Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay-Market. Receipts: #168 13s. (97.0.6; 69.9.6; 2.3.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time: MD 5, by James Boaden]: With new Musick [by Michael Kelly], Dresses, and Decorations. [Scenery by Capon (Theatre Notebook, XIX, 14).] Morning Chronicle, 16 Jan. 1799: This Day is published Aurelio and Miranda (2s.). Receipts: #271 16s. (218.15.0; 51.19.6; 1.1.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 2, by George Colman, ynger]: With new Musick, Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations. The Musick entirely new, composed by Kelly with an overture by Dussek]. The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood? Jun, with the assistance of Chalmers and Banks. The Machinery, Decorations and Dresses designed and under the direction of Johnston, and executed by him, Underwood and Gay. The Female Dresses designed and executed by Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "We have to congratulate the town on the acquisition of three admirable dramatic writers, in the persons of Johnston, Greenwood, and Miss Rein, who have here exhibited a specimen of the Sublime and Beautiful which it will be difficult, indedd, to surpass" (Monthly Mirror, Jan. 1799, p. 47). [This piece is "an exhibition of music and dialogue, pantomime and dancing, painting and machinery, antique dresses and armour, thunder and lightning, fire and water, illumination, processions, banquets, battles, sieges, explosions, and everything that can surprize, enchant or terrify the spectators" (Morning Chronicle, 21 Jan.). Morning Chronicle, 16 Feb. 1799: This Day is published Feudal Times (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #483 15s. 6d. (381.10.6; 100.6.6; 1.18.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, adapted from Die Spanier in Peru, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Prologue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (consisting of the 1st 30 lines and the concluding couplet of his Prologue to The Miniature Picture); Epilogue by the Hon. William Lamb (see text). For publication see 1 July]: The Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations entirely new. The Musick, Airs and Chorusses incidental to the Piece composed and selected [from Gluck, Sacchini, &c. (Morning Chronicle, 25 May)] by Kelly. The Symphony preceding the Play, and those between the Acts, composed for the occasion by Dussek. The Scenery designed and executed by Marinari, Greenwood? Jun, Demaria, Banks, Blackmore, &c. [See Theatre Notebook, XX, 30-32, for suggestion that one scene was designed by DeLoutherbourg.] The Machinery, Decorations, and Dresses under the direction of Johnston, and executed by him, Underwood, and Gay. The Female Dresses designed and executed by Miss Rein. Account-Book, 14 May: Paid Miss Anne? Plumtree [i.e. Plumptree] for Spaniards in Peru #25. [It was this translation of Kotzebue's play that Sheridan adapted for the stage as Pizarro. For an account of the relationship between the translation and its adaptation see Marcella Gosch, "'Translators' of Kotzebue in England," Monatshefte fur deutschen Unterricht, XXXI, 178-83.] Paid Johnston [on this and other days] for sundries for Pizarro #135 14s. "It requires certainly more than English patience and spirits to sustain any Play of five hours in length. It is not one of the worst features of Pizarro that it contains a great deal which may be spared, without injury to the piece [see 25, 27 May]" (Morning Chronicle, 25 May). Receipts: #540 3s. 6d. (406.0.6; 17.5.0; 0.4.0; tickets sold by Fosbrook's Office: 116.14.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 32nd Night [i.e, in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. The Scenery, Dresses and Decorations entirely New. The Musick, Airs and Chorusses incidental to the Piece composed by Kelly. The Symphony preceding the Play, and those between the Acts, composed for the occasion by Dussek. The Scenery designed and executed by Marinari, Greenwood, Demaria, Banks, Blackmore, &c. The Machinery, Decorations and Dresses under the Direction of Johnston, and executed by him, Underwood and Gay. The Female Dresses designed and executed by Miss Rein. Account-Book lists the attendance as follows:@1st Account Spectators Receipts@Boxes Pit 1st Gallery Upper Gallery@1162 348!12@706 123!11@583 58!6@312 15!12@Total 2763 546!1@2nd Account Spectators Receipts@300 45!0@13 1!6@23 1!3@14 0!7@Total 350 47!16@. Total of spectators 3113. Receipts: #595 5s. (546.1; 47.16; 1.8)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Joanna Baillie. "Adapted to the stage by J. P. Kemble" (note in his hand on Kemble playbill), Text in the author's A Series of Plays (T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, 1798). Prologue by the Hon. Francis North; Epilogue by Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Larpent MS 1287)]: The Scenery, Musick, Dresses, and Decorations entirely new. The Musick of the Third Act composed by Shaw [and sung by Sedgwick (Dramatic Censor, II, 162)] and of the Second and Fourth Acts by Kelly. The Scenes designed by Greenwood? Jun and Capon, and executed by them, Banks, &c. The Dresses and Decorations designed by Johnston, and executed under his direction by Gay and Underwood. The Female Dresses designed and executed by Miss Rein. Receipts: #308 12s. 6d. (264.3.0; 43.15.6; 0.14.0)

Event Comment: In Herbert, Dramatic Records, p. 82, is a list of the plays acted by the Red Bull actors: The Humorous Lieutenant. Beggars Bushe. Tamer Tamed. The Traytor. Loves Cruelty. Wit without Money. Maydes Tragedy. Philaster. Rollo Duke of Normandy. Claricilla. Elder Brother. The Silent Woman. The Weddinge. Henry the Fourthe. Merry Wives of Windsor. Kinge and no Kinge. Othello. Damboys [Bussy D'Ambois]. The Unfortunate Lovers. The Widow. This list (see Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 203) apparently concerns plays revived by this company, some before 10 Sept. 1660, some afterward. (See also the list of plays at the opening of the season and also 6 and 23 June 1660.

Event Comment: The King's Company. Richard Legh, writing to his wife, 3 Jan. 1667@7, reported to her concerning this play: which is so damn'd bawdy that the Ladyes flung their peares and fruites at the Actors (Lady Newton, The House of Lyme, p. 240). Pepys, Diary: Alone to the King's House, and there saw The Custome of the Country, the second time of its beind acted, wherein Knipp does the Widow well; but, of all the plays that ever I did see, the worst--having neither plot, language, nor anything in the earth that is acceptable; only Knipp sings a little song admirably. But fully the worst play that ever I saw or I believe shall see

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This date marks the opening of the new theatre in Dorset Garden. Downes (Roscius Anglicanus, p. 31): The new Theatre in Dorset-Garden being Finish'd, and our Company after Sir William's Death, being under the Rule and Dominion of his Widow the Lady Davenant, Mr Betterton and Mr Harris, (Mr Charles Davenant her Son Acting for her) they remov'd from Lincolns-Inn-Fields thither. And on the Ninth Day of November 1671, they open'd their new Theatre with Sir Martin Marral, which continu'd Acting 3 Days together, with a full Audience each Day; notwithstanding it had been Acted 30 Days before in Lincolns-Inn-Fields, and above 4 times at court. [This play is also on the L. C. lists at Harvard. See VanLennep, "Plays on the English Stage", p. 18: Sir Martin.

Event Comment: At Widow Barnes'/Booth, over against the Cross Daggers in Smithfield

Event Comment: At the Widow Barnes-Evans-Finley Booth. Be pleas'd to take notice, that there is no Rope-Dancing at Mr Penkethman's Booth

Event Comment: For the Benefit of the Author'd Widow and Children

Event Comment: [By Ambrose Phillips.] At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. William Egerton: And in the Spring came on Mr Phillips's Tragedy, The Distrest Mother. Mrs Rogers, an Actress, who in her Turn, had made a considerable Figure on the Stage, was designed the Part of (Andromache, Hector's Widow, &. i.e.) the Distrest Mother. But the Author, as well as his Friends, were soon convinced that Mrs Oldfield was infinitely the more accomplished Person for so Capital a Part. Upon its being given to Her, Mrs Rogers raised a Posse of Profligates, fond of Tumult and Riot, who made such a Commotion in the House, that the Court hearing of it send four of the Royal Messengers, and a strong Guard, to suppress all Disorders. This being effected, the Play was brought upon the Stage and crowned with deserved Success (Egerton, pp. 31-32)

Event Comment: Benefit the Widow and Children of Christian Steffkins. At 6 p.m. Tickets 5s

Event Comment: Benefit Rawlins and Cook. Tickets for The Amorous Widow taken this Day. Receipts: #66 6s

Event Comment: Benefit the Widow Armstrong. At 6 p.m

Event Comment: Benefit Keene's Widow. At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality

Event Comment: Benefit the Widow Bowen

Event Comment: Benefit Widow of Keene

Event Comment: At Bullock and the Widow Leigh's Great Booth, in the Greyhound Inn Yard. An excellent new Droll

Event Comment: Benefit Widow of Keene

Event Comment: Benefit Widow Bowen. At the particular oesire of several Ladies of Quality