Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Lewis O'Beirne, based on Le Dissipateur; ou, L'Honnete Friponne, by Philippe Nericault, dit Destouches. Prologue by Frederick Pilon (Crouch, 1, 90). Author of Epilogue unknown. For Pastoral Interlude see 23 Nov.]: With new Scenery and Dresses. Public Advertiser, 13 Dec. 1780: This Day at Noon is Published The Generous Impostor (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #197 3s. 6d. (183.4.0; 13.10.6; 0.9.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: In one Act. [For Miss Leak's 1st appearance as Sally see HAY 24 Feb.] Powell: Thomas & Sally rehearsed at 1 0; The Inconstant at 11; The Jew at 12.30 (for Suett and Miss Tidswell). Receipts: #540 (462/7/6; 76/7/0; 1/5/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Morton. Prologue by William Thomas Fitzgerald. Epilogue by Edward Topham ( see text)]: With new Scenery, Dresses, &c. [Oracle, 1 Feb. 1796, recounts the financial transactions relative to this play. Thomas Harris, the cg proprietor, bought the copyright from Morton for #140; he was also to give Morton #100 on each of his benefit nights, i.e. the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 21st of the run of the play. Morton's profit was therefore #540.] Receipts: #281 16s. 6d. (278.9.6; 3.7.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft, based on Le Mariage de Figaro, by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais; incidental music by William Shield. In 1789 reduced to an afterpiece of 3 acts. Prologue by the author (Europaen Magazine, Dec. 1784, p. 467)]: With new Dresses, Decorations, &c. Public Advertiser, 10 Mar. 1785: This Day is published The Follies of A Day (1s. 6d.). [For an account of Holcroft's shorthand transcription of the original, taken down during a performance in Paris, and the hasty rehearsals of it in London, see Elbridge Colby, A Bibliography of Thomas Holcroft, 1922, pp. 48-50.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 5, by Thomas Morton. Prologue by William Thomas Fitzgerald. Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (see text)]: The Scenes, principally new, designed and painted by Richards, Hodgins, Pugh, Walmsley, and assistants. With entire new Dresses and Decorations. "The management of the earthquake in which the Temple of the Sun is destroyed was a very fine piece of stage mechanism; the effect of which was considerably heightened by the improved performance of the Bold Thunder, and that also of his Electrical Harbinger. The gradations and cadences of the first were superior to anything of the kind we remember within the walls of the theatre...The scene of the rising sun was uncommonly dingy" (Public Advertiser, 3 Dec.). "Mr Morton in full for Columbus #214 10s. 6d." [MS annotation on BM playbill, 26 Dec. 1792 (cg, Vol. VIII)]. Morning Herald, 14 Dec. 1792: This day at noon will be published Columbus (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #301 8s

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Morton. Prologue by William Thomas Fitzgerald; Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (see text)]: With new Scenes and Dresses. True Briton, 19 Jan.: Morton was paid #400, and #150 "for the Copy-right, which Harris has purchased." Ibid., 27 Mar.: This Day was published A Cure for the Heart Ache (2s.). Receipts: #237 15s. (236.0; 1.15)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Morton. Prologue by William Thomas Fitzgerald (his Miscellaneous Poems, 1801, p. 88). Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (London Chronicle, 12 Jan.)]: With new Scenes and Dresses. Morning Herald, 14 Apr. 1798: This Day is published Secrets Worth Knowing (2s.). Receipts: #311 6s. (307.9; 3.17)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft; in 1796 altered by the author and acted as The Mask'd Friend. Prologue by William Nicholson (see text). Epilogue attributed to Frederick Pilon (Public Advertiser, 15 Oct.)]: With New Dresses, Scenery, &c. Public Advertiser, 12 Nov. 1781: This Day will lie published Duplicity (price not listed). Paid Music #8 4s. 8d.; Chorus Singers #3 15s. Receipts: #204 16s. (202/7/6; 2/8/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft, based on Le Glorieux, by Philippe Nericault, dit Destouches. In 1793 reduced by the author to an afterpiece of 3 acts. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (Knapp, 101, 307). This play was originally attributed to James Marshall (Public Advertiser, 5 Feb.); on 8 Feb. he wrote a letter to the editor of the Oracle, stating that "The School for Arrogance is not mine, but Mr Holcroft's...By appearing for a time as the ostensible author I hope I have contributed to heal what was most unaccomodating between Mr Harris and Mr Holcroft." And see Genest, VII, 24, 27.] Oracle, 19 Feb. 1791: This Day is published The School for Arrogance (1s. 6d.). "If Mrs Wells could be prevailed upon to speak out, so that the audience might hear, it would be of some advantage to the new play. At present, the performer who happens to be on the stage with her has it all in confidence" (Gazetteer, 9 Feb.). Receipts: #186 11s. (181.8; 5.3)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5 by Thomas Holcroft. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (London Chronicle, 21 Feb.)]. Morning Herald, 29 Feb. 1792: This day is published The Road to Ruin (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #233 5s. (231.1; 2.4)

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by Thomas Holcroft, based on The Covent Garden Tragedy, by Henry Fielding. Larpent MS 1039; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Herald, 16 Sept.]. "The two Queens are represented by Munden and Fawcett, who are dressed up fantastically, wearing as Crowns Models of the two Theatres" (Morning Chronicle, 16 Sept.). Covent-Garden was crowned with a triangular representation of the Piazza; Drury-Lane with her own Theatre, surmounted by Apollo" (Morning Herald, 16 Sept.). [This was Burton's 1st appearance in London; he was from the Norwich theatre. Miss Cornelys was from the Dublin theatre.] No Money to be returned. Boxes 6s. Second Price 3s. Pit 3s. 6d. Second Price 2s. Gallery 2s. Second Price 1s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon at the Office in Hart-street. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 30 Oct.]. Receipts: #305 1s. 6d. (296.10.6; 8.11.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft, based partly on The Fashionable Lover, by Richard Cumberland. Authors of Prologue and Epilogue unknown]. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30, for the remainder of the Season. Morning Chronicle, 13 May 1795: This Day is published The Deserted Daughter (2s.). Receipts: #210 2s. (205.12.6; 4.9.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft, adapted from Le Complaisant, by Antoine de Feriol comte de Pont-de-Veyle, and from Clavigo, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It has been attributed to John Fenwick (Genest, VII, 360-61; London Chronicle, 14 Feb. 1798). But for Holcroft's acknowledgment of authorship see his Life, ed. Elbridge Colby, 1925, II, 170. Author of Prologue unknown. Epilogue by the author (Knapp, p. 88)]. Times, 12 Apr. 1798: This Day will be published He's Much to Blame (2s.). "Mrs Mattocks has of late habituated herself to a constant titter, which destroys the effect of her best scenes" (Times, 14 Feb.). Receipts: #249 1s. (240.5; 8.16)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time in London; DR. POEM 5, by William Mason, 1st acted at Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, 30 Mar. 1764]: Written on the Model of the ancient Greek Tragedy. The Overture and all the Music composed New by Dr Arne. With a New Scene designed and executed by Dahl [recte Dall]. The Dresses, Decorations, &c. all entirely New. Books of the Lyrical Part of the Drama to be had at the Theatre. 'But I had rather talk of Caractacus; I agree that he will not suffer by not being sputtered by Barry, who has lost all his teeth. Covent Garden is rather above Drury Lane in actors, but both sets are exceedingly bad, so bad-that I almost wish Caractacus was not to appear. Very seldom do I go to the play, for there is no bearing such strollers" (Walpole [to the author, 8 Oct. 1776], IX, 419-20). "I attended Caractacus last winter, and was greatly interested, both from my friendship for Mr Mason and from the excellence of the poetry. I was out of all patience; for though a young Lewis played a subordinate part very well, and Mrs Hartley looked her part charmingly, the Druids were so massacred, and Caractacus so much worse, that I never saw a more barbarous exhibition" (Walpole [13 July 1777], X, 81-82). Public Advertiser, 7 Dec. 1776: This Day is published the Lyrical Part of Caractacus (6d.). [The publisher, J. Wilkie, states that he also has the "whole Drama, as altered by the Author, 18d." Ibid., 9 Dec., contains an advertisement from Mason stating that this version is unauthorized.] Ibid., 12 Dec.: This Day is published [by A. Ward of York] a new Edition of Caractacus, now altered for Representation at the Theatre-Royal in Covent Garden (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #163 10s. (163.6; 0.4)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years. Public Advertiser, 17 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis at his house in Broad court, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #194 16s. (143.9; tickets: 51.7) (charge: #66 13s.

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Lewis, but "Lewis being indisposed, Knight on Tuesday evening appeared as his substitute in Young Rapid" (True Briton, 19 Jan.).] Receipts: #437 16s. (431.1; 6.15)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull. Afterpiece: Translated (with alterations) from Detouches. Never perform'd before. Translation by Thomas Hull (Biographia Dramatica)