd piece [1st time; M. ENT 2, by James Roberts]: End of Act I A Grand View of the British Fleet and the French Prizes entering Portsmouth, and an appropriate Procession. The Piece to conclude with a representation of the Town, &c. of Portsmouth, as illuminated on the glorious occasion. With a Transparency of Earl Howe. [These were included in all subsequent performances.] The selected Musick by Mornington, Handel, Dr Arne, Boyce, Pleyel, &c. A Naval Overture, and the new Musick, by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 24 Oct. 1794: This Day is published RULE BRITANNIA! (1s.)

Event Comment: Benefit Arne and Young Master Arne. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Afterpiece: a new Masque. Alter'd from the Serenata made on the Joyous Occasion of the Royal Nuptials: With Additions. [See Love and Glory, DL, 21 March, by Phillips and Arne.] Tickets for Tench at othello taken this night

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Arne. Afterpiece: By Desire. House Charges #68 16s. 6d. [Profits to Mrs Arne #150 18s. 6d.] Tickets deliver'd for The Beggar's Opera will be admitted. Dido oblig'd to be defer'd a few days. Paid 1 year's Watch for St Martin's #10 2s.; Reynolds Oil bill #46 4s.; Carpue (silk dyer) #7 9s. 6d.; Jennings (glover) #13 12s.; Vernon on note #21; Chorus 1 night #2 5s. 6d.; Hautboy 5s.; Salary list #294 2s. 8d. [Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #219 14s. (Treasurer's Book). At 4 dined at the Chop House in St Clements. At 5 went to Drury Lane to see the Tempest for the benefit of Mrs Arne the prettiest performer at the house...She has a sweet little voice...A grand Dance of Fantastic Spirits in different shapes. At the end of the play a Double Hornpipe by Mr Walker and Miss Tatley. We had the entertainment of Daphne and Amintor with dancing by Sg and Sga George, Sg Tessoni, Miss King, &c. Having a seat in the third row of the Pit, was much pleased as all the principal characters were well played and the scenery is very fine. Had I been later in going, I should not have got in (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. With a Procession and Sacrificev. [These were included in both subsequent performances.] Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Thomas Sheridan. Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 21 Dec.]: Taken from the comedy of that name by Sir John Vanburghi [sic]. Receipts: #151 2s. 6d. (115.4.0; 35.16.0; 0.2.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; past 2, by Richard Tickell]: Altered from [the same, by] Allan Ramsay. [MS not in Larpent; not published.] With the original Airs, new Accompaniments, and a new Overture [by Thomas Linley, Sen.]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "The above Opera, written by Allen Ramsay, has been long and justly admired, but by those only whose knowledge of the Scottish dialect has enabled them to judge of its excellencies. That an English audience might become partakers of this entertainment seems to have been the laudable design of the Dramatist, Mr Tickel, in now divesting it of its numerous provincialities, grown almost obsolete, even in Scotland, at this distant period . . . The characters were drest with a rustic simplicity, which, tho' not exactly characteristic of the Highland manner, were perfectly Pastoral" (Universal Magazine, Nov. 1781, p. 237). Receipts: #202 9s. 6d. (167/18/0; 33/3/0; 1/8/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, author unknown; frequently attributed to Thomas Vaughan, but his authorship denied in a letter written by him to editor of the Oracle, 13 Feb. 1796. Author of Prologue unknown. Epilogue by Edward Topham (European Magazine, Nov. 1784, p. 393). MS: Larpent 670; not published; synopsis of plot in London Magazine, Nov. 1784, p. 389]. Receipts: #161 2s. 6d. (142/9/0; 18/0/6; 0/13/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by John Delap. Prologue and Epilogue by Thomas Vaughan (see text)]. Morning Chronicle, 22 Mar. 1786: This Day is published The Captives (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #222 1s. (204/17; 14/16; 2/8)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Samuel Birch, based on James Powell's unacted play, The Narcotic, 1787; incidental music by Thomas Attwood (see 28 Nov.). Larpent MS 1182; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Chronicle, 30 Oct.]. Receipts: #309 19s. 6d. (222.7.6; 86.1.0; 1.11.0)

Event Comment: [2nd piece in place of Thomas and Sally, advertised on playbill of 11 Nov.] Receipts: #351 14s. (283.16; 66.10; 1.8)

Event Comment: N.B. That the Ladies and Gentlemen may not be detained at the Theatre while Tickets are given them, they are desir'd to send for them to Mr Arne's House in Craven Buildings near Drury Lane, Number 17, or to Mr Bradshaw, Box-Keeper, at the Kings Arms in Great Russel St., where tickets may be had, and places taken. Boxes 6s. Pit 4s. First Gallery 2s. 6d. Upper Gallery 1s. 6d. Ladies are desir'd to send their servants to keep places by Four o'clock. NB: Mr Arne humbly hopes the Town will not be offended at this small advance of Prices, being at an extraordinary expence for copying all the Music, building the stage, additional instrumental performers, chorus singers, and erecting an Organ. [The attendance apparently was heavy. See note to repeated performance on 19 March.] Mainpiece: Written by Dryden and set to Music by Handel

Event Comment: Benefit for Arne. Mainpiece: By Desire. Afterpiece: A Grand Musical Masque, written by Congreve, set to music by Arne. By Particular Desire. Tickets to be had of Arne at Mr West's, a Frame Maker in Duke St., near Lincoln's Inn Fields. Receipts: #140 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel); cash, #80 4s. 6d.; tickets, #75 10s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Arne and Miss Young. Mainpiece: Acted there but twice. Afterpiece: A reviv'd Burlesque Opera not performed these 16 years. Set to Music by Mr Arne. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Sir George Collier, based on Zemire et Azor, by Jean Francois Marmontel]: The Music [by Thomas Linley Sen., adapted from Gretry], Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations entirely New. The Scenes, &c., designed by DeLoutherbourg. The Words of the Songs, &c. to be had at the Theatre. The Entertainment is splendidly got up--The Music by Thomas Linley Jun. [sic] was very well received (Hopkins Diary). Public Advertiser, 7 Dec. 1776: This Day is published the Songs in Selima and Azor (6d). [Text 1st published by J. Bell, 1784.] Receipts: #218 7s

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Second Piece: Written by the late Barton Booth, Esq; Set to Musick by Mr Arne. The Scenes, Machines and Habits all new

Event Comment: By Desire. Afterpiece: Set to Musick by Mr Arne

Event Comment: Oratorio composed by Dr Arne

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: Benefit Miss Arne,

Event Comment: A New English Opera after the Italian Manner. [Text by Henry Carey. Set to Musick by John Christopher Smith.] Pit and Boxes put together at 5s. First Gallery 3s. Upper Gallery 2s. 6 p.m. Receipts: For Mr Arne

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. The Musick for the Afterpiece compos'd by Mr Arne. With a New Overture founded on some favourite Irish tunes. Nothing Under Full Prices will be taken during the Performance.--General Advertiser. [See Poem by S. G. To Mrs Sybilla, on her Acting the Goddess of Dullness and persuading her to attempt Melantha in Dryden's Marriage Alamode in Gentlemen's Magazine, Feb. 1745, p. 98. Authorship of afterpiece unknown; possible a revision of Theobald's The Happy Captive. See 16 April 1741 hay.

Event Comment: Paid Michael Arne on his note #50; Blandford (tallow chandler's bill #45 12s.; Paid Mr Barber for Cloaths #14 14s.; Paid Hopkins for licensing two farces #4 4s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #114 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: An English Opera composed and directed by Dr Arne. In this opera two new performers appeared,--Mr Rathom who played Artaxerxes, a bad figure, extreamly aukward, and much hissed--the other Mrs Forbes, who played Arbaces, a small figure a good voice, was well received, and went decently through the part (Hopkins Diary)