Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Martyr. Afterpiece: The Music composed by Dibdin. Public Advertiser, 4 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Martyr, No. 13, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #314 18s. 6d. (167.15.0; 12.7.6; tickets: 134.16.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Blandford and Randall. 3rd piece: A Pantomimical Interlude, from Don Juan. First Scene opens with a Tempestuous Sea, and Shipwreck of Don Juan and his man Scaramouch, who is cast on shore from off the Back of a Dolphin on the Island of Martinico. Scene from the pantomimes of The Enchanted Island, Wizard of the Silver Rock, The Witches Frolic, &c. The whole to conclude with a View of the Inside of the Bastille, with the different Gratings, Railings, and Instruments of Death and Torture by which the unfortunate Victims suffered, and the Grand Chorus of God save the King. The Curtain will rise precisely at 6:45

Event Comment: [As mainpiece the playbill announces King Henry the Fifth, but it was not acted "on account of the indisposition of Kemble" (Public Advertiser, 8 Dec.). Kemble Mem. lists the substitute play.] Receipts: #167 5s. 6d. (106.4.0; 58.0.6; 3.1.0)

Event Comment: [The playbill announces The Way of the World, Love and War, and The Deserter, but "King being ill, the play was worse. For instead of Congreve's brilliant dialogue in The Way of the World there was, what few epithets can reach, The Castle of Andalusia" (World, 19 Dec.). The substitute for Love and War is listed in the Account-Book.] Receipts: #140 18s. (136.16; 4.2)

Event Comment: Benefit for Suett. On this and every Evening for the Remainder of the Season the Doors will not be opened till 5:30, and the Performance will commence exactly at 6:30. 1st piece: From [The Devil upon Two Sticks, by] Foote. Gazetteer, 28 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Suett, No. 21, King-street, Bloomsbury-square. Receipts: #232 19s. 6d. (62.12.0; 19.18.6; 1.14.0; tickets: 148.15.0) (charge: #107 6s. 4d.)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered for King Lear will be admitted. Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Mrs Lampe, Clarke, Plank, Linton, Mrs Booth, Brandon, Longley, Dalby, Furkins, Pilbrow, Anselmo, Byrne, Copland, Rye, Jealous, Pugh, Berecloth, the Band will be admitted. Receipts: #405 5s. (69.12; 6.7; tickets: 329.6)

Event Comment: Paid 1@2 yrs Kings Taxes for Theatre #84 2s. 6d. Receipts: #146 3s. 6d. (140.3.6; 6.0.0)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. "There were not an hundred persons in the Pit when their Majesties entered, and there were not double the number at any part of the evening. The Royal box being in the centre, fronting the stage, their Majesties were invisible to the Gallery; and on their entrance solemn stillness prevailed, until the Orchestra, for the first time in an Opera-house, for the first time by the Professional Band, Struck up God save the King. Never, we will venture to say, in any Theatre during the present reign, was there so thin an audience when their Majesties were present; and we pretend not to divine the cause. Whether it is the failure of the Theatre as a musical room--the general poverty of the performance--the little notice that was given of their Majesties' intention to be present we know not" (Morning Chronicle, 23 Feb.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Henry Bate]: With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Music (with a few exceptions) composed entirely new by Shield. And new Scenery designed and chiefly executed by Richards. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Williamson was formely a chorus singer at this theatre; Mme Pieltain had sung at the king's in the season of 1788-89. Afterpiece in place of The Deaf Lover, advertised on playbill of 25 Feb.] "The author is very little responsible for his part of the entertainment, which he acknowledges was composed chiefly for the purpose of [the music, which] in the taste of the present day is almost the only essential part of such an entertainment" (Gazetteer, 28 Feb.). Oracle, 7 May 1791: Thas Day is published The Woodman (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #243 2s. (239.17.6; 3.4.6)

Event Comment: The Nobility, Gentry and Public at large are respectfully informed that, in compliance with the wishes of many of the principal Subscribers an supporters of this undertaking, and it being found that, without offence to law, the entertainments advertised for the Hanover-square Rooms may be given at this Place. The Doors to be opened at 6:30. To begin at 7:30 [same throughout season]. Pit 10s. 6d. Gallery 5s. As the Proprietors would not presume, even to save themselves from utter ruin, to offend either the Authority of the King, or of the Laws, they forbear all idea of performing Operas until the hardship and justice of their case shall produce the proper influence upon his Majesty's benevolent mind; and, under the circumstances in which thy stand, with a Company of the most celebrated singers and dances in the world, in their respective departments, engaged at an expense of #18,000, they confide in the liberality to the Public that they will countenance and support such an Entertainment as they are legally warranted to give, until they shall recover their just right of performing Operas under his Majesty's license. "From dinner we all went to the Opera House in the Haymarket, where for the first time they performed for money [see 23 Feb., 10 and 22 Mar.]; the singers, to avoid the [licensing] Act, coming in their own dresses and confining themselves to the airs. It will be seen whether this restriction will be considered sufficient" (Windham Diary, 219). "The action of Orpheus and Eurydice has been seen before at both the rehearsals [see 10 and 22 Mar.], but the scenery could not be then sufficiently displayed. It was very correctly managed on Saturday night...The scene of the Elysian fields deserved the most admiration, where, by means of lights placed behind gauze, a filmy hue is thrown over the stage, and the figures assume the appearance of aerial beings" (Gazetteer, 28 Mar.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Suett. Oracle, 5 May: Tickets to be had of Suett, No. 21, King-street, Bloomsbury-square. Receipts: #279 17s. (76.3; 21.8; 1.12; tickets: 180.14) (charge: #116 7s. 2d.)

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera; composed by Paisiello, under the direction of Mazzinghi. [The full name of this opera is L'Amore Contrastato; ossia, La Molinarella (see king's, 6 Dec. 1794).

Event Comment: Benefit for Phillimore, Miss Tidswell, Miss Barnes & Miss DeCamp. [La Fete Marine was 1st performed at king's, 27 Apr. 1786.] Oracle, 19 May: Tickets to be had of Phillimore, Little Russel-street; of Miss Tidswell, Stanhope-street, Clare Market; of Miss Barnes, No. 23, Clare-street, Clare Market; of Miss DeCamp, No. 64, Tottenham-court-road. Receipts: #41 14s. (27.4; 11.13; 2.17; tickets: none listed) (charge: #108 7s. 2d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pacchierotti. Tickets to be had of Pacchierotti, No. 17, Duke-street, Manchester-square. A new Grand Serious Opera (1st time [i.e. in 2 acts; originally performed in 3 acts at Milan, 1778, and at king's, 22 Jan. 1780]); the music by Bertoni. [World announces the ballets for this night as La Fille Mal Gardee and Le Siege de Cythere.