Event Comment: Receipts: #86 (Account Book). Charges #81 15s. Profit to Society #4 5s., plus #106 17s. from tickets (Box 242; Pit 309) (Account Book). Benefit for Use of the Society at the Thatched-House Tavern For the release and discharge of persons imprisoned for small debts. [The Epilogue was written by Cumberland. (See Folger Library Theatrical Clippings). The Curtain rises and discovers a prison; at some distance a woman, poorly habited, and in a disconsolate attitude; after standing some time montionless, in a posture of fixed attention she speaks]: @Woman: Thou loathsome dungeon in whose dreary womb@The pining Debtor finds a living tomb;@Where 'midst the Clank of Chains and Dismal yells@Of shakled felons my sad husband dwells;@From his dark cell, oh give him to my view!@Let him look forth and take a last adieu.@ [As she advances towards the prison, a person in Gentleman's apparel accosts her.] @Man: Stay, Child of Sorrow, thou whose piercing groans@Might move to pity e'en these senseless stones.@Why dost thou bend thy melancholy way@To that Drear Dungeon? Child of Sorrow stay.@Woman: Why should I stay, or my sad Griefs impart?@Can there be pity in a Human heart?@Away and let me die.@ [...The Man suggests a Human heart can have pity] @Woman: If there be such, O lead me to their sight,@And let me plead a wretched sufferer's right:@Can there be Truth, Humanity or Sense@In laws that make Misfortune an offence?@ [Her husband was a God-fearing weaver who fell ill for 10 weeks, lost his job and was seized upon by a relentless creditor.] @Steel'd to their trade, and deaf to all our cries,@Relentless ruffians seize their legal prize;@From my fond arms a dying Husband tear@And plunge their victims in a dungeon there!@Man: Enough! go speak the healing words of peace@To thy sad mate, and bear him this release;@Tell him the Muse, which on these Scenes attend@That balsam to his wounded spirit sends.@And Know this Truth thyself, 'tis not alone@The Preacher's pulpit and the Monarch's throne@That Charity frequents; but in this age,@She guides the Theatre and treads the stage;@Lo! She is present, cast your eyes around,@And here in each Spectator's heart she's found.

Event Comment: Rec'd stopages #13 10s.; Paid salary list #565 1s.; Ph. Butler's gratuity 10s. 6d.; J. French on Acct #5 5s.; Mr Baddeley's Law Bill #4 7s. 3d. (Treasurer's Book). [Butler's gratuity occurs weekly from now to end of season. It amounted to #13 11s. 6d. for the season. Butler was a sceneman or carpenter. No further itemization in this matter will be noted.] Receipts: #109 12s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Relief of Persons Imprisoned for small Debts. The Provok'd Husband is oblig'd to be changed on account of Mrs Yates illness. Tickets delivered for that comedy will be taken. Rec'd stopages #14; Paid salary list #564 6s.; Mr Slingsby on note in full of #150 per order; #40, J. French on Acct #5 5s.; Mr Weston's Law Bill, #15 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #122 17s.; Charges: #84; Profits to Charity: #38 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mr Wright for Mr Bacon's law charges #9 9s.; Mr Damaria by order of Mr D. G. #8 8s. Receipts: #167 12s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for Massey. Afterpiece: Never performed in London, written by the author of The Son-In-Law [John O'Keeffe; 1st acted at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 14 Jan. 1767. See also cg, 16 Mar. 1782, when it was acted as The Positive Man]. To begin at 7:00. Tickets delivered for the 4th instant will be taken. Tickets and places for the Boxes to be had of Rice at the Theatre, and of Massey, No.4, St. Martin's-street, Leicester-Fields

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2]: Written by the Author of the Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Musick composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin, 1783.

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Separate Maintenance, announced on playbill of 3 Sept.] Afterpiece [1st time: MF 2]: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Musick composed by Dr Arnold. The new Scenes painted by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Larpent MS 568; text 1st published (authorized), Cumberland's British Theatre, XXXI.

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Afterpiece: As performed at the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket [beginning 6 Aug. 1779]; by the Author of the Son-in-Law, the Agreeable Surprise, &c. [John O'Keeffe]. [Prologue by George Colman, the elder.] Receipts: #195 9s. 6d. (161/11/6; tickets: 33/18/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Musick composed by Dr Arnold. "The same person who, in the play, performed the school-fellow of the Nabob with a great deal of nature, and original humour, here acted the part of the school-master; his name is Edwin, and he is, without doubt, one of the best actors of all that I have seen ... [He], in all his comic characters, still preserves something so inexpressibly good tempered in his countenance, that notwithstanding all his burlesques, and even grotesque buffoonery, you cannot but be pleased with him . . . Nothing could equal the tone and countenance of self-satisfaction, with which he answered one who asked him whether he was a scholar? 'Why, I was a master of scholars.' A Mrs Webb represented a cheesmonger, and played the part of a woman of the lower class, so naturally, as I have no where else ever seen equalled. Her huge, fat, and lusty carcase, and the whole of her external appearance seemed quite to be cut out for it" (Carl Philipp Moritz, Travels in England in 1782, London, 1924, pp. 73-74)

Event Comment: [2nd piece in place of The Spanish Barber; 3rd piece of The Son-in-Law, both announced on playbill of 15 June.] Public Advertiser, 18 June: The Spanish Barber will be repeated as soon as Miss Harper is sufficiently recovered to return to the Theatre

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. The Overture and New Music composed by Dr Arnold

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Lady Sneerwell to Miss Sherry, but on the Kemble playbill a MS annotation substitutes Mrs Whitfield. Miss Sherry was ill; she died early in October.] "Sheridan has also despised the faults of another school, trap claps. Not a word in The School for Scandal is to be found in praise of Laws, Jack Tars, Innocence, an Englishman's castellum, or Liberty" (Reynolds, II, 227). Receipts: #193 13s. 6d. (155/11/0; 37/12/6; 0/10/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Public Advertiser, 25 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis at his house in Broad-court, Bow-street. Afterpiece [1st time in London; co 2. MS: Larpent 620; not published]: Written by the Author of The Castle of Andalusia, The Agreeable Surprise, Son-in-Law, &c &c. [John O'KeefFe, 1st acted at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, 15 Apr. 1777, and altered in the CG season of 1783-84 as The Poor Soldier]. The Airs Select [ed by the author from] Irish [airs]. With a New Overture and Accompaniments by Shield, who composed the music of Rosina. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #256 9s. (201/10; tickets: 54/19) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, 10,239).] Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s.] The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. On 24 May Colman inserted the following in Public Advertiser: The Theatre Royal in the Haymarket will open next Saturday. In order to avoid unnecessary' Repetitions during the Season, the Public are desired, once for all, to take Notice that every Performance at this Theatre will be exhibited to most brilliant, crouded and OVERFLOWING audiences; and received with loud and universal Bursts of most UNBOUNDED and UNCOMMON Applause

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Suicide; afterpiece of Seeing is Believing and The Son-in-Law, all three announced on playbill of 2 Sept.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bannister. Afterpiece: Written by [John] O'Keeffe, Author of The Son-in-Law, Agreeable Surprise, Young Quaker, &c &c. Tickets to be had of Mrs Bannister, No. 6, Great Russel-strcet, Covent Garden

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by John O'Keeffe. Text (ist authorized) in Cumberland's British Theatre, Vol. xxxi]: Written by the Author of The Agreeable Surprise, Son-in-Law, &c. The Overture and new Airs composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [1st and 2nd pieces in place of Lord Russel, the Manager in Distress and The Son-in-Law, all three announced on playbill of 31 May.]

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By the Author of The Son-in-Law, Agreeable Surprise, &c. [John O'Keeffe]

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Chapter of Accidents: afterpiece of The Son-in-Law, both announced on playbill of 12 Sept.

Event Comment: [1st piece in place of The Son-in-Law, advertised on playbill of 12 June.

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of The Son-in-Law, advertised on playbill of 16 July.

Event Comment: The Publick is most respectfully informed that, in consequence of the sudden Indisposition of Edwin, The Son-in-Law and The Agreeable Surprise [both advertised on playbill of 22 June] are obliged to be postponed