Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations in the Dialogue and New Music [i.e. 6 new songs by John O'Keeffe with music by Michael Arne: 3 sung by Fairfield, and 1 each by Theodosia, Farmer Giles and Fanny. They are printed in London Chronicle, 26 Sept. and in Town and Country Magazine, Sept. 1782,p. 452]. The Words of the New Songs will be given at the Boxes. Afterpiece: 6th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. [Brett was from the HAY.] Receipts: #271 10s. 6d. (269/4/6; 2/6/0)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Lady Sneerwell to Miss Sherry, but on the Kemble playbill a MS annotation substitutes Mrs Whitfield. Miss Sherry was ill; she died early in October.] "Sheridan has also despised the faults of another school, trap claps. Not a word in The School for Scandal is to be found in praise of Laws, Jack Tars, Innocence, an Englishman's castellum, or Liberty" (Reynolds, II, 227). Receipts: #193 13s. 6d. (155/11/0; 37/12/6; 0/10/0)

Event Comment: [Mrs Wheatley, for whom see HAY, 26 Aug. and 2 Sept. 1782, is identified in European Magazine, Oct. 1782, p. 308.] Receipts: #232 (223/17/6; 8/2/6)

Event Comment: Paid Printers to 21st Inst. #15 3s. 6d.; Booth, tailor, #1 6s. Receipts: #167 19s. 6d. (124/15/0; 42/14/6; 0/10/0)

Event Comment: "When Brabantio speaks to Iago and Roderigo from the Window, Aickin should not show to the audience that he stands upon a Ladder, which he manifestly does, by getting down first, and pulling the Window down after him ... Mrs Ward and Mrs Hopkins seemed to have forgot their Engagement on the Stage, and dressed themselves for a Card Party ... frizzed, hooped and fly-capp'd" (Public Advertiser, 4 Oct.). [Afterpiece: Prologue by George Colman, the elder.] Receipts: #152 0s. 6d. (107/7/0; 44/11/0; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Receipts: #340 19s. 6d. (339/10/6; 1/9/0)

Event Comment: [Chapman and Barrymore are identified by MS annotations on Kemble playbill.] Receipts: #82 19s. (62/12; 20/2; 0/5)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; c 3, altered from the same, probably by the author, Richard Bentley]: Written in the manner of the Italian Comedy. With new Scenes and Dresses. [Author of Prologue unknown.] "It was originally produced at Drury Lane in the summer of 1761 [27 July] . . . and has now been new dished up, and seasoned to the day" (European Magazine, ibid). J. P. Collier states that "it is not a revival of the former piece" (MacMillan, Larpent Catalogue, p. 98). It was not, strictly speaking, a "revival", but, rather, a revision, as a collation of Larpent MS 586 (the present version, which is unpublished) with MS 199 (Bentley's 1761 version) makes clear. In 1761 Bentley introduced "the speaking Harlequin after the manner of the Italians . . . Mr Harris some years after gave it a second chance on the stage" (Cumberland, Memoirs, I, 212-14). Receipts: #215 19s. (213/5/6; 2/13/6)

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of Tom Thumb, announced on playbill of 3 Oct.] "Covent Garden Theatre. As personal allusions and party views have been attributed to the dramatic satire, called The Wishes, the author thinks he cannot so effectively disclaim them as by entirely withdrawing the piece" (Unidentified clipping, dated 5 Oct. 1782, The Tale Edition of Horace Walpoles Correspondence, cd. W. S. Lewis, 1955, xxix, 219). Paid Guard for Scene Men from 8 June to 21 Sept., on 9 occasions, approximately #900. Paid Music #7 14s.; properties 9s. [both being an average payment throughout the season per night]. Receipts: #221 8s. 6d. (218/11/0; 2/17/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years [acted 26 Apr. 1779]-Receipts: #164 8s. 6d. (121/16/0; 42/2/6; 0/10/0)

Event Comment: Paid Wardrobe #6 14s.; Supernumeraries #2 7s. 6d.; Chorus Singers #1 10s. Receipts: #223 8s. 6d. (222/7/0; 1/1/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. [In mainpiece the playbill does not list the Child; for the assignment see Morning Post, 10 Oct., and edition of 1787 (Rachael Randall).] "[Mrs Siddons's] merit in the character was infinite, and the applause she received unbounded. In various of her scenes the plaudits were repeated . . . During the fourth and fifth acts there was almost an incessant clapping, and when Isabella expired her death was rendered glorious by the theatre's resounding with thundering applause for more than a minute" (Morning Chronicle, 11 Oct.). "L'actrice la plus noble dans ses manieres, madame Siddons, ne perd rien de sa dignite quand elle se prosterne contre terre . . . Enfin, il arriva ce moment terrible ou Isabelle, s'etant echappee des mains des femmes qui veulent l'empechcr de se tuer, rit, en se donnant un coup de poignard, de l'inutilite de leurs efforts. Ce rire du desespoir est l'effet le plus difficile et le plus remarquable que le jeu dramatique puisse produire; il emeut bien plus que les larmes: cette amere ironie du malheur est son expression la plus dechirante. Qu'elle est terrible la souffrance du coeur, quand elle inspire une si barbare joie, quand elle donne, a l'aspect de son propre sang, le contentement feroce d'un sauvage ennemi qui se serait venge!" (Mme de Stael: Corinne, livre XVII, chapitre iv). Receipts: #181 11s. (147/0; 34/6; 0/5)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: To conclude with an Exact Representation of the Procession at an Eastern Marriage. The Scenery by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, Cipriani, Catton and others. The Music composed by [Michael] Arne. Receipts: #218 11s. (214/1/6; 4/9/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years [not acted since 16 Apr. 1773]. Receipts: #128 8s. 6d. (103/15/0; 24/7/0; 0/6/6)

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of The Divorce, announced on playbill of 14 Oct.] Receipts: #247 4s. 6d. (228/1/0; 18/16/0; 0/7/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author [who is named in the Account-Book, but not on the playbill]. Receipts: none listed (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Altered from Allen Ramsay. Paid Carleton's expense in stopping the sale of Tickets last season near the Box Office 13s. 6d. Receipts: #96 7s. 6d. (66/1/0; 30/4/0; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: [Miss Wewitzer is identified by MS annotation on Kemble playbill.] Receipts: #177 12s. 6d. (176/4/0; 1/8/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [Henderson had 1st acted Evander at Bath, 26 Nov. 1776.] Receipts: #234 15s. 6d. (231/17/6; 2/18/0)

Event Comment: [Mrs Evants is identified by MS annotation on Kemble playbill.] Receipts: #172 19s. (170/0; 2/19)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Receipts: #249 17s. (239/7/0; 9/18/6; 0/11/6)

Event Comment: [Mrs Evants is identified as on 23 Oct.] Receipts: #148 4s. 6d. (145/2/0; 3/2/6)

Event Comment: [Miss Brown is identified in European Magazine, Oct. 1782, p. 309.] Receipts: #113 15s. (91/11/0; 22/2/6; 0/1/6)

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: Paid Macklin for 2 Nights Performance #63. Receipts: #205 15s. (203/1552/0)