Event Comment: Benefit for Didelot. Tickets to be had of Didelot, No. 8, Hay-market. 2nd ballet: 1st time, composed by Didelot, the Music entirely new by Cesare Bossi

Event Comment: Benefit for Shade, Cameron, Wood, Wilson, Dangerfield, Irish, Nix, Edwards, Wooldridge, Panchaud, Cole, Gray, Hough [box-keepers]. The Last Time of the Company's Performing this Season. Receipts: #85 0s. 6d. (42.0.6; 40.6.6; 2.13.6; tickets: none listed) (charge: #204 14s. 10d.)

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time: MF 2, by Samuel James Arnold. Larpent MS 1176; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Herald, 27 June]: The Musick, with an Hibernian Medley Overture, by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: [2nd piece in place of The Battle of Hexham, advertised on playbill of 26 June.] The Publick is respectfully informed that alterations are now making in The Irish Legacy: it will be in a few days represented for the second time. [But it was not acted again.

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; MD 3, by James Boaden]: With new Musick, Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations. The Overture and Musick by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Marinari, Rooker, &c. Morning Herald, 26 Aug. 1797: This Day is published The Italian Monk (2s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Johnstone. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, but Walley Chamberlain Oulton; music by Thomas Attwood. Larpent MS 1178; not published]. True Briton, 23 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Johnstone, No. 19, Piazza, Covent-Garden

Event Comment: On account of the Indisposition of the lady who was to have appeared in the character of Lady Emily, The Heiress [advertised on playbill of 5 Oct.] is deferred till Saturday next. Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Walsh Porter. Larpent MS 1180; not published]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Songs, Duetts, &c. composed by Kelly. The Overture by Shaw. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. [Master Elliot had previously appeared in the oratorios at cg.] Receipts: #368 14s. 6d. (239.10.0; 127.16.6; 1.8.0)

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time; M. INT 1]: With a Naval Medley Overture. Receipts: #375 7s. 6d. (350.16.6; 24.11.0)

Event Comment: 2nd piece: Compressed for First Time into two acts, with several new Airs, &c. [Miss Sims was from the Theatre, Sadler's Wells.] Receipts: #259 17s. (253.15; 6.2)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Frederick Reynolds. Prologue and Epilogue by John Taylor (see text)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Morning Herald, 3 Nov. 1797: This Day is published Cheap Living (2s.). Receipts: #348 14s. 6d. (283.4.0; 62.18.6; 2.12.0)

Event Comment: "It was with extreme regret that we perceived the ravages of time in the person of [Mrs Crawford, who had not acted in London since 12 Apr. 1785], tho' we were much consoled in observing that his influence is not equally apparent in her abilities...The blaze is gone, but there is a richness in the setting lustre...Kemble is evidently [Johnston's] model, and he followed him so closely, as even to the crossing of the legs in dying; so that where he was best, his efforts seemed to be the effect of imitation" (True Briton, 24 Oct.). "Mrs Crawford has had her day; but the sun of her genius has long sunk beneath the horizon...Many parts of her performance, we were sorry to observe, evinced the most evident decline of powers, and her tremulous accents, the debility of which was rendered the more striking from the want of several teeth, proclaimed that her days of play and action were nearly brought to a close...She was received with reiterated plaudits throughout...Nature has been very bountiful in supplying [Johnston] with a voice of much compass and melody, but he does not appear to have paid much attention to the cultivation of her favours. His transitions are often abrupt, and sometimes discordant; and the management of his tones is of so strange a nature that it appears more like two distinct voices than a judicious modulation of his natural accents" (Morning Herald, 24 Oct.). Receipts: #260 9s. (253.4.6; 7.4.6)

Event Comment: "We consider Madame Mara, to use vulgar phrase, as upon he last legs...[Her] Polly is downright burlesque; her figure, countenance, and time of life are directly repugnant to our ideas of the character; and her foreign accent and gesticulation complete the absurdity" (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1797, p. 299). "Mme Mara is merely a singer; her voice is by no means calculated to give effect to the dialogue of the part; and her performance, although she appears to have paid considerable attention to the degree of action necessary for the part, is greatly deficient in point of feeling...Her deficiency in person and performance, however, is amply compensated for in her ability as a singer" (Morning Herald, 26 Oct.) Receipts: #329 16s. (324.6; 5.10)

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: Afterpiece: 7th Time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season, and for 19 Oct.]. Receipts: #296 13s. (243.8.6; 51.8.0; 1.16.6)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, by Andrew Franklin. It refers to the King's departure from Greenwich on the Royal Charlotte yacht, 30 Oct. 1797, to visit Lord Duncan's fleet at the Nore. The visit was subsequently cancelled because of inclement weather]: With new Scenery, and Machinery. The Music partly new [by William Linley] and partly compiled; with an introductory Full Piece. In the course of the Piece a View of Greenwich Hospital, and an exact Representation of the Departure of the Royal Yatch [sic]. To conclude with a View of the British Fleet, and the Dutch Prizes [taken at Camperdown. 11 Oct.]. [These were included in all subsequent performances.] Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. Morning Herald, 16 Nov. 1797: This day is published A Trip to the Nore (1s.). Receipts: #317 5s. 6d. (234.8.6; 76.10.6; 6.6.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by John Cartwright Cross, altered from The Hue and Cry, by Elizabeth Inchbald. Larpent MS 1184; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Herald, 14 Nov.]: The Overture and Music composed by Reeve. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #268 4s. (264.4; 4.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Author of Prologue unknown. Epilogue by the author (Knapp, p. 302)]. [Afterpiece in place of Netley Abbey, advertised on playbill of 22 Nov.] Morning Herald, 6 Dec. 1797: To-morrow will be published False Impressions (2s.). Receipts: #165 16s. (161.13; 4.3)

Event Comment: "Opera, for first time. Dance of 'Bacchus and Ariadne.' We have advanced to the point of seeing people dance naked" (Windham Diary (9 Dec. 1797), p. 383)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 7th Time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous sesaon]. The Overture and the rest of the Music composed and selected by Shield. The Harp by Weippert. Receipts: #118 9s. 6d. (112.10.0; 5.19.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 1, by John O'Keeffe. Larpent MS 1188; not published]: The Overture and Music by Attwood. European Magazine, Jan. 1798, p. 42: Written with allusion to Their Majesties' attendance at St. Paul's [on this day, at a thanksgiving service held in honor of the recent naval victories of Howe, St. Vincent and Duncan]. Receipts: #289 17s. (286.11; 3.6)