Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of
Merope, announced on playbill of 4 Jan. "We played last night
Much Ado about Nothing, and had an apology to make for the change of three principal parts. About twelve o'clock
Mr Henderson sent word he was not able to play. We got
Mr Lewis from Covent Garden, who supplied the part of
Benedick. Soon after
Mr Parsons sent word he could not play.
Mr Moody supplied the part of
Dogberry; and about four in the afternoon
Mr Vernon sent word he could not play.
Mr Mattocks supplied his part of
Balthazar...In the middle of the first act, a message was brought me that
Mr Lamash (who was to play the part of
Borachio) was not come to the House. I had nobody there that could go on for it, so I was obliged to cut his scenes in the first and second acts entirely out, and got
Mr Wrighten to go on for the remainder of the part. At length we got the play over without the audience finding it out. We had a very bad house. Mr Parsons is not able to play in
The School for Scandal to-morrow night; do not yet know how we shall be able to settle that" (
Garrick, Private Correspondence, II, 328-29:
Hopkins, prompter,in letter to
Garrick, 6 Jan. 1779. He does not state who took
Wrighten's place as the
Sexton.).] On account of the sudden Illness of a Principal Performer, the new Pantomime [
The Wonders of Derbyshire, announced on playbill of 4 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred till Friday. Receipts: #74 11s. (48.19; 25.10; 0.2)