Event Comment: Miss Catley's outstanding tickets [from her benefit on 23 Oct.] will be receiv'd. Receipts: #261 8s. 6d. (241.10.0; 2.13.6; tickets: 17.5.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [Prologue by Nicholas Rowe.] Receipts: #144 2s. 6d. (107.15.0; 33.10.0; 2.17.6)

Event Comment: Miss Farren still continuing ill, The Lord of the Manor [announced on playbill of 2 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred till further notice. [As afterpiece the playbill announces Catherine and Petruchio, but it was not acted. Its substitute is listed in the Account-Book.] Receipts: #86 18s. (55.5.0; 30.3.6; 1.9.6)

Event Comment: "[Miss Younge's] playing [the Trial] Scene without a Perriwig, or any of the Buffoonery in Mimicry of Bar Quackery [in which Mrs Clive used to indulge] cannot be too much commended" (.Public Advertiser, 4 Dec). Receipts: #181 0s. 6d. (178/8/6; 2/12/0)

Event Comment: Miss Farren's Benefit Allowance deducted from the Rect. of this Night #150. Receipts: #266 4s. 6d. (240/10/0; 25/8/0; 0/6/6)

Event Comment: "Miss Hilligsberg cannot be praised enough for her exertions and sucess in the execution of [the second] ballet, which has given her an opportunity of making herself perfect in her profession [this being her 1st season on the stage]...The scenery has no doubt by Noverre, and if it is not more magnificent it is not for want of genius on his part, but to spare the purse of the Managers...The Palace of Cupidv for the reception of Psiche in the first, and that of Venus in the last act, with the appearance of Jupiter, &c. in the skies, were very well executed, and beautifully arranged by the actors" (Public Advertiser, 7 Feb.). Receipts: #202 11s. (non-subscription]

Event Comment: "Miss Farren is almost beyond criticism; she is always animated, hurries you away, and does not leave you time to reflect. We are not too bold in asserting that Europe does not produce a finer actress in these lively, natural characters" (Prompter, 4 Nov.). Receipts: #155 19s. 6d. (120.7.0; 34.11.0; 1.1.6)

Event Comment: Miss Poole having a violent Cold and Hoarseness, LOVE IN A VILLAGE [advertised on playbill of 25 Oct.] is obliged to be deferr'd. [Afterpiece in place of THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, advertised as above.] Receipts: #173 8s. (138/5; 35/3)

Event Comment: An accurate Edition of the [mainpiece] to be had in the Theatre. "The Prince, we observed, wore the regimentals of an English officer, and the star of a knight of the Bath or Garter. We know not well how this can be thought the costume of either Messina or Arragon" (Monthly Mirror, Oct. 1799, p. 237). Receipts: #252 16s. (151.11; 100.11; 0.14)

Event Comment: Miss Davies being indisposed with a cold, the opera of Perseo is deferr'd till Tuesday

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four o'clock. Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years [acted 15 May 1782]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 5 years [not acted since 25 Mar. 1775]. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Banquo to Bensley, but "Poor Bensley's illness last night took him off; but on another night he will give and take in the triumph" {Public Advertiser, 4 Feb.). In afterpiece he is assigned to The Guardian. On the Kemble playbill in both cases his name is deleted and MS annotations substitute Hull's.] "Macbeth at Drury-lane will. . . gag the drivellers who, on the failure of Constance [in King John], ventured a sweeping prophecy of condemnation that 'the Siddons never could play Shakespeare.' Would it not have been better to have borrowed Farren, rather than Hull, for Banquo?" (Public Advertiser, 4 Feb.). "'Why,'say some of the critics, 'should Mrs Siddons wear a white dress in her last scene of Lady Macbeth? She is supposed to be asleep, not mad.' What reason except custom can be given for a mad heroine appearing in white we know not [and see DL, 20 Dec. 1782]. Yet there is an obvious reason why a person walking in their sleep should wear a white dress of the loose kind worn by Mrs Siddons ... It [is] the nearest resemblance which theatrical effect will admit, to the common sort of night-dresses" (Public Advertiser, 7 Feb.). Receipts: #346 16s. (198/10/0; 7/2/6; 0/8/6; tickets: 140/15/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Mainpiece: 1st time [i.e. at this theatre]. Receipts: #242 7s. 6d. (226/18/0; 14/18/0; 0/11/6)

Event Comment: "Mr T. has performed in the Norwich Company. [He] did not appear to us to possess a single requisite for the profession of an actor...We observed that the characters of Lenox and Rosse were doubled [i.e. combined]-a resource, at all times, disreputable to the theatre and to the manager" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1798, pp. 369-70). Receipts: #299 15s. 6d. (293.8.6; 6.7.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Holman. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. In IV a Grand Banquet. Morning Herald, 28 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Holman at his chambers, No. 14 John-street, Adelphi. "There is a deficiency in the length of [Holman's] upper lip that continually exposes his teeth to the audience...He has a method of hurrying over the latter part of a sentence, as if to give it more effect, but in reality destroys the intention and solemnity of the scene" (Candid Strictures,45-46). Receipts: #280 11s. 6d. (188.10.6; 3.16.0; tickets: 88.5.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: In Act I incidental to the Tragedy, a Grand Masquerade. [This was included in all subsequent performances.] Afterpiece: With the Fantoccini, as 30 Oct. ["In the late performance of this play at Covent Garden theatre, we perceive that this objection [i.e. Romeo and Juliet in III. v standing on the stage] is removed; the principal part of the scene is spoken from a balcony...The grand funeral dirge is introduced with magnificence and ostentation. A long procession of monks, friars, &c., accompanied with music, is made to passover the stage. But what end is all this farce and shew to answer?...We must rather laugh at so much pomp and expence bestowed on Juliet. If there is any distress stirring, the candle-snuffers and scene-shifters, who assist as chief mourners, have it all to themselves" (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1797, p. 293). Receipts: #197 3s. 6d. (193.5.6; 3.18.0)

Event Comment: At Hallam's Booth, in the George-Inn Yard. 1 p.m. to 11 p.m

Event Comment: Benefit for Poitier Jr. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 1 May 1758.] Receipts: #47 in cash. Deficit to Poitier Jr #17 5s., covered by #39 7s. from tickets (Boxes 79; Pit 92; Gallery 50). Total income #86 7s. Charges #64 5s

Event Comment: Benefit for Poitier. On Account of the Dancing No Building on the Stage. Tickets and places to be had of Mr Poitier, at Mr Piddington's, Coach-Maker, in Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, where Mr Poitier hopes his Friends will favour him with their Commands, as this is the last Benefit he proposes taking