Event Comment: By Authority of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Stewart. Mainpiece: In its original state, as it was written by Allen Ramsay, in 1724 [recte 1725]. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2 (?)]: Taken [probably by the author] from The Students [by James Stewart. MS not in Larpent; not published]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. 'Tis hoped that none of Stewart's friends will expect to be admitted behind the scenes, as the audience will, and not without great reason, be much displeased at any such proceedings, nor will it upon any pretence whatever be complied with. No money returned after the curtain is drawn up. Ladies are requested to send their servants by Five to keep places. Tickets to be had at Walker's, the Globe, Pall-mall; the Edinburgh and Jamaica Coffee-houses, Cornhill; the St. Andrew, Wapping; of Denham, bookseller, No. 366, Hermitage Bridge, Wapping; at the Bouncing B Printing Office, Ratcliff Highway; at Stewart's china shop, No. 201, Ratcliff Highway, and at the Theatre, where places for the boxes may be taken

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F2, by Leonard Macnally. Author of Prologue unknown.]. Public Advertiser, 14 May 1782: This Day is published Retaliation (1s.). Receipts: #121 11s. 6d. (114/14/6; 6/17/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Zuchelli, Delpini & the Miss Stageldoirs. Mainpiece: With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan]. Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, author unknown]: The whole under the direction of Delpini and Zuchelli. The Music by the celebrated Chevalier Clough. An Historical Account of the Pantomime, with the Songs, may be had at the Theatre. Morning Herald, 27 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Zuchelli, No. 81, Hay-market; Ibid, 30 Apr.: of the Miss Stageldoirs at their house, No. 26, Crown-street, Little Russel-street, Covent-garden [Delpini not listed]. Receipts: #226 13s. (67/7; 28/12; 0/3; tickets: 130/11) (charge: #120 16s. 9d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by William Hodson, based on The Coffee House Politician, by Henry Fielding. Prologue by the author (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 2 May 1783: This Day is published The Adventures of a Night (ix.). Receipts: #166 7s. (112/9; 52/3; 0/10; tickets not come in: 1/5)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. The great Overflow from Covent-Garden Theatre, on Tuesday last, has induced many of Mr Bannister's Friends to desire he would again perform the Part of Polly. In Compliance with the Wish of those to whom he is under so many Obligations, he will, this Evening, make his Appearance in that Character, for the last Time of his appearing in Petticoats [but see 3, 13 May]. Tickets delivered for Alexander and Acis and Galatea will be admitted. Receipts: #276 10s. 6d. (167/11/6; tickets: 108/19/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Hannah Cowley. Authors of Prologue and Epilogue unknown.]. Public Advertiser, 27 May 1784: This Day is published More Ways than One (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #208 15s. (205/14/6; 3/0/6)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. By Desire of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, who on this occasion will attend in proper cloathing, and the different Regalias of their Order. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, author unknown. MS: Larpent 685; not published. Author of Prologue unknown]. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had at the Globe in Pall-mall; the Black Horse, Coventry-street; the Castle, in Castle-Court, Cornhill; the Rose Coffee-house in the Old Bailey; the Half Moon Tavern, Cheapside; and at the Theatre, where places for the boxes may be taken. Great care will be taken to have the House well aired

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time in London; T 3, by William Hayley, 1st acted at Chichester, late in May 1784. Text in his Plays . . . for a Private Theatre (T. Cadell, 1784). Prologue by George Colman, the elder (European Magazine, Aug. 1784, p. 165). Contrary to the usual custom on the 1st night of a new play, the parts on this occasion are assigned]. "Palmer had done with Lord Russel as he did with many other characters, that is, totally neglected to study the words of the part . . . Whenever he felt himself at a loss he dexterously introduced some passages from The Earl of Essex, which he contrived to fit into the cues received by Lord Russel." His brother, R. Palmer, who told this anecdote to Boaden, said that the audience suspected nothing amiss (Boaden, Kemble, I, 193)

Event Comment: Benefit for Booth. Mr Booth respectfully hopes his close Attention to the several Departments he occupies in the Theatre will be a sufficient Excuse for his not personally waiting on his Friends. [Public Advertiser, 22 Mar., notes that since Wild's accident [see 11 May] Booth had been acting as prompter.] Public Advertiser, 14 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Booth at his house in Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT I, compiler unknown]: The Music compiled from the most eminent Masters

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years [not acted since 17 Feb. 1772]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [Miss Brunton's 1st appearance as Palmira was at Bath, 24 May 1785.] "By the inattention of those behind the scenes, the interest of the play was three or four times injured and interrupted by persons crossing the stage in sight of the audience" (Public Advertiser, 5 Apr.). Receipts: #228 12s. (164/2; 6/8; tickets: 58/2) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: A new Serious Opera [1st time; SER 2, librettist unknown; a pasticcio]; the Music by Tarchi [who wrote Rubinelli's part, and by Anfossi, Cherubini, Piccinni]. "Rubinelli is a musician of the first class . . . His voice and his science, though both pre-eminent, are never forced forward beyond their proper rank, which, in a musician, is the rank of subserviency to the feelings. The musician that is not felt is no musician" (Public Advertiser, 6 May)

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera [1st time; COM 2], written by Charles Francis Badini, and set to music by Pasquale Anfossi. "The Author has . . . struck out ideas fit to excite the utmost powers of harmony. We do not think that he has been sufficiently seconded by Signor Anfossi. The music evidently labours under a tedious monotony" (General Advertiser, 22 May)

Event Comment: Benefit for Babbini. A Serious Opera [1st time; ser 3, by Giovanni de Gamerra]; the Music entirely new by Michele Mortellari. Public Advertiser, 23 May: Tickets to be had of Babbini, No. 17, Great Pulteney-street, Goldensquare

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Robert Jephson and John O'Keeffe, i.e. an abridgement by O'Keeffe of Jephson's The Campaign (see 12 May 1785). Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of plot in Universal Magazine, Mar. 1787, p. 155]: With new Scenes, Dresses, &c. A new Overture composed by the celebrated Haydn. The Airs by Gretry, Hook, J. C.? Bach, Paisiello, Duny [recte Duni], Carolan, Shield and Tenducci. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #265 11s. 6d. (257.11.6; 8.0.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not performed these 5 years. In 3 acts; altered from Dryden. [Both Kemble and Moss were from the Edinburgh theatre. Address by George Colman elder (European Magazine, ibid).] Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Charles Dibdin. London Chronicle, 17 May, refers to it as "from the French"]: The Musick composed by Dibdin. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser. 7 July: This Day is published Harvest Home (1s.). Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice, at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s

Event Comment: Artaxerxes [announced on playbill of 21 May] is obliged to be deferred on account of the Indisposition of a principal Performer. Afterpiece [1st time; C 3, by Elizabeth Inchbald. Prologue by Henry Sampson Woodfall, Jun. (see text)]: Taken from the celebrated piece called Guerre Ouverte; ou, Ruse Contre Ruse [by Antoine Jean Bourlin, dit Dumaniant]. Public Advertiser, 1 Dec. 1787: This Day is published The Midnight Hour (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #74 5s. (70.2; 4.3)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wrighten, prompter. 2nd piece [1st time; M.INT I]. Public Advertiser, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Wrighten, New Buildings, Hemming's Row, St. Martin's Lane. Receipts: #250 6s. (38.14; 19.15; 1.7; tickets: 190.10) (charge: #109 8s. 2d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Webb. [The playbill has, as on 26 Apr., Rosa(1st time)-Mrs Mountain. But this may be a misprint.] Receipts: #145 4s. (72.13.6; 9.13.6; tickets: 63.17.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wild. 1st Piece: 1st Time at this Theatre, and with Permission of G. Colman, Esq. [owner of the copyright]; written by Joseph Atkinson, Esq. [i.e. altered from his The Mutual Deception (see hay, 29 Aug. 1786)]. 2nd piece: Not acted these 2 years. 3rd piece: Not acted these 7 years [acted 23 May 1783]. Receipts: #225 0s. 6d. (113.0.6; 5.5.0; tickets: 106.15.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by the Hon. John St.John. Prologue by William Fawkener.-Epilogue by the author (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 1 May 1789: This Day is published Mary Queen of Scots (1s. 6d.). [As afterpiece the playbill announces Who's the Dupe?, but it was not acted. Kemble Mem. lists the substitute play.] Receipts: #240 9s. (226.4.0; 13.8.6;0.16.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [C 5, by the Hon. Henry Seymour Conway, adapted from Les Dehors Trompeurs; ou, L'Homme du Jour, by Louis de Boissy; incidental music by Michael Kelly. Prologue by the author. Epilogue by John Burgoyne (see text)]: 1st time at a public theatre. With new Scenes and Dresses. [This was 1st acted on 31 May 1788 at the private theatre in the town house of the Duke of Richmond, which was situated on what is now Richmond Terrace, Whitehall. It was demolished in 1819.] Diary, 16 June 1789: This Day is published False Appearances (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #138 3s. (114.15.0; 22.5.6; 1.2.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Baddeley. 3rd piece [1st time; INT I, probably by Robert Baddeley. Not in Larpent MS; not published]: Taken from [The Lame Lover, by] the late Samuel Foote, Esq. Public Advertiser, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Baddeley, No. 10, New Store-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #297 16s. (74.14; 8.12; 0.19; tickets: 213.11) (charge: #117 16s. 4d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; M. INT I, by George Colman elder. Prologue by the author (see text, T. Cadell, 1789)]: Founded on Hogarth. With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The Music by Dr Arnold. The Scenes painted by Rooker. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. "A burlesque, taken from Hogarth's celebrated print of 'The Enraged Musician,' in which the poet has given a very entertaining personification of the ideas of the painter" (Universal Magazine, May 1789, p. 268). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had of Rice, at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 6:00, and begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]

Event Comment: Benefit for Delpini. 3rd piece: 1st time at that Theatre [1st acted at the Royalty, 13 Aug. 1787]. Delpini's Grand, Tragic, Comic, Pantomimical Entertainment in 2 acts. With new Dresses and Decorations. The Music composed by Gluck, the Airs and Duett by Reeve. Public Advertiser, 9 May: Tickets to be had of Delpini, No. 17, Tavistock-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #224 11s. (114.2; 7.18; tickets: 102.11)