Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by William Kenrick, based on The Country Lasses, by Charles Johnson]: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. The Overture and the rest of the Music composed by Hook. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 2 Dec. 1778: This Day at Noon is published The Lady of the Manor (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by William Kenrick, based on The Country Lasses, by Charles Johnson. Not published; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 23 Dec. Prologue by the author (ibid)]

Event Comment: A New Serious Opera [1st time; SER 3, ascribed to Giovanni Gualberto Bottarelli]. The Music entirely new, composed by Sacchini. 2nd dance: The Music entirely new, composed by Charles Stamitz

Event Comment: [This was a puppet show, rewritten by Charles Dibdin from his Comic Mirror; it consisted of 7 different acts, presented in 3 Parts. The audience was both misled into thinking that it was to be performed by actual persons, and made angry because of the "almost unintelligible manner of conveying [the various acts], as the singers were scarcely audible, and the objects very indistinctly visible.' A riot ensued. Lighted candles were thrown on the stage against the curtain, chandeliers broken, benches torn up. The audience was not "satisfied" until Colman the proprietor of the theatre, disclaimed any concern with the entertainment, and Dibdin made an apology. Although announced for repetition on 3 Mar., it was not again performed. (See Dibdin, II, 65; Morning Chronicle, 2 Mar. )]

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. Second Course [1st time; M. INT I, by James Cobb. Larpent MS 567; not published]: With Songs and a New Overture. Entrement [1st time: INT I, by Charles Stuart. Larpent MS 566; not published]. Desert: Never acted here; by Permission of Harris [proprietor of cg. The playbill assigns Princess Huncamunca to Mrs Kennedy, but "Huncamunca was very well performed by a Lady who resembled Mrs Kennedy in her voice" (Public Advertiser, 23 Aug.; and see 24 Aug.)]

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: Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years [not acted since 26 Dec. 1776. Mrs Robinson, who was from the Portsmouth theatre, is identified by MS annotation on Kemble playbill]. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Frances Brooke, based on Les Moissonneurs, by Charles Simon Favart]: The new Music and overture composed, and the Selected Airs compiled [from Paxton and Sacchini], by Shield. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 30 June 1784: Paid Shield for composing Rosina #100. Receipts: #158 18s. 6d. (154/5/6; 4/13/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for [W.] Bates and Mahon. Afterpiece: With an exact Representation of the Irish Giant [who had recently been exhibited in London: Charles Byrne, 1761-83], and a Leap through a Cask on Fire. Receipts: #132 5s. Receipts: #132 5s. (none listed; tickets: 132/5) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Brereton. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four o'clock. [Afterpiece in place of Too Civil by Half, announced on playbill of 14 Apr.] Public Advertiser, 24 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Brereton, Charles-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #317 19s. (133/13; 12/11; 0/9; tickets: 171/6) (charge: #107 15s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Brereton. Public Advertiser, 26 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Brereton, Charles-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #262 7s. 6d. (129/3/0; 18/13/0; 0/10/6; tickets: 114/1/0) (charge: #106 7s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bellamy. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. "Mrs Bellamy was too much frightened to speak the address [written by Charles Stuart (European Magazine, May 1785, p. 354)], and Miss Farren spoke it--Mrs Bellamy herself added some few words in prose" (Genest, VI, 342). But Stuart's address was abandoned, and in its place Miss Farren spoke one written by Alexander Bicknell (Gentleman's Magazine, June 1785, pp. 449-50). This occurred at the end of the play; following the address the curtain rose, and Mrs Bellamy "succeeded in muttering a few words, expressive of her gratitude" (Reynolds, I, 282-83). [This was Mrs Yates's last appearance in London. In July of this year she was acting in Birmingham (Morning Chronicle, 18 July). Mrs Bellamy's last appearance on the stage was at CG, 1 June 1780.] Receipts: #306 4s. (188/1/0; 13/3/6; 0/14/6; tickets: 104/5/0) (charge: #113 8s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by A Lady [unidentified], based partly on L'Amitie A l'epreuve, by Charles Simon Favart and Claude Henri de Fusee de Voisenon]: The Overture and the new Music composed by Hook. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 30 Mar. 1786: This Day at Noon is published The Peruvian (1s. 6d.). [The music was printed under the title of The Fair Peruvian (S. A. & P. Thompson [1786]), which was the original title as given in the MS (Larpent 727).] Receipts: #246 8s. (242/16/6; 3/11/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kemble. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. "Mrs Siddons spoke the speech on mercy as it certainly should be spoken--but as in truth we never heard it spoken--as a reply to 'On what compulsion must I?' From every other Portia it has always appeared as a recitation, prepared for the occasion" (Morning Chronicle, 8 Apr.). Morning Chronicle, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Kemble, No. 19, Charles-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #284 2s. 6d. (160/19/0; 20/17/6; 1/1/0; tickets: 101/5/0) (charge: #107 0s. 5d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Brereton. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four o'clock. Morning Chronicle, 21 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mr and Mrs Brereton, No. io, Charles-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #317 6s. 6d. (121/17/0; 7/11/6; 1/6/0; tickets: 186/12/0) (charge: #106 2s.)

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera [1st time; COM 2], written by Charles Francis Badini, and set to music by Pasquale Anfossi. "The Author has . . . struck out ideas fit to excite the utmost powers of harmony. We do not think that he has been sufficiently seconded by Signor Anfossi. The music evidently labours under a tedious monotony" (General Advertiser, 22 May)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Taylor. Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years. Public Advertiser, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Taylor, No. 10, Charles-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #173 (50.17; 23.17; 0.10; tickets: 97.16) (charge: #109 11s. 11d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Macklin. [This was his last appearance on the stage; his 1st was c. 1716. In the middle of his first scene his memory failed him, and Ryder, who had been asked by the manager to be prepared for this eventuality, finished the part (Public Advertiser, 9 May; William W. Appleton, Charles Macklin, 1960, 225-27).

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Iliff. Afterpiece: Not acted these 10 years [not acted since 30 July 1778]. Diary, 28 July: Tickets to be had of Iliff, No. 20, Charles-street, Westminster

Event Comment: Benefit for Marchesi. A Serious Opera; the music by Tarchi. Under the direction of Federici. Tickets to be had of Marchesi, No. 14, Charles-street, St. James's-square

Event Comment: [Fennell had acted Douglas at Edinburgh on 5 July 1788, and perhaps Previously.] Afterpiece [1st time: P 2, by Charles Bonnor and Robert Merry. Larpent MS 886; not published. Synopsis of action in Universal Magazine, Dec. 1790, pp. 321-23. Author of Prologue unknown]: Interspersed with Dialogue, Airs, Duettos, Chorusses, Dances, &c. &c. &c. The Scenery, Machinery, and Decorations entirely new, and painted by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, Pugh, Malton, with many Assistants [including W. Hamilton (European Magazine, Dec. 1790, p. 468]. Among others will be exhibited the following Scenes taken from accurate Drawings made on the Spot: The Jacobines Convent, Rue St. Honorie; Places de Greve; Inside of the Hotel de Ville; View of the New Bridge called Pont Louis Seize; Fountain des Innocens; Palais Bourbon; View of the Champ de Mars, with the Grand Pavillion preparatory to the Festival; A Grand Assembly; View of the Triumphal Arch, prepared for the Procession to the Champ de Mars; Perspective View of the Champ de Mars, with the Bridge of Boats. With an exact Representation of the Banners, Oriflammes, &c. &c. in the Grand Procession to the Champ de Mars. The Whole to conclude with a Representation of the Grand Illuminated Platform, as prepared by the City of Paris, on the Ruins of the Bastille, for the Entertainment of the Provincial Deputies, and the Public. [The above has reference to the "Grand National Fete" held in Paris, 14 July 1790, in commemoration of the first anniversary of the fall of the Bastille. It is included in all subsequent playbills.] The Dances [composed] by Byrn. The Music composed and compiled [from Reeve and Naumann] by Shield. The Dresses all Characteristically French and New. Books of the Songs, &c. with a short Description of the Performance [T. Cadell, 1790] to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. Account-Book, 11 Jan. 1791: Paid Bonnor #200. Receipts: #316 16s. (296.14; 20.2)

Event Comment: [This is the only occasion in the 18th century when a play was acted in London on this date. "The performance at the Haymarket on the 30th of January has been noticed by his Majesty in a manner which is still a topic of conversation in the higher circles...There will be no more theatrical performances on the 30th of January" (London Chronicle, 28 Feb.). On 3 Feb. the Lord Chamberlain wrote to Sheridan as follows: "Sir--Information has been received at this Office that Theatrical Entertainments were exhibited at the Theatre, under your direction, in St. James's Haymarket on the 30th of Last Month, contrary to all precedent, and repugnant to Decency, being the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First. I do not know by what Authority such a Step was taken but, as Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household, think it my Duty to desire that you will be pleased to Cause the Practice to be discontinued in future. I am, Sir, Your Obedient, Humble Servant, Salisbury" (MS Letters to Sheridan from Various Correspondents,II, 64, in Harvard Theatre Collection). The Morning Chronicle on 31 Jan. offered another opinion: "It gave us infinite pleasure that last night we happily broke through one of the most absurd fasts in the calendar. The Managers of Drury Lane, with proper regard to the public, rescued them from the common dullness of a 30th of January." But the absurd fast remained in force until 1843.] Receipts: #339 18s. (291.4; 40.0; 8.11; ticket not come in: 0.3)