Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Tragedy [by Henry Brooke]. New dressed in the habits of the times. This tragedy was wrote by Mr Brooks and performed some years ago at Dublin. The first four Acts went off heavy, the last very well--Miss Mowat made her first appearance in this Piece at Drury Lane--Prologue by Mr Murphy heavy. Epilogue by Mr Garrick, great applause (Hopkins MS Notes)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Afterpiece: Not acted these 12 years. [See 9 Nov. 1761.] With Additions and Alterations. [The Additions to The Fair seem to have included a number of actual animals (instead of the men costumed as an Ass and a Hog as used in Mother Shipton), for the Account Book this year for the first time notes payments, 22 March 1774, "for the hire of Horses in The Fair," and 18 June 1774, "To Mr Brooks for attending with the Camels &c. in the Fair." The tradition of bigger and better spectacles seems to have passed on from Rich to Colman.] Receipts: #180 17s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Pit and Boxes Half a Guinea. Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. To begin at 7:00 p.m. Director-Vento; Ballet Master-Bouqueton, A New Comic Opera. Music by the most celebrated masters. [The Public Advertiser on 13 Sept. (notice dated 9 Sept.) had inserted a plea from the managers of the Opera to the Nobility and Gentry to enter their names at the office for season subscriptions in order that their names might be engraved. The singers and dancers who had been engaged for the season: Serious Opera. First Man-Venanzio Rauzzini; First Woman-Caterina Gabrielli; Tenor-Onofrio; Second Man-Manzoletto; Second Woman-Francesca Gabrielli; Last Man-Vincenzo Sestini. Comic Opera: First buffo-Trebbi; First buffa-Sga Sestini; Serious Man-Manzoletto; Serious Woman-Francesca Gabrielli; Second buffo-Fochetti; Second buffa-Sga Cardarelli; Third buffo-Vincenzio Sestini; Ballet Master: Bouqueton. Dancers: Fierville, Palladini, Helm, Mlle Escoelil, Sga Tinti, Mlle Sophie. Managers: Mrs Yates and Mrs Brook; Treasurer-Crawford.

Event Comment: A Serious Opera [1st time; SER 3, author unknown; a pasticcio]. The Music by several celebrated Composers, and conducted [i.e. arranged] by Bianchi. Public Advertiser, 4 Dec.: Roncaglia was welcomed with merited and very flattering Applause, yet he seemed hurt at sharing with Ansani those marks of public Favour. We exhort them both to remember that Persons of their superior Talents ought to lay aside every petty Prejudice and personal Animosity. "[Ansani] had a finely toned, full, and commanding voice, was a spirited actor, and in the first opera, called Ricimero, sustained the most prominent and important part. But he was unfortunately of a most peevish, quarrelsome temper; Roncaglia was saucy and conceited, and neither could brook the superiority claimed by the other. Their mutual jealousy, and the importance assumed by the tenor soon produced an irreconcilable breach, Ansani threw up his engagement, and the season went on heavily to its close for want of him"(Mount-Edgcumbe, p. 29)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Griffiths. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Griffiths, No. 3, Southampton-buildings, Holborn; at the Royalty Coffee-house, Well Close Square; King's Arms, Leadenhall-street; Band Coffee-house; Sun-tavern, Foster-lane; Grotto, Southampton-buildings; Angel, St. Giles's; Cock and Bottle, Upper Brook-street; Nag's Head, Carnaby-market; One Tun, St. James's Market; Fox's Coffee-house, Bow-street; the Go, the Jump, and the Finish; and of Rice, at the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Bowden. Morning Chronicle, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Bowden, No. 9, Lower Brook-street, Grosvenor-square. Receipts: #270 6s. (141.11.6; 10.13.0; tickets: 118.1.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bowden. Account-Book: Received from Campbell for Fruit Rent #200. Oracle, 11 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bowden, No. 6, Lower Brook-street, Grosvenor-square. Receipts: #274 7s. 6d. (122.1.6; 8.3.0; tickets: 144.3.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bowden. [1st piece in place of The Duenna, advertised on playbill of 19 May.] 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1]. True Briton, 8 May: Tickets to be had of Bowden, No. 6, Lower Brook-street, Grosvenor-square. Receipts: #236 12s. (101.14.6; 8.5.0;tickets: 126.12.6)

Event Comment: Under the Patronage of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, H. R. H. the Duke of York, and H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence. Benefit for a Fund for the Relief of the Wounded Seamen, and also for the Widows and Orphans of the Brave Men who fell in the late Glorious Action, under Admiral Lord Viscount Duncan [see 16 Oct.]. The Tickets for the Boxes are issued under the Direction of a Committee consisting of the following Noblemen and Gentlemen, who have obligingly undertaken to attend to the arrangement of the Evening: The Duke of Leeds, The Duke of Bedford, The Earl of Guildford, The Earl of Thanet, The Right Honorable the Lord Mayor [Brook Watson], Mr Alderman Combe, M. P., Mr Alderman Skinner, John Julius Angerstein, Esq. Tickets and Places for the Boxes not disposed of by the Committee to be had of Fosbrook at the Box Office, Little Russell-Street, and at the Bar of Lloyds Coffee House. Ladies and Gentlemen having Privilege of the Theatre are requested by the Stewards to waive the use of it for this Evening. [Address by Richard Cumberland (European Magazine, Nov. 1797, p. 339). True Briton. 23 Nov. 1797, prints a letter from the Chairman of Committee of Subscribers to the performers of the theatre, thanking them for not "accepting the usual emolument on the night of performance."] Receipts: #631 8s. (357.17.6; 57.4.6; 1.11.0; money extra left at the doors: 2.14.6; tickets: 212.0.6) (charge: #161 0s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett. 3rd piece [1st time; F 1, by George Colman, ynger, based on L'Anglais; ou, Le Fou Raisonnable, by Joseph Patrat]. Times, 6 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Fawcett, No. 41, Frith-street, Soho, and at Brook-Green, Hammersmith. Receipts: #501 18s. (226.13.0; 3.0.6; tickets: 272.4.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Munden. 2nd Piece [1st time in London; MF 2, by Thomas John Dibdin, 1st acted at Manchester, 15 Mar. 1793. Text (Huddersfield: J. Brook [1795] gives cast for Manchester]: The Music (with a new Waltz Overture, and an accompaniment for the Tamborine & Triangle) composed by Reeve. 3rd piece [1st time; M. INT 1]. Morning Chronicle, 4 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Munden, No. 16, Clement's-inn. Receipts: #630 12s. 6d. (237.13.0; 2.10.0; tickets: 390.9.6)