Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; prel i,by Leonard Macnally. MS:Larpent 601; not published; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 24 Sept.]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon (only) at the Stage-door. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. The Doors will open at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 4 Nov.]. The Only Entrance to the Upper Gallery is in the Passage which leads from the Piazza to Hart-street, and the Two Shilling Gallery communicates with the Passage in Bow-street, as well as with that from the Piazza. The Passages to the Pit and Boxes remain as before. Receipts: #314 18s. (313/18; 1/0)

Event Comment: "I have been for two days in town, and seen Mrs Siddons . . . She is a good figure, handsome enough, though neither nose nor chin according to the Greek standard, beyond which both advance a good deal. Her hair is either red, or she has no objection to its being thought so, and had used red powder. Her voice is clear and good; but I thought she did not vary its modulations enough, nor ever approach enough to the familiar--but this may come when more habituated to the awe of the audience of the capital. Her action is proper, but with little variety; when without motion, her arms are not genteel ... I treated my eyes, not only with Mrs Siddons but a harlequin farce. But there again my ancient prejudices operated: how unlike the pantomimes of Rich, which were full of wit, and coherent, and carried on a story! What I now saw was Robinson Crusoe: how Aristotle and Bossu, had they ever written on pantomimes, would swear! It was a heap of contradictions and violations of the costume. Friday is turned into Harlequin, and falls down at an old man's feet that I took for Pantaloon, but they told me it was Friday's father. I said, 'Then it must be Thursday'" (Walpole [3 Nov. 1782], XII, 356-57, 359). Receipts: #241 6s. (222/4/0; 18/15/6; 0/6/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Aickin as Dionysius, but on the Kemble playbill his name is deleted. Of the name substituted in MS all but the 1st two letters have been cut by the binder. For Mahon as Dionysius see 12 Feb. 1778.] Receipts: #212 5s. (208/16; 3/9)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Sga Sestini, but "Previous to the Opera, Mattocks apologized for the sudden illness of Sestini; Mrs Martyr would, on a Notice of two Hours, attempt to read the Part" (.Public Advertiser, 9 Nov.). On 9 Nov. Sga Sestini gave birth to a son Qbid., 11 Nov.).] Receipts: #185 18s. 6d. (184/15/6; 1/3/0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent 608; not published. CG playbill of 16 Nov. 1795 has a detailed synopsis of the action]: Intermixed with Songs and Dialogue. With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, Machinery, and Decorations. The new Music composed by Shield. The new Scenes designed by Richards, and executed by Richards, Hodgins, and assistants. To conclude with a Representation of the Lord Mayor's Show on the Water. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "As to the Pantomime it wanted nothing on the first Night but Abbreviations . . . [which should be] omission of the Doctors, the two Women of the Town, and the whole of Edwin's Character" (Public Advertiser, 27 Nov.). Gentleman's Magazine, Jan. 1783, pp. 29-31, contains a detailed synopsis of the procession, and adds, "The personages of this procession were all dressed in the characters of the time in which they lived, and before each of them a label, a scroll, or a pageant was carried, bearing their name, or some allusion of the poets to their occupation. The figures in transparency were all painted as large as the life, and had a most grand and beautiful effect . . . The idea of the paintings was furnished by Mr Richards and Mr Smirk [sic], and all of them executed by the latter in a style of so much taste and excellence that it is a matter of some wonder to us, where an artist of Mr Smirk's abilities has been so long concealed . . . The glee introduced with so much applause is the composition of the late Dr Rogers (who lived in 1600); the other airs in the pantomime and procession arc by Handel, Lord Kelly, Abel, Stamitz and Shield, and have very great merit. The expense of preparing this splendid spectacle must have been very great, and the cost of continuing its representation cannot be inconsiderable, since more than 200 supernumeraries are employed to walk in the procession." Receipts: #215 3s. (206/3; 9/0)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Gardner. Afterpiece: From The Devil upon Two Sticks, written by the late Samuel Foote, Esq. [Mrs Mills is identified in Morning Chronicle, 1 Jan. 1783. For remarks on this night's performance, including references to Dunstan by Charles Lamb, see Theatre Notebook, VIII, 5.] Gardner having unavoidably been obliged to postpone his night from the 26th to the 30th, he thinks it his duty to inform his friends that tickets delivered for the 26th will be taken

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Darley, Jones, Painter, Besford, Mrs Davenett, Mrs Sharpe, the Widow of the late Dr Arne, and Mrs Dalrymple will be admitted. Tickets delivered for The Maid of the Mill will be taken. [Afterpiece in place of THE Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 27 May.] Receipts: #286 14s. 6d.(93/6/6; 3/1/0; tickets: 190/7/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author [of 1st two pieces]

Event Comment: "The appearance of Mrs Abington in the two characters of the Capricious Lady and Lady Bab Lardoon cannot fail of being considered as a high Treat ... as the first exhibits the coy, formal Manners of the last Age, and the latter the free degagee Breeding of the present" (Public Advertiser, 13 Feb.). Receipts: #227 12s. 6d. (211/10/0; 16/2/6)

Event Comment: [3rd piece in place of The Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 13 Feb.] Receipts: #126 3s. 6d. (122/12/0; 3/11/6)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Public Advertiser, 6 Mar.: In 1st piece Love in her Eyes was sung by Norris; O ruddier than the cherry by Reinhold; Consider, fond shepherd by Mrs Kennedy; Heart, thou seat of soft delight by Miss George. The concerto consisted of "two Movements made up of common Ballads."

Event Comment: Benefit for Johnstone. Tickets for The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be admitted. Public Advertiser, 21 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Johnstone, No. 23, Pall Mall. Receipts: #195 16s. 6d. (125/8/6; tickets: 70/8/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Author. Play [1st time; T 5]: Written by the Rev. [Thomas] Stratford. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had of Dr Stratford, No. 5, Cecil-street, Strand, and of Fosbrook at the Theatre. Dr Stratford, in the overflowing of a grateful heart, is happy indeed in returning thanks to the Ladies and Gentlemen who, with equal benignity and humanity, have so generously exerted themselves in bringing forward his tragedy of Russel. Above the mean manoeuvres that have been practised by persons he had the least reason to expect such a conduct from, and which have detained him almost three years in London, at a ruinous expense, he went with a party of his friends, on Wednesday last, to the Hay-market, in support of the other Lord Russel, penned by superior genius. As he never injured an individual, he trusts every intention to defeat the success of his play will be disappointed by a generous London audience who, he still presumes to hope, will be actuated by the same noble spirit and principle that first induced the Lady and Gentleman to undertake so arduous a task as appearing on a public theatre. As many parts of the play will be expunged and altered, he begs leave to mention that it cannot be again represented till Wednesday next, when the characters of Lord Howard and Hubert will be performed by two other Gentlemen, who have generously undertaken their parts, and an entire new address will be spoken by the Gentleman who performs Lord Russel, wrote by himself. "The performers ... rendered the Doctor's Tragedy one of the most laughable farces at which we were ever present. [It] has much Calimanco in it, and where we could hear a sentence compleat (which was seldom indeed) it abounded with Fustian" (Public Advertiser, 21 Aug.)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of Two to One; afterpiece of The Agreeable Surprise, both announced on playbill of 14 Sept.] The last Night this Season

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of The Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 6 Dec.]

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of Fontainbleau; afterpiece of The Devil upon Two Sticks, both announced on playbill of 9 Dec.]

Event Comment: There are two Kemble playbills for this night, one announcing Douglas, and a second, which reads: "On Account of the sudden and severe Indisposition of a Principal Performer . . . Douglas is unavoidably postponed, and This Evening will be presented . . . Macbeth. Macbeth-Holman; Lady Macbeth-Mrs Bates. The rest of the Characters, with the Vocal Parts, all as usual [see 4 Oct.]."

Event Comment: [By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain (but this notice does not appear on the playbill)]. Benefit for Miss Llewellin. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00. Tickets delivered for Monday the 24th, and Thursday the 7th of April will be admitted. Miss Llewellin is the daughter of a late eminent and respectable Merchant in one of our neighbouring islands, whose family have been great sufferers by the late war, and is left with two sisters, orphans. She solicits the patronage of a generous publick for that night only. Tickets to be had of Miss Llewellin, No. 204, Piccadilly

Event Comment: Benefit for the two Miss Kembles [who are named in the Account-Book, but not on the playbill]. Receipts: #199 10s. 6d. (180/7/0; 18/6/6; 0/17/0; tickets: none listed) (charge: #109 18s. 10d.)

Event Comment: [2nd piece in place of Two to One, announced on playbill of 30 July.]

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of The Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 17 Nov.] Receipts: #139 12s. 6d. (134/6/0; 5/6/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Mrs Wells, but she "was so ill last night that she could not perform the part of Jane Shore. It was undertaken by Mrs T. Kennedy" (Public Advertiser, 21 Dec.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe]: The Pantomime, and the whole of the Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, &c. designed and invented by Loutherbourg, and executed under his superintendance and direction by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, Catton Jun., Turner, assisted by two other celebrated artists [all subsequent playbills have "a celebrated artist"; he was the Rev. Matthew William Peters (Public Advertiser, 16 Dec.)]. The Music entirely new, composed by Shield. Books containing a short account of the Pantomime, as well as the Recitatives, Airs, Duets, Trios and Chorusses, and a Description of the Procession, to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. [This was the last theatrical piece for which De Loutherbourg designed the scenery. For a detailed account of it see "De Loutherbourg and Captain Cook", by Ralph G. Allen, Theatre Research, IV, 195-211.] Account-Book, 17 Oct.: Paid De Loutherbourg on acct. #120; 20 Dec.: Paid Goodwin for copying Music #10 14s.; 14 Feb. 1786: Paid O'Keeffe in full for Omai #40. Receipts: #309 19s. (302/7; 7/12)