Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Harwood, late prompter of the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane. Harwood's respectful compliments to his Friends in particular, and the publick in general, and assures them every effort in his power shall be exerted to render the Evening's Entertainment agreeable, and humbly hopes for their well-known candour and protection on the above occasion. Tickets and Places to be had of Harwood, next door to Drury-Lane Theatre, Little Russel-street, Covent Garden. [Harwood was prompter at dl from 1780 to 1786. Hooke was from cg.] Afterpiece: Written by the late Samuel Foote, Esq

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. Mainpiece: In Act I Banquetv. [In Act IV] the Procession from the Abbeyv, at the Coronation of Anne Bullen . To conclude with the Ceremonial of a Royal Christeningv. Public Advertiser, 9 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house in Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #289 8s. (202.6; 2.1; tickets: 85.1)

Event Comment: The Last Time of the Company's performing this Season. Account-Book, 21 July: Received of Their Majesties and the Princess Royal #66. Receipts: #206 6s. 6d. (195.1.0; 10.8.0; 0.17.6)

Event Comment: [Lamash had originally acted at this theatre from 1774 to 1782]. Receipts: #190 9s. 6d. (143.18.0; 46.5.6; 0.6.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In Act I The Banquetv. [In Act IV] the Procession from the Abbeyv at the Coronation of Anne Bullenv. To conclude with the Ceremonial of a Royal Christeningv. Receipts: #145 13s. 6d. (143.15.0; 1.18.6)

Event Comment: "This degradation of a theatre royal was properly reprobated by the audience in general" (Town and Country Magazine, Jan. 1789, p. 15). Receipts: #264 (252.3; 11.17)

Event Comment: By Command of Her Majesty. [This was the first time that members of the royal family had appeared in public since the beginning of the King's illness (his first attack of insanity) in November 1788. See also 21, 24 Apr.] The drop curtain with the King's arms on it shown when the front curtain first rose was the "original curtain exhibited on the opening of Lincoln's Inn Fields theatre [in 1714]...It has lain by in the scene-room of Covent-Garden theatre nearly seventy years, but was rescued from oblivion, retouched, and the appropriate ornaments added for the occasion" (Public Advertiser, 16 Apr.). On the Queen's entrance "the house called for God save the King, and the theatre being prepared, the song was immediately sung by Bannister, Johnstone, and Darley, the house joining in the chorus. It was encored...At the end of the play [it] was again called for, and again sung twice. At the end of the pantomime it was again called for; and the theatre not sending forward the performers, the audience cheerfully sung it for themselves; and having sung, they encored themselves; so that altogether it was sung six times in the course of the evening. Her Majesty had a bandeau of black velvet, on which were set in diamonds the words 'Long live the king.' The princesses had bandeaus of white satin, and 'Long live the king' in gold" (Universal Magazine, Apr. 1789, p. 218). Receipts: #388 16s. 6d. (385.12.0; 3.4.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for R. Palmer. Afterpiece: Never performed there. [Follett was from the Royal Circus.] Public Advertiser, 20 May: Tickets to be had of R. Palmer, No. 14, East Place, Lambeth. Receipts: #232 19s. (74.17.0; 26.10.6; 1.10.6; tickets: 131.1.0) (charge: #111 17s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In I a Masquerade Scene incident to the Play. [This was included in all subsequent performances.] No Money to be returned. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 2 Nov.]. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s.] Receipts: #255 6s. (253.11.6; 1.14.6)

Event Comment: Ballet: 1st Time [at this theatre. The two Miss Simonets were from the king's.]. With new Scenes and Dresses. Receipts: #119 9s. 6d. (113.6.6; 6.3.0)

Event Comment: Among the Instrumental Performers are G. Ashley (leader of the Band), Sperati, Sarjant, Patria, Reinagle, C. Ashley, Boyce, Mahon, Mountain, Holmes, Lyon, Schram, Kaye, the Leanders, &c. Double Drums by J. Ashley. The Organ on Fridays by Knyvett, and on Wednesdays by Greatorex. The whole conducted by Harrison and Ashley. The Band will consist of 150 Performers. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon, at the Stage Door. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. No Money to be returned. Places may be taken in the Theatrical Orchestra at 5s. each [i.e. at the oratorios the instrumentalists sat on the stage]. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]. Books of the Performances, with the names of the performers to their respective songs, to be had at the Theatre. And to prevent imposition in the Streets, the Managers have directed that they should be sold in the Theatre, at 6d. each

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. "There were not an hundred persons in the Pit when their Majesties entered, and there were not double the number at any part of the evening. The Royal box being in the centre, fronting the stage, their Majesties were invisible to the Gallery; and on their entrance solemn stillness prevailed, until the Orchestra, for the first time in an Opera-house, for the first time by the Professional Band, Struck up God save the King. Never, we will venture to say, in any Theatre during the present reign, was there so thin an audience when their Majesties were present; and we pretend not to divine the cause. Whether it is the failure of the Theatre as a musical room--the general poverty of the performance--the little notice that was given of their Majesties' intention to be present we know not" (Morning Chronicle, 23 Feb.)

Event Comment: Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Follett, Warrell, A Gentleman, Miss Leserve will be admitted. Received of Their Majesties for the Box #80; for the Princess Royal's Box #40; for Her Majesty's Servants #6 6s. Receipts: #226 10s. 6d. (104.5.0; 4.3.6; tickets: 118.2.0)

Event Comment: "The farce waited some time for Bannister, who performed at Covent-Garden Theatre in The Woodman. An apology was made for his absence, and, in a few minutes after, he came" (Gazetteer, 14 June)