Event Comment: Benefit for Morris and Lewes. Tickets for Zara will be taken. Charges #68 2s. 6d. Deficit to actors #26 18s. covered by income from tickets: Morris #81 10s. (Box 49; Pit 275; Gallery 200); Lewes #87 16s. (Box 70; Pit 326; Gallery 214) (Account Book). Receipts; #41 4s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Davis and Perry. Charges #64 5s. Deficit to actors #25 7s. 6d. covered by income from tickets: Davis #77 7s. (Box 80; Pit 291; Gallery 137); Perry #53 19s. (Box 27; Pit 158; Gallery 235) (Account Book). Receipts: #38 17s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wignell and Barnshaw. As the Indisposition of the vocal performers renders it impossible to perform the Jovial Crew, Messrs Wignell and Barnshaw, hope their Friends will honour them with their company to the above Comedy, to which, tickets delivered for the Jovial Crew, will be taken. Charges #64 10s. Deficit to actors #25 2s. covered by income form tickets: Wignell #85 (Box 69; Pit 347; Gallery 157); Barnshaw #96 1s. (Box 88; Pit 381; Gallery 169) (Account Book). Mrs Paddick paid up her 1!2 value of tickets for the 6th Inst. Paid Kirkman for a new Harpsichord and tuning the old one #62 3s. (Account Book). Receipts: #39 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy of 3 Acts [by George Colman] never performed. [In the Shakespearean Pageant, with figures from seventeen of his plays, the chief effectiveness lay with the Musicians who ushered in each group with appropriate music: Martial Music-The Roman Characters of Coriolanus and Julius Caesar; Soft Music-Antony and Cleopatra; Grand Music, Old English Characters-King John, Richard III, Henry VIII: Magical Music, "above, about, underneath" for Prospero; Macbeth's Music; Fairy Music-Oberon and Titania; Solemn Music for Tragic Muse accompanied by Othello, Hamlet, the Ghost, Mad Ophelia and Lear with Cordelia; Dead March in Saul-Juliet's Bier with attendants; Allegro for the Comic Muse-Falstaff, Touchstone, Launcelot, Malvolio; Andante-Florizel and Perdita, Portia Antonio and Bassanio; Flourish-for Car drawn by the muses carrying Shakespeare's Bust; Final Song by Mrs Mattocks, "Sweetest Bard that Ever Sung, Nature's glory, Fancy's Child--." The Prelude is, in print, entirely favorable to Garrick's effort at Stratford. But it could be rendered in a mercilessly ironical manner if the three participating actors so chose. Mainpiece reviewed in the Freeholder's Magazine, Oct.] Receipts: #224 10s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy [by Richard Cumberland] never performed. [Genest, V, 282, reports that Garrick was in the House this night and was agreeably surprised at the complimentary reference to him in the Epilogue: Who but has seen the celebrated strife Where Reynolds calls the Canvass into life: And, 'twixt the Tragic, and the Comic Muse, Courted of both, and dubious where to chuse, Th'immortal Actor stands?' A long retelling of the plot appeared in the Freeholder's Magazine for Dec., concluding: This comedy was received with great applause by the Audience. It is said to be written by Mr Cumberland, who has already oblig'd the Public with a musical piece, called the Summer's Tale. The Performers, particularly Mr Smith, Mr Woodward, Mr Yates, Mrs Green, Mrs Bulkley, and Mrs Yates, did great justice to their characters. The Prologue was spoken by Mr Smith, and the Epilogue, which alluded to the celebrated picture of Sir Joshua Reynolds, where Comedy and Tragedy are contending for Mr Garrick, by Mrs Yates." Receipts: #215 18s

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewes and Morris. [Shuter played Richard By Particular Desire.] Charges #69 12s. Balance due actors #4 2s. 6d. apiece, plus income from tickets: LeLewes #96 6s. (Box 119; Pit 293; Gallery 226); Morris #99 19s. (Box 105; Pit 270; Gallery 332) Account Book. Receipts: #77 17s

Event Comment: Doors open by 5 o'clock. Play to begin at 6 o'clock. Winston MS 10: 7 Sept. Garrick has given two silver cups to be play'd for at cricket between Chertsey and Hampton. [The Town and Country Magazine for this month (from Theatre No XX) gives much about actors employed at both patent theatres, their relationships and articles of agreement.

Event Comment: Benefit towards the Increase of a Fund for the Support of such actors, and their Families, who through Age or Infirmity are oblig'd to retire from the stage

Event Comment: By Authority. By Particular Desire. [It was advertised for the fifth, but indisposition of an actor dictated its postponement.

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. [During this year appeared Miscellanies in Prose and Verse by Catherine Jemmat containing numerous tributes in verse to various actors--Woodward, Sowdon, Mrs Woffington, Barry--when they were in Ireland.

Event Comment: Timanthes and the Citizen oblig'd to be deferr'd on account of Indisposition of Mrs Yates and Mrs Mattocks. Benefit for the increase of a Fund, for the support of such actors and their families who through age or infirmity are oblig'd to retire from the stage (playbill). Charges #70 12s. 6d. Profit to the Fund #68 1s. 6d. plus [apparently] #10 from sale of 40 Box Tickets (Account Book). Receipts: #138 14s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. [See Town and Country Magazine this month (pp. 171-72) for two columns on theatrical amusements in England: The English stage is as elegant and well conducted as any theatre in Europe, whether we consider the music, the actors, or the decorations."

Event Comment: Rec'd #59 from various actors for their deficiencies last season, and #4 6d. from Phillips for old cloaths. Paid for a Lottery Ticket No. 51,822, #13 (Account Book). Receipts: #113 7s

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Added By Particular Desire. Rec'd from Mr Baks for his deficiency in 1771 #8 5s. 3d., and from Miss Stede her half value of tickets for same season. Rec'd #34 13s. 9d. from Davis, Curtat, Merrifield and Mrs Hartley for their deficiencies last season (Account Book). [Perhaps pressure was put on these actors and dancers to balance their accounts with the theatre before another benefit could be allowed to them.] Receipts: #229 11s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by Richard Cumberland] never performed there. Paid John Doe for sticking Black Bills #3 12s. Paid Cooper (printer) as per bill #20 2s. (Account Book). [The Westminster Magazine held in reserve its judgment on Lewis as an actor until the reviewer could see him in another part.] Receipts: #137 4s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Both pieces By Command of their Majesties. Present Their Majesties. Gave Yeomen of Guards #2 2s. (Account Book). [Winston MS 10 suggests (from Burney Actor's MS) that Wignell died this day. If so his name is carried in the Bill for the Sylphs until 26 Jan., and he appears regularly upon the payroll through Sat 29 Jan. On this latter occasion he is marked for only half his customary salary, and does not appear thereafter. He would seem to have died in the middle of the week of 22-29 Jan. 1774.] Receipts: #243 1s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By Particular Desire (Public Advertiser). The Eighth Lecture, The School of Shakespeare, in the Apollo, the Devil's Tavern, Temple Bar, this evening,--instructive and entertaining on the tragedy of Macbeth, in which several celebrated passages of that play will be shewn to have been totally mistaken by the best actors and commentators. Previously to which will be read observations, serious and comic, in answer to correspondents. After the lecture (By Desire) the first act of Falstaff's Wedding. To Begin at Seven o'clock. Admission 2s. [Wm Kenrick's lectures.

Event Comment: Benefit for Aickin. The Tragedy of All for Love, which was to have been performed this evening, is oblig'd to be changed, on account of the indisposition of Mrs Barry and Miss Younge; therefore Mr Aickin humbly hopes that his friends will accept of the Tempest in its stead. Tickets deliver'd for All for Love will be taken. Paid extra flute and hautboy 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Aickin did not act (Winston MS 10). [This month published The Sentimental Spouter; or, Young Actor's Companion. The whole comprising the essence of theatrical delivery, and the beauties of dramatic poetry. Price 1s. 6d. Printed for Wheble (Gentleman's Magazine Register).] Receipts: #123 14s. 6d. Charges: #74 14s. Profit to F. Aickin: #49 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bulkley. Mainpiece: A New Comedy [by a Lady] never perform'd in this Kingdom. As performed with Universal Applause at the Theatre Royal in Dublin. [The Edition of 1774 lists the Irish Actors. The characters are: Mowbray, Sir Thomas O'Shaughnesy; Admiral Swivel; Leslie; Egerton; Capt. Egerton; Issacher; Donald M'Pherson; Strap; Elfrida Audley; Henrietta Egerton; Mrs Ornel; Mrs Issacher; Jenny, a Mantua Maker, a Maid; French servants and porters. Genest suggests a casting for ten of the characters.] Charges: #66 6s. 6d. Profit to Mrs Bulkley #33 17s., plus #93 13s. from tickets Box 232; Pit 177; Gallery 91). Paid Mrs Carne half year' salary due Lady day last #15. Paid half year's water rent due Xmas last #4. Receipts: #100 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [The Westminster Magazine for October presented brief critical comments upon eight new actors at Covent Garden who performed this month: Mr and Mrs Whitefield, Young, Clinch, a young Lady (Mrs Armstead), Lee, Melmoth and Mrs Hunter.

Event Comment: The Managers have given orders that no performer shall appear behind the scenes who is not concerned in the business of the night. The performers now come on and go off without interruption, and the audience in the Upper Boxes are no longer insulted with the monkey tricks of the unemployed actors who used to infest the wings (Folger news clipping from the Morning Post 28 Sept.)