Event Comment: [Wroughton was from cg. This was his 1st appearance as a regular member of the dl company; he had previously acted at this theatre on one occasion, 1 Apr. 1780. Mrs Taylor was from the York theatre.] "On every first appearance, it falls to a performer to chuse their own parts. They do that part once, and in all probability they never do it again. We fear this will happen to Mrs Taylor. In Elwina there was nothing to recommend [but see 4 Oct., 27 Nov.]" (World, 1 Oct.). Receipts: #189 0s. 6d. (134.4.0; 53.9.0; 1.7.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Tragedy [by Hugh Kelly] never perform'd. The performance of Mrs Yates alone could have counteracted, for nine nights, its natural tendency towards damnation....A gentleman being asked, after one of the representations of this play, if he did not hiss it, replied "How could I? A Man can't hiss and yawn at the same time." (Biographia Dramatica.) [The advertisement to the 1771 edition thanks Mrs Yates, Bensley, Wroughton, "for their great good nature in undertaking their respective characters at the short notice of a week, when Mr Ross unexpectedly returned the part of Anselmo, which had been in his possession above a fortnight." This circumstance, continues the advertisement oblig'd Mr Bensley, cast for Palermo to undertake Mr Savigny's part, orginally Granville, Savigny taking Anselmo, and Wroughton Palermo." The play was brought on anonymously to avoid political repercussions associated with the name of the author.

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Wroughton as Lord Morelove and Henderson as Sir Charles Easy, but "an apology was made for the Illness of [Henderson], and Wroughton became his substitute, Wroughton's Place in Lord Morelove being supplied by Williamson from the Haymarket" {Public Advertiser 13 Feb.). Afterpiece in place of Rosina, announced on playbill of 10 Feb.] Receipts: #277 6s. (269/9; 7/17)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. Mainpiece: By Desire. Charges #66 3s. 6d.Profit to Wroughton #36 2s., plus #43 4s. from tickets (Box 105; Pit 113) Receipts: #102 5s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Robert Jephson. Prologue by the author (Gentleman's Magazine, Jan, 1782, p. 36). Another Prologue, by the Right Hon. Luke Gardiner, "not arriving in London time enough for the first exhibition of the Count of Narbonne, was not spoken" (ibid.). Epilogue by Richard Josceline Goodenough, but beginning with 20 Nov. it was superseded by a new Epilogue written by Edmond Malone (see text)]: With new Scenery and Dresses. Public Advertiser, 1 Nov.: The Management of The Count of Narbonne is . . . under very good Care: Mr Horace Walpole, with a Fondness nothing less than fatherly, directs that part of the Affair which respects the Scenes and Dresses, while Henderson takes Charge of the Rehearsals and the casting of inferior Parts... [Henderson] is to wear a Dress which is lent him from among the Antiquities at Strawberry Hill. "I have been at the theatre, and compromised the affair of the epilogues: one is to be spoken to-morrow, the friend's on the author's night. I have been tumbling into trap-doors, seeing dresses tried on in the green-room, and directing armour in the painting-room" (Walpole [16 Nov. 1781], XII, 95). "I never saw a more unprejudiced audience, nor more attention. There was not the slightest symptom of disapprobation to any part ... It is impossible to say how much justice Miss Younge did to your writing. She has shown herself a great mistress of her profession, mistress of dignity, passion, and of all the sentiments you have put into her hands. The applause given to her description of Raymond's death lasted some minutes, and recommenced; and her scene in the fourth act, after the Count's ill-usage, was played in the highest perfection. Mr Henderson was far better than I excepted from his weakness, and from his rehearsal yesterday, with which he was much discontented himself. Mr Wroughton was very animated, and played the part of the Count much better than any man now on the stage would have done. I wish I could say Mr Lewis satisfied me; and that poor child Miss Satchell was very inferior to what she appeared at the rehearsals, where the total silence and our nearness deceived us. Her voice has no strength, nor is she yet at all mistress of the stage. I have begged Miss Younge to try what she can do with her by Monday. However, there is no danger to your play: it is fully established" (Walpole [to the author, 18 Nov. 1781], XII, 95-96). Public Advertiser, 28 Nov. 1781: This Day is published The Count of Narbonne (price not listed). Receipts: #164 10s. 6d. (163/0/6; 1/10/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. Public Advertiser, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Wroughton at his house, Sadler's Wells. Receipts: #249 10s. 6d. (133.6.0; 22.7.0; 0.16.6; tickets: 93.1.0) (charge: #115 9s. 7d.)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Kemble as Macbeth, Wroughton as Banquo, and Palmer as Macduff, but "The Publick are respectfully informed that Mr Kemble being confined by Indisposition...Macbeth will be performed by Palmer, Macduff by Wroughton, Banquo by Packer" (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill). No mention is made of the Physician, but Jones was Packer's usual substitute in this part. See 11 Apr. 1796.] Receipts: #218 11s. 6d. (153.14.6; 61.11.6; 3.5.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Burton, Miss Heard, Miss Tidswell, & Mrs Bramwell. [2nd piece: With alterations by John Philip Kemble.] 3rd piece: Not acted these 6 years. "Of [Wroughton's] comedy something favourably must be said. His personations are usually natural, easy, and spirited; he is perhaps too locomotive: he cannot bear to stand still...To this peculiar bustle of his motion may be attributed much of his success in Sir John Restless [in All in the Wrong]...For the same reason, no man can play Ford with half the effect Wroughton does" (Monthly Mirror, Mar. 1796, p. 304). Morning Herald, 30 May: Tickets to be had of Miss Heard, No. 43, Haymarket [others not listed]. Receipts: #337 6s. 6d. (30.13.0; 40.16.6; 3.4.6; tickets: 260.10.0; odd money: 2.2.6) (charge: #202 11s.)

Event Comment: [This was Miss Farren's last appearance on the stage.] "On the conclusion of the play Wroughton came forward, and, instead of uttering the usual lines [i.e. giving out the play for the next night], delivered the following Address before the curtain dropped, all the Performers remaining on the Stage, and Miss Farren herself in a state apparently of much agitation. [Here follows the address (which is not listed on the playbill).] After Wroughton had delivered these lines, Miss Farren advanced and curtsied repeatedly" (True Briton, 10 Apr.). The address "was written by Sheridan during the performance of the comedy" (Morning Herald, 12 Apr.). "[Miss Farren's] figure is considerably above the middle height, and is of that slight texture which allows and requires the use of full and flowing drapery, an advantage of which she well knows how to avail herself...She possesses ease, vivacity, spirit and humour, and her performances are so little injured by effort, that we have often experienced a delusion of the senses, and imagined, what in a theatre it is so difficult imagine, the scene of action to be identified, and Miss Farren really the character she was only attempting to sustain" (Monthly Mirror, Apr. 1797, pp. 236-37). Account-Book: Renters, Free, Orders and Private Boxes at School for Scandal #199 9s. [The tally is also entered of 3,656 spectators in the theatre.] Receipts: #728 14s. 6d. (654.18.0; 70.7.0; 3.9.6; being the largest amount taken at this theatre, on a night not devoted to a benefit, between 1794 (when it was opened) and 1800)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. [Listed as Rotten in the Account Book.] Rec'd from tickets only #5 11s. (Box 12; Pit 17). Charges: 1!2 House charge, plus 1!2 value of tickets, plus half receipts amounted to #66 1s. 6d. and left the actor with an uncovered deficit of #5 19s. (Account Book), which he paid up on 20 May. Receipts; #60 3s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. Afterpiece: Never acted before. Tickets deliver'd for Theodosius will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years. [See 25 April 1767.] Charges #67 16s. 6d. Profit to Rotten [sic] #28 13s. 6d. plus #27 8s. from tickets (Box 76; Pit 56) (Account Book). Receipts: #96 10s

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Pantomime Entertainment not acted these eight years. [See 20 Oct. 1768.] New Scenes, Dresses and other Decorations. Doors open at 5 o'clock. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. Theatrical intelligence, Covent Garden: Mrs Hunter, lately returned from Ireland was very well receiv'd in Mrs Oakly, and to do her justice she played the part throughout better than it has been performed for some time at either house. The labourings of Mr Wroughton's jealousy in Oakly reminded us of the progressive workings of a fatt of small beer, when inflated with powerful yeast....Orpheus and Eurydice was reviv'd after the play-the dullest of all dull Pantomimes (Harlequin's Jacket excepted). The two additional scenes we were summoned by the bills to behold, are two of the late memorable regatta:-The first is a perspective of Ranelagh Gardensv to the water, illuminated with party-coloured lamps, which terminates with the temporary obelisk erected on that occasion:-Behind this we just catch the streamers of the barges and etc., supposed to be rowing up to the stairs, and landing their company, to martial music and under the discharge of cannon, imitated by the unnatural slamming of one of the Green Room doors. This scene, however, had a tolerable appearance, but being on too confined a scale, its intended effect must have been lost. The other represented the inside of as much of the Temple of Neptunev as was possible to give the spectators in a theatre:-we cannot extol it by any means as a perfect representation:-and to prevent it coming too near the original, Harlequin, Perot, Pantaloon, and etc. were made to lounge in the orchestra instead of its being occupied by a good band of music:-in short the whole pantomime went off rather flat. It is recommended to the managers here never to suffer the scene shifters to appear again in such garb as they did; old greasy plush waistcoats, with red-stocking sleeves!-such a habit may be in keeping with a blacksmaith's forge, but not for a theatre royal in the metropolis of a polished country (Folger News Clipping)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton.Morning Chronicle, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Wroughton at his house, Broad-Court. Receipts: #155 1s. (127.16; tickets:27.5) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years [not acted since 17 Feb. 1772]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [Miss Brunton's 1st appearance as Palmira was at Bath, 24 May 1785.] "By the inattention of those behind the scenes, the interest of the play was three or four times injured and interrupted by persons crossing the stage in sight of the audience" (Public Advertiser, 5 Apr.). Receipts: #228 12s. (164/2; 6/8; tickets: 58/2) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Kemble as Hamlet, but for his "indisposition an apology was made, and the audience requested to accept of Wroughton in his place--a request...no sooner asked than had" (World, 4 Dec.).] The Country Girl and Richard Coeur de Lion [both advertised on playbill of 1 Dec.] are obliged to be deferred, on Account of the Indisposition of a principal Performer. Receipts: #105 19s. 6d. (83.2.0; 21.7.6; 1.10.0)

Event Comment: Powell: Kemble being indisposed from a violent Bruise in his Arm (during the several times of his playing the Part of Macbeth) so as to render him incapable of attending the Theatre this evening, an Apology was made by Wroughton, and the Prologue was omitted. [The playbill retains Miss Menage in afterpiece, but she] being at the Italian Opera this Evening, Master Chatterley play'd her part in the Children in the Wood. Henry VIII rehearsed at 10 (for Banks and Dignum; Packer ill); The Jew at 12 (for Miss Farren and Miss Tidswell). Receipts: #322 5s. 6d. (248/0/0; 67/15/0; 6/14/6; tickets not come in: 0/6/0)

Event Comment: Boxes 6s. Second Price 3s. Pit 3s. 6d. Second Price 2s. Gallery 2s. Second Price 1s. Upper Gallery 1s. Second Price 6d. No Money to be returned. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 9 Nov.]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook, at his office, Little Russel Street. The Publick are respectfully informed that Mr Wroughton is appointed Acting Manager. [Playbills] Printed by C. Lowndes next the Stage-Door. Receipts: #281 6s. (195.10; 84.14.6; 1.1.6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Force of Ridicule; afterpiece of Richard Coeur de Lion, both advertised on playbill of 28 Nov.] "The new Comedy last night was deferred upon the pretext of Miss Farren's illness...The Manager sent after Mrs Siddons, who was found at Covent-Garden Theatre, seeing Abroad and at Home. Brandon, however, ordered her a chair, and she kindly performed Isabella. Wroughton read the Father" (Oracle, 30 Nov.). "For near an hour the audience waited patiently...At half past seven Palmer addressed the audience" He said that Miss Farren was ill, that to those who preferred to leave the theatre their money would be returned, and that instead of the new play Mrs Siddons would act Isabella, "as soon as the dresses could be prepared for that purpose. This address was by no means favourably received, and hundreds of persons immediately left the house. A few minutes after eight, the Curtain drew up to the tragedy, which was well performed, and much applauded by the few who remained to witness it" (Morning Herald, 30 Nov.). "November 30. Miss Farren last night refused to appear in a new Play at Drury Lane which made much confusion in the House. The cause assigned was indisposition but that was not believed by the audience; and the fact Lysons says is, that as she cannot obtain payment from the Theatre, she resolutely told them she wd. not appear unless her demands were paid...Such is the unprincipled conduct of Sheridan" (Diary of Joseph Farington, 1922, I, 174). [On 1 Dec. Morning Herald prints a letter from Miss Farren, from Green-street, Grosvenor-square. saying that she really was ill. The editor of the paper adds a note in which he affirms his positive knowledge that rumours about a dispute as to Miss Farren's unpaid salary were without foundation.] Receipts: #134 2s. (82.2; 50.18; 1.2)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Piece in 2 Acts [by William O'Brien] never perform'd. [Genest, V, 363, assigns parts as follows: Grub-$Shuter; Consol-$Quick; Chapeau-$Lewes; George Bevil-$Wroughton; Robin-$Dyer; Mrs Grub-$Mrs Green; Emily-$Mrs Bulkley; Jenny-$Mrs Kniveton. See playbill 8 Oct. 1773. Plot given in detail in Town and Country Magazine for this month.