Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by Wm Kenrick] never perform'd before. The characters New Dress'd. [Theatrical Monitor, No VIII (16 Dec. 1767) approved the mainpiece--"engages the mind, affects the passions, totally divested of indecency"--but thought Garrick's art of "puffing" was evident in his note at foot of playbills, "Those Ladies and Gentlemen, who have taken places for this day, are desired to send their servants by one o'clock, in order to ascertain the same, otherwise they cannot be secured," since the house, except the first night, had not been half full. N.B. This note appeared in an Advance Bill, but did not appear in the Bill of the Day.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A tragedy by Hall Hartson, never performed here before. [According to The Theatrical Monitor, No IX (19 Dec. 1767), the mainpiece was at that time in rehearsal. The Monitor requested that every expense possible be laid ott upon it, and puffed the abilities of Barry and Mrs Dancer highly.

Event Comment: Characters New Dressed. [The Theatrical Monitor No X (30 Jan. 1768), gives a six-page review of the mainpiece under the usual Aristotelian topics: Fable, Characters, Moral, Sentiment, Diction, rather disapproving of the play on all of them. Praises the performers.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: (Never Performed) a Comic Opera by Isacc Bickerstaffe. [The Theatrical Monitor, No XIV (27 Feb.), remarked: We were scraped, squalled and clapped, out of our senses at Covent Garden....It was thought there were no less than 500 orders in the house. O Shameful! Why are not a generous audience left to judge of a piece, Without this forc'd imposition." N.B. Hardly possible for "500 orders" to have filled the house which took in #233 19s.] Receipts: #233 19s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: The Doors (by Particular Desire, for this night only) will be opened at Half an Hour after Five, and the Play to begin exactly at Seven o'clock. Receipts: #238 13s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. King of Denmark. Richard-Mr Garrick (Cross Diary). For the King of Denmark.--Richard by Mr Garrick, for the first time these six years-Beyond discription fine, -his voice clear to the last (Hopkins Diary). No money taken at stage door. None returned after curtain is up. The doors (by particular desire) will be opened at half an Hour after Five. To Begin at Seven. Neville MS Diary: Hearing about 7 o'clock that Garrick did Richard III, one of his very capital characters which he has not done these 7 or 8 years, resolved (if I could get in to see him) to bear the abhorred sight of that woman-like painted puppy, the King of Denmark. After one unsuccessful attempt got into the Pit with the greatest difficulty after the third act. Garrick is inimitably great in Richard & very different from the other Richards I have seen; his expression of the dying agony of that wretch is beyond description. Some actors speak with as strong & loud voice in that scene as if they had received no wound & were not dying. One Lloyd, who waits on Garrick sometimes, observed that he himself says he never acted better in his life, modestly observing that something must be allowed to the improvement of his judgment. During the dance (for there was no farce) I was within a yard of the Danish tyrant

Event Comment: The Original Epilogue to the Mainpiece By Desire

Event Comment: MMr Barry's 1st appearance this season.--A quarrel in the Green Room between Mrs Barry and Mr Aickin (Hopkins Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 1 May 1765.] Books of the opera to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #213 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never Acted There. Receipts: #164 10s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years. [See 11 May 1762.] Douglas by a Young Gent, first Appearance. Mr Anon (Cross Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy by Mrs E. Griffith, acted for first time. New Scenes, Dresses, Decorations, etc. Neville MS Diary: While I stood at the Pit door of Drury Lane Playhouse, took occasion to say that now they (meaning the present venal House of Commons) had expelled Mr Wilkes they would proceed to do everything that is bad. For which one present (I suppose a friend of the Court) said they would proceed to send me to Newgate if it should come to their ears

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy [by Charlotte Lennox]. Never Performed. Prologue by Colman. Epilogue by Goldsmith. Treated so badly by the audience this first night that Mrs Lennox withdrew it. Burgoyne's The Heiress [dl, 14 Jan. 1784] draws upon it (Genest, V, 242). Receipts: #234 5s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bulkley. Afterpiece: Never Perform'd There. Charges #64 5s. Balance to Mrs Bulkley #26 13s. 6d. plus #90 18s. in tickets (Box 252; Pit 186). Receipts: #90 18s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Green and Ansell (box-keepers). Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Charges #83 1s. 6d. Deficit #53 13s., covered by income from tickets: Ansell #112 7s. (Box 341; Pit 162; Gallery 28); Green #135 4s. (Box 470; Pit 106; Gallery 18). Rec'd of Condell his deficiency and #20 in full for Fruit Rent this season: also deficiencies from Mrs Naylor and Potter. Paid Mr Scovell for copying Music in Maid of the Mill--#3 9s. (Account Book). Receipts: #53 13s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No Persons to be admitted behind the Scenes, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. Places for Boxes to be had (only) of Mr Sarjant at the Stage Door. The Doors to be opened at 5 o'clock. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. [Customary footnote to all Bills.] Receipts: #177 13s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Weston and Miss Ogilvie. By Authority. Being the Last Night. [Many advance bills noted the continuous deferment of this on account of Weston's bad state of health.] Mr Weston's late and precarious State of Health making it extremely doubtful whether he could go through so long and laborious part as Richard, he humbly recommends to the Public Mr Gentleman's friendly intention of undertaking the Character for that Night, and will for the Capital Entertainment of his Friends, speak a new Occasional Prologue, and appear in the Farce, that the strength he has gained for some Days past may not be impaired by Fatigue