Event Comment: Tickets delviered for The Merry Wives of Windsor will be admitted. Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Rowson, Blurton, Evatt, Jackson, Ratchford, Cross, Letteney, C. Powell, Little, Hall [box-keeper], Mrs Masters, Egan, Mrs Rock, Mrs Harris, Mrs Lefevre will be admitted. Receipts: #397 7s. (55.4.6; 4.7.6; tickets: 337.15)

Event Comment: Benefit for the young D'Egvilles, Johnstone, Nix & Dale. Morning Herald, 7 June: Tickets to be had of the young D'Egvilles, No. 18, Broad-street; of Johnston, No. 15, Martlet-court, Bow-street, Covent-Garden; of Nix, No. 8, Little Russel-street, Covent-garden; of Dale, No. 26, Stanhope-street, Claremarket. Receipts: #518 6s. (86.14.6; 29.1.0; 10.8.0; tickets: 392.2.6) (charge: #171 15s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Caulfield, Miss DeCamp, Miss Tidswell & Miss Heard. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Mr Worthy to Benson but "an apology was made for the absence of Benson...His part of Worthy was read by Whitfield" (Thespian Magazine, July 1793, p. 50).] Tickets delivered for the 8th of June will be admitted. Morning Herald, 24 May: Tickets to be had of Caulfield, No. 8, Dartmouth-street, Westminster; of Miss DeCamp, No. 70, Tottenham-Court-Road; of Miss Tidswell, No. 3, Little Charles-street, St. James's-square; of Miss Heard, No. 13, Panton-street, Hay-market. Receipts: #182 3s. (28.17; 3.5; tickets: 150.1) (charge: #86 8s.)

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; INT 1 by Francis Godolphin Waldron): Altered from THE FATAL EXTRAVAGANCE of [Joseph] Mitchell and Aaron Hill. "I went on Monday evening with Mrs Darner to the Little Haymarket, to see The Children in the Wood, having heard so much of my favourite, young Bannister, in that new piece; which, by the way, is well arranged, and near being fine. He more than answered my expectation, and all I had heard of him. It was one of the most admirable performances I ever saw: his transports of despair and joy are incomparable, and his various countenances would be adequate to the pencil of Salvator Rosa. He made me shed as many tears as I suppose the original old ballad did when I was six years old. Bannister's merit was the more striking, as, before The Children in the Wood, he had been playing the sailor in No Song No Supper, with equal nature" (Walpole [4 Dec. 1793], XV, 266-67)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Maiesties. "A most dreadful accident happened this evening; no less than fifteen persons were crushed to death at the opening of the pit door" (Thespian Magazine, Feb. 1794, p. 87). [This accident gave rise to many speculations and suggestions as to the necessity of instituting easier and safer means of access to the various theatres. But little was ever done about it. Sec HAY, 4 Feb.]

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of PATRICK IN PRUSSIA, advertised on playbill of 30 May.] On account of Johnstone's Indisposition THE WORLD IN A VILLAGE [also advertised as above] is obliged to be deferred. Tickets delivered for that Comedy [Account-Book: by Claremont, W. Wilde, Jackson, Little, Hawtin, Roberts, Pollock, Curteen, Pilfold] will be admitted. Receipts: #399 13s. 6d. (55/4/6; 4/11/6; tickets: 339/17/6)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Gentleman who performs the Part of Zanga [in THE REVENGE], and Mr and Mrs Simpson. Mainpiece: Written by the celebrated Dr Young, Author of the Night Thoughts, &c. Afterpiece: As an After-piece [i.e. reduced from 5 to 3 (?) acts]. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Longman and Broderip, Cheapside and Haymarket; Pass, No. 53, High Holborn; Bland's Music Warehouse, No. 45, High Holborn; Strutt, Bookseller, No. 20, Little Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn Fields; Ellwick, Musical Instrument Maker, No. 55, Long Acre, comer of Phoenix O>urt; Padbury, Coal Merchant, No. 24, Henrietta-street, Covent Garden; Evan, Bookseller, No. 351, near the Pantheon, Oxford Road; and of Simpson, at No. 33, St. Martin's-street, Leicester-square

Event Comment: A Serious Opera, the music by Bianchi, under whose direction this Opera is now revived, and the Chorusses under Dr Arnold. ["A little miscreant Italian cabal, who have endeavoured to derange the performances at this Theatre, attempted to hiss Kelly, who had generously come from Drury Lane Theatre that the serious Opera might not be interrupted. The liberal feelings of the English subscribers overpowered the noise, and Kelly received the applause which his spirit deserved" (Morning Chronicle, 9 Feb.).

Event Comment: king's "On 28th March 1795, I saw the Opera Aci & Galathea by Bianchi. The music is very rich in parts for the wind instruments, and I rather think one would hear the principal melody better if it were not so richly scored. The Opera is too long, especially since Banti has to keep everything going all by herself; for Brida is a good youngster with a beautiful voice but very little musical feeling; and Rovedino, and the good old Braghetti, and the wretched Seconda Donna-they all deserved, and received, not the least applause. The orchestra is larger this year, but just as mechanical and badly placed as it was before, and indiscreet in its accompaniments; in short, it was the 3rd time that this Opera was performed, and everyone was dissatisfied. It happened that, when the 2nd Ballet began, the whole public suddenly became dissatisfied and yelled 'off-off-off,' because they wanted to see the new Ballet which Madam Hilligsberg had given at her Benefice 2 days earlier. Everyone was embarrassed-there was an interval lasting half an hour-until at last a dancer came forward and said, very submissively: 'Ladies and Gentlemen: since the performer [sic, instead of proprietor] Mr Taylor cannot be found, the whole Ballet Company promises to perform the desired ballet next week, for which, however, the Impresario must pay Madam Hilligsberg #300.'That satisfied them, and they then yelled, 'go on-go on;' and thus the old Ballet was performed' (Haydn, 293)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered for King Richard the Third [Account-Book: by Brandon, Arnold, Little, Brice, Blurton, Bonsor, Hay, Haseler, Lloyd, Berecloth, Savory, Noble, Linton, Castelle, Atkins] will be admitted. Receipts: #484 14s. 6d. (51.0.6; 3.14.0; tickets: 430.0.0)

Event Comment: Ballet: The Machinery in the Storm Scene entirely new. "Hilligsberg's graceful figure, and the naivety of her attitudes gives this little ballet irresistible interest. The young DelCaro does her [Mme Hilligsberg's] sister's part [as Virginie]" (Morning Chronicle, 13 Jan.)

Event Comment: "The represention announced for last night at this Theatre was Twelfth Night; but as Mrs Jordan found herself too ill to perform, new bills were issued, and the substitute was to be The Siege of Belgrade. About the middle of the day, however, Mrs Jordan found herself well enough to perform, and the other bills were circulated, importing that the play was to be Twelfth Night. But, in the afternoon, Mrs Jordan found herself too ill to perform, and a message was sent again to the theatre, signifying the melancholy disappointment. It was then too late to make any other change, and Twelfth Night was represented, Mrs Goodall reading the part of Viola. There was considerable difficulty in collecting the performers, after these repeated changes. Barrymore could not be found, and Caulfield dressed for Orsino; but when he was ready to appear Barrymore arrived, and took the part. It was then discovered that Phillimore was absent, and Caulfield was doomed to dress once more, for Phillimore's character; but soon after Phillimore came to the house. Mrs Kemble being indisposed, Miss Mellon undertook her part of Maria ...The Audience (a large one) indeed grumbled a little at this kind of dramatic hocus pocus, but on the whole, were not churlish in their testimonies of satisfaction" (True Briton, 13 Jan.). Receipts: #222 19s. (160.4.0; 58.11.6; 4.3.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by George Colman, ynger]: The Scenery and Dresses are entirely new. The Musick composed by Storace.The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood and Capon [the Gothic library was painted by Capon (Oracle, 21 Mar. 1796)]. The Dresses by Johnston, Gay and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. [When Colman published his play he prefaced it with an acrimonious attack on Kemble, in which he accused him of deliberately trying to make the play a failure. But almost without exception the contemporary reviews excused Kemble's performance on the grounds of his obvious indisposition, and agreed that the play itself was unsatisfactory. "The play failed, and we are sorry to say did not merit to succeed...Kemble, who was tormented With an incessant cough, said he could not but be sensible that much of the displeasure of the house proceeded from his deficiency in a principal character...The whole audience with one voice cried out, 'No, no, Kemble-it is not your fault'" (Oracle, 14 Mar.). "The dialogue is extremely heavy, and there is little or no incident to relieve the tedium of more than four hours representation...Sir Edward Mortimer is a being distracted, with no adequate cause; a prey to remorse, which he of all men was the last to feel from the principles that make up his being. This therefore is the radical moral defect of the piece. But there is another which, though not equally strong, is equally fatal: there is no progression of interest, there is no involution of plot, there is no development of character" (Star, 14 Mar.). Other notices of the opening night were much in the same vein. Subsequently Colman revised the play, and it held the stage for many years. "The curtailments which have been made shorten the representation near an hour and a half, and the alterations are many and judicious" (Morning Herald, 21 Mar. 1796). Morning Herald, 23 July 1796: This Day is published The Iron Chest (2s.). Receipts: #471 9s. (468.13; 2.16)

Event Comment: [There are two Kemble playbills for this night. The first announces No Song No Supper and The Child of Nature (with Mrs Jordan as Amanthis) and The Spoil'd Child (with Mrs Jordan as Little Pickle). The second carries the notice: The Publick are most respectfully informed that, on account of the sudden Indisposition of Mrs Jordan, Miss Mellon will undertake the character of Amanthis, and humbly solicits their indulgence. The Entertainments this Evening will be [as above].] Receipts: #265 2s. (173.0.6; 81.6.0; 10.15.6)

Event Comment: [Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Shotter, Pitt, Wilde, Berecloth, Young, Hasler, Bagley, Noble, Bonsor, Little, Brice, Hawkin, Atkins, W. Wilde, Ware will be admitted.] Receipts: #327 11s. 6d. (35.8.6; 7.9.0; tickets: 284.14.0)