Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft, based on Le Glorieux, by Philippe Nericault, dit Destouches. In 1793 reduced by the author to an afterpiece of 3 acts. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (Knapp, 101, 307). This play was originally attributed to James Marshall (Public Advertiser, 5 Feb.); on 8 Feb. he wrote a letter to the editor of the Oracle, stating that "The School for Arrogance is not mine, but Mr Holcroft's...By appearing for a time as the ostensible author I hope I have contributed to heal what was most unaccomodating between Mr Harris and Mr Holcroft." And see Genest, VII, 24, 27.] Oracle, 19 Feb. 1791: This Day is published The School for Arrogance (1s. 6d.). "If Mrs Wells could be prevailed upon to speak out, so that the audience might hear, it would be of some advantage to the new play. At present, the performer who happens to be on the stage with her has it all in confidence" (Gazetteer, 9 Feb.). Receipts: #186 11s. (181.8; 5.3)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Storace. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Public Advertiser, 2 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Sga Storace, No. 23, Howland-street, Rathbone Place. Receipts: #357 11s. (195.13; 20.19; 1.9; tickets: 139.10) (charge: #115 3s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Esten. Public Advertiser, 7 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Esten, No. 5, Nassau-street, Soho. Receipts: #353 18s. (212.0; 5.10; tickets: 136.8)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four. Afterpiece: Not acted these 3 years. Public Advertiser, 2 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #339 3s. 6d. (145.15.0; 13.1.0; 1.12.6; tickets: 178.15.0) (charge: #132 10s. 2d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. Public Advertiser, 22 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house in Half Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #306 12s. (190.13.6; 10.0.6; tickets: 105.18.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by John O'Keeffe. Prologue by John Taylor. Epilogue by George Colman, ynger (see text)]. "No piece in the remembrance of this writer was ever better acted. No piece was ever better cast...The palm of acting, however, must be given to Blanchard. One short scene of rustic generoisity, in which he gives his purse to Farmer Banks, displayed finer efforts than we ever saw before" (Oracle, 18 Apr.). Public Advertiser, 15 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Lewis, Bow-street. Receipts: #315 (225.6.6; 3.15.6; tickets: 85.18.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Pope. Mainpiece: Not acted these 14 years [acted 1 June 1786]. Public Advertiser, 14 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Miss Pope, No. 62, Great Queen-street. Receipts: #264 19s. (91.6; 28.3; 4.2; tickets: 141.8) (charge: #121 4s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Holman. Ode: The music by Dr Arne. Afterpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [acted 16 June 1790]. Public Advertiser, 28 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Holman, No. 2, Tavistock-row, Covent Garden. Receipts: #217 2s. 6d. (121.11.0; 6.15.6; tickets: 88.16.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Quick. Mainpiece: Written by R. Cumberland, Esq. Afterpiece: Written by Colley Cibber, with capital Additions by Fielding, Dean Swift, G. A. Stevens, &c. &c. &c. Public Advertiser, 20 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Quick, Broad-court, Bow-street. Receipts: #327 4s. (177.2.6; 9.11.6; tickets: 140.10.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mattocks. [Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (Oracle, 5 May).] Public Advertiser, 28 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Mattocks, No. 7, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #272 18s. 6d. (170.11.6; 4.3.0; tickets: 98.4.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bensley. Public Advertiser, 27 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bensley, No. 21, Charlotte-street, Bloomsbury. Receipts: #226 12s. 6d. (96.18.0; 30.19.0; 2.15.6; tickets: 96.0.0) (charge: #121 5s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wells. Mainpiece [1st time: C 5, by Simon. Prologue by John Henniker (Town and Country Magazine, June 1791, p. 281). Larpent MS 906; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Post, 11 May]. "Scarcely [any] performer in the piece thought it worth while to charge their memories with words, that they would wish afterwards, if they had, to forget as fast as possible...The imitations were some tolerably true, and a few excellent. Siddons and Storace were outrageous caricatures. Mrs Wells once came infinitely nearer the former. She is now deficient in tone and emphasis--all is shiver and sob. Mrs Crawford, Mrs Jordan and Mrs Abington were worthy her talents in the mimetic art" (Oracle, 11 May). Public Advertiser, 27 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Wells, No. 12, Weymouth-street, Portland-place. Receipts: #313 3s. (148.15; 8.7; tickets: 156.1)

Event Comment: Benefit for Farren. Public Advertiser, 15 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Farren, No. 14, Lower Charlotte-street, Bedford Square. Receipts: #335 1s. (81.9; 5.14 tickets: 247.18)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dignum. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Public Advertiser, 14 May: Tickets to be had of Dignum, No. 23, New North-street, Red Lion-square. Receipts: #56 16s. (43.1.0; 11.8.6; 2.6.6; tickets: none listed) (charge: #121 6s. 4d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. Afterpiece [1st time; M. ENT 3]: The Dialogue and part of the Songs written by Richard? Wilson. The Overture, new Music and accompaniments composed by Reeve. The Songs, Duets, Glees compiled from Arnold, Rogers, Giordani, Shield, Hook, Dibdin, W. Wilson, Stevens, Broderip and David Rizzio. [Larpent MS 908; not published. Prologue probably by Richard Wilson. Epilogue by Joseph Haynes.] Public Advertiser, 14 May: Tickets to be had of Wilson. No. 10, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #354 14s. 6d. (165.17.6; 5.4.0; tickets: 183.13.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Broadhurst. 3rd piece [1st time; M. ENT 1, author unknown. Larpent MS 910; not published]: Overture and Music entirely new, composed by Percy, with some airs from Andreozzi and Stevens. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 24 May: Tickets to be had of Miss Broadhust at Mr Percy's, No. 13, Tavistock-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #202 9s. (52.5.6; 3.17.6; tickets: 146.6.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bannister. Public Advertiser, 21 July: Tickets to be had of Mrs Bannister, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #250 (Gazetteer, 5 Sept.)

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time; F 2, by Charles Stuart, "from the Spanish"; on 2 Sept. reduced to 1 act. Prologue by the author (see text)]. "The Piece, we understand, was originally founded on some topics that have of late engrossed the conversation of much of the fashionable world...The Lord Chamberlain thought [it] too delicate a nature to appear with the allusions and title it then bore, She would be a Duchess. The consequence was that the offensive bits were expunged and the piece re-christened...It would be unfair to make any observations...in the mutilated stage it was presented" (Public Advertiser, 15 Aug.). "Some part of the plot was supposed to allude to the late occurrences in the family of General John? Gunning, who was indulged with the privilege of erasing [from the MS] that which he disliked, and who reduced it to its present feeble and unconnected form" (Gazetteer, 15 Aug.). [The reference in the original title is to the simultaneous flirtation of Miss Elizabeth Gunning, the General's daughter, with the eldest sons of the Dukes of Marlborough and Argyll (see dnb, under Susannah Gunning). She would be a Duchess: in Larpent MS 915.

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. [Afterpiece: Prologue by George Colman, elder.] Public Advertiser, 29 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #240 (Gazetteer, 5 Sept.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Jewell, treasurer. Public Advertiser, 29 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Jewell, No, 26, Suffolk-street, Charing-cross

Event Comment: No Money to be returned. Boxes 6s. 2nd Price 3s. Pit 3s. 6d. 2nd Price 2s. Gallery 2s. 2nd Price 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook, at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 14 Nov.]. The Avenues to the Boxes, Pit and Gallery are all at the Front of the Theatre in the Hay-Market, and the Door in Market-Lane is for Chairs only. "The short time since it had been determined to occupy this theatre had not been sufficient to enable the workmen to perfect what was intended so soon as was expected; nor could they be got out in time for opening the doors in the afternoon: this delay, and the difficulty of finding the way to different parts of the house [see 24 and 27 Sept.], caused some disgust" (Universal Magazine, Sept. 1791, p. 220). 1st piece [1st time; M. PREL 1, James Cobb; music by Storace (Kemble Mem.). Larpent MS 918; not published]. Receipts: #472 8s. 6d. (451.7.6; 20.6.0; 0.15.0)

Event Comment: Oscar and Malvina is unavoidably deferred. [Public Advertiser, 31 Oct.: On Friday night Byrne, exerting himself in one of the last scenes in the Pantomimical Ballet, missing his guard, received a dreadful wound on his arm. (And see 2 Nov.)] Receipts: #146 14s. (142.7.6; 4.6.6)