Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Abington. Mainpiece: Not acted in 4 years. [See 17 March 1768.] Pit and Boxes thrown together. Ladies are earnestly intreated to come early and prevent any difficulty and confusion in getting to their Seats

Event Comment: Benefit for Sg Daigville & Signa Vidini. [24 April letter signed Ned Shuter dated from his Majesty's Bench of Justice, St Georges Fields: "Theatrical Memoirs giving circumstantial account of my family-Admit my father was a chairman, my mother sold oysters in winter and cucumbers in summer. I was not born in a cellar but in a two pair of stairs front room at one Mrs Merit's an eminent Chimney Sweeper, Vine Street, St Giles" (Winston MS 10). Thomas Weston's apology for the delay of his Benefit. It was owing to his distressed affairs which he had new laid open to the managers. See comment form Edinburg Evening Courant, 29 April.] Paid Renters #88 for Oratorio nights; Mr Dibdin's draft on managers #50; Master Brown 5 nights, #1 17s. 6d.; Rec'd from Messrs Smith and Stanley charges for 11 Oratorio nights at 28# per night, plus candles &c . #342 4s.; Rec'd stopages #9 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #151 4s. Charges: #65 11s. Profits to Daigville & Sga Vidini: #85 13s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for King. Part of Pit laid into the Boxes. Mainpiece: Not performed for 10 years. [See 14 Oct. 1761. The Wishing Cap is Larpent MS 350. It discusses Fortunatus' Cap as King conceived several people would use it--the miser, the cit, the adolescent maid, the gossip, Hodge, &c.: "Thus in several spheres of life we find@Wishing appears the madness of Mankind." He closes with the Cap on his head wishing for applause.] Receipts: #207 6s. Charges: #64 9s. Profits to King: #142 15s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs DuBellamy. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [See 5 March 1767.] Tickets deliver'd for the 5th instant will be taken. Charges #69 1s. 6d. Profit to the DuBellamys #11 3s. plus #189 9s. from tickets (Box 427; Pit 494; Gallery 86) (Account Book). Receipts: #80 4s. 6d

Event Comment: Benefit for Dyer. Charges #64 5s. Profit to Dyer #51 1s. 6d., plus #101 10s. from tickets (Box 289; Pit 135; Gallery 90). Paid one year's Assurance on #10,000 in the Sun Fire Office to 25 March 1775, #50; Paid Mr Carpue (silk dyer) as per bill #12 8s. Receipts. #115 6s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Quick. Afterpiece: By Desire

Event Comment: Paid 3 day's salary at #100 12s. 6d. per diem #301 17s. 6d. Salaries short-paid last week #168 8s. 6d.; Tabor and Pipe #3 13s. 6d. Louchre [Lauchery] #8 8s. Mr Abington #2; Mr King #3; (Treasurer's Book). [The payment to King was the first of 37 similar ones for extra salary amounting to #111. That to Mrs Abington was the first of weekly payments for her clothes account, amounting to #60 for the season. No further mention will be made of these items.] Receipts: #265 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). [From the Middlesex Journal (7-9 Oct.) quoted by Hampden, Eighteenth Century Journal: "The Way of the World, though confessedly replete with wit and character, is not the most entertaining play in representation. It is so full of plot and intrigue, that it demands an Unusual degree of attention in the performers and audience to excite admiration. On Saturday they seemed averse to assist the author. Mr King in Witwou'd was as entertaining and full of spirits as usual. Mr Jefferson in the gay admired Mirabel (independent of the antique mode of his wig, and formal cut of his clothes, which surely were both uncharacteristic) seemed in attempting to be quite natural, to keep the entire plot of the play in his own bosom, looked more like the father than the Mirabel of Congreve. Mr Reddish was a contrast to his friend Mirabel; he seemed attentive nervous, and played the latter part of his character well....Mrs Abington's person, manner and dress were fashionable and elegant; but though the character was certainly a fine one, there was a want of that spirit best calculated to call her powers into action: her delivery was tediously formal; and had the audience been deprived of their sight they would conclude that Capt. Bobadill had got into petticoats. Her dress was no more decent than Madam Hidou's was on her first appearance last year; stays so low cut before puts modesty to the blush; and will not be countenanced by an English audience, though made after the French fashion....Mrs Greville, to convince the town that she could keep a secret, whispered it to only a few friends in the Pit....her indifference is intolerable, and should be noticed by her employer."

Event Comment: Benefit for Thomas? Sheridan. Mainpiece: Written by Congreve and now carefully revised, and corrected, by expunging the exceptionable passages, not acted these twenty years. [See 25 May 1758.

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock. Afterpiece: Never performed there

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 6 years. Receipts: #186 1s. 6d. (185.4.0; 0.17.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 16 years [not acted since 27 Oct. 1758]. With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Prologue by David Garrick]. The Characters new dressed. This Play is revived with Alterations (by R. B. Sheridan Esq) and a new occasional Prologue written by Mr Garrick? and spoken by Dodd, both well received. Miss Essex made her first Appearance upon this stage in Silvia, a small mean Figure and shocking Actress, so bad that she is to do the Part no more. Reddish was very imperfect in Vainlove from the Beginning, but was so very much so in the last Act, that the Audience hissed very much, and cryed out, 'Off, Reddish, Off!" He went forward, and addressed them as follows, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been honoured with your Favour and Protection for these ten years past, and I am very sorry to give any cause for your Displeasure now; but having undertaken the Part at a very short Warning, in order to strengthen the Bill, and having had but two Rehearsals for it, puts it out of my Power to do Justice to the Part, or myself.' The Play then went on. So great a Lye was never delivered to an Audience by any Actor or Actress before. He had the Part at least six weeks in his Possession, and repeated Notice to be ready in it, and six Rehearsals was called for it,--indeed, he attended but three. Vernon undertook to study the Part at eleven o'clock to-night, and to perform it to-morrow (Hopkins Diary). [Miss Essex was from the hay.] Receipts: #209 6s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years. Written by Congreve. [For Prologue see 19 Nov.] Love for Love was revived with alterations by R. B. Sheridan Esq. (Note by J. P. Kemble on Hopkins Diary). Receipts: #150 0s. 6d

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Sir George Collier, based on Zemire et Azor, by Jean Francois Marmontel]: The Music [by Thomas Linley Sen., adapted from Gretry], Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations entirely New. The Scenes, &c., designed by DeLoutherbourg. The Words of the Songs, &c. to be had at the Theatre. The Entertainment is splendidly got up--The Music by Thomas Linley Jun. [sic] was very well received (Hopkins Diary). Public Advertiser, 7 Dec. 1776: This Day is published the Songs in Selima and Azor (6d). [Text 1st published by J. Bell, 1784.] Receipts: #218 7s

Event Comment: Benefit for a Fund for the Relief of Performers and others retiring from the Theatre. Mainpiece: Acted but once [on 5 Mar. 1776] these 20 years. Afterpiece: 8th Night (see 28 Nov.). Receipts: none listed (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan]. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [same for rest of season]. Receipts: #187 9s. (139.0.0; 45.4.6; 3.4.6)