Event Comment: Benefit for Reddish [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Public Advertiser, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the Turnpike, Tottenham Court Road. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to try whether he could not go through the character of Posthumus. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late John Ireland gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the room with the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, I play Romeo.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience his recollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only the stage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (Boaden, Kemble, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60)

Event Comment: Benefit for Condell, Evans & Curteen, box-keepers. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Mainpiece: On account of the additional Airs, contracted into 3 Acts. The Music by Purcell, Smith, Arne & Fisher. [Wright is identified by MS annotation on Kemble playbill. And see 8 May.] Public Advertiser, 7 May: Tickets to be had of Condell, Cross-court, Bow-street, Covent Garden; of Evans, at Bromfield's, trunk-maker, No. 118, Long-acre; of Curteen, No. 11, Temple-lane, Whitefriars

Event Comment: Benefit for Dickinson, pit office-keeper, and Carleton Jun., box lobby door-keeper. [Afterpiece in place of The Irish Widow, announced on playbill of 25 May.] Morning Chronicle, 18 May: Tickets to be had of Dickinson, No. 5, Wild-court, Wild-street, Lincoln's-Inn-Fields [Carleton not listed]. Receipts: #280 3s. 6d. (26.1.0; 6.9.0; 0.18.6; tickets: 246.5.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: A new Serious Opera [1st time; SER 3, by Pietro Metastasio; a pasticcio]. The Music by various eminent Composers [Anfossi, Myslivecek and Piccinni]. Amongst them several airs by Handel. Under the Direction of Bertoni. With entire new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations, both for the Opera and Dances. Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. and 2nd Gallery 3s. By Their Majesties' Command no Person can be admitted behind the Scenes. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughtout season]. To prevent inconvenience to the Nobility and Gentry in getting to their carriages, they are most respectfully intreated to give positive orders to their Servants to set down and take up with their Horses Heads towards Pall-mall. The Door in Market Lane for Chairs only. To prevent mistakes, Ladies who have not sent the names of the Subscribers to their Boxes are particularly requested to send them as early as possible to Johnson, at the office of the Theatre, in order to [permit] their Tickets being engraved. Subscriptions are received by Johnson in Union Court, Hay Market

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Morning Chronicle, 15 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis at his house, Broad-Court. Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years [not acted since 2 May 1758]. 2nd piece [1st time in London; INT I: ascribed to John Philip Kemble, 1st acted at York, 27 Mar. 1779]. Receipts: #230 5s. (192.9; tickets: 37.16) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Webster. Public Advertiser, 14 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Webster at his house, No. 2, Paul Baker's Court, Doctors Commons. Receipts: #207 15s. 6d. (57.2.0; 19.3.0; 0.9.6; tickets: 131.1.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton.Morning Chronicle, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Wroughton at his house, Broad-Court. Receipts: #155 1s. (127.16; tickets:27.5) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Colles, Miss Abrams & Miss Kirby. Public Advertiser, 4 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Colles at Smith's No. 10, Bow-street, the corner of Martlet Court, Covent Garden; of Miss Abrams, Little Bridges Street, Covent Garden; of Miss Kirby at Andrews's, No. 70, Long Acre. Receipts: #203 7s. (28.1; 14.16; 1.11; tickets: 158.19) (charge: #90 2s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bradshaw, Mrs Love, Mrs Booth & Miss Field. Mainpiece: With the Grand Triumphal Entryv. Afterpiece: View of the Grand Campv as 6 Nov. 1779. Tickets delivered by Collins will be taken. Public Advertiser, 4 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Bradshaw at Nichole's, baker, Bridges Street; of Mrs Love at Mrs Baker's, Gerrard-street; of Mrs Booth and Miss Field, No. 10, corner of Martlet Court, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #201 6s. (41.13.0; 15.8.6; 3.0.6; tickets: 141.4.0) (charge: #93 7s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for the New General Lying-In Hospital, Store-street, Tottenham-Court-Road

Event Comment: Benefit for the New General Lying-in Hospital in Store-Street, Tottenham-Court-Road. Receipts: #149 1s. 6d. (48.7.6; tickets: 100.14.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. 1st piece: With a Representation of the Trial at Westminster Hall. Public Advertiser, 22 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis, Broad-court, Bow-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #205 19s. (183.13; tickets: 22.6) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. 2nd piece: With Alterations. Books of the Fete to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 23 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Wroughton, No. 18, Broad-court, Bow-street. Receipts: #227 1s. 6d. (213.19.6; tickets: 63.2.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Thompson, Nix, Mrs Booth & Miss Field. Public Advertiser, 5 May: Tickets to be had of Thompson, No. 7, Great Marlborough-street; of Nix, Mrs Booth and Miss Field, No. 8, Broad-court, Longacre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same for rest of season]. Receipts: #180 3s. 6d. (29.15.0; 21.4.6; 0.1.0; tickets: 129.3.0) (charge: none listed)

Event Comment: Opera [1st time; Past 3, author unknown]. The music [to Part I] composed by Giovanni Battista? Bianchi, [to Part II by] Rauzzini, [to Part III by] Giordani. With Grand Chorusses. With new Decorations devised and painted by Novosielski, and new Dresses. The Side-boards, with a cold Collation and all sorts of Wines, at 12 o'clock. The Performance under the direction of Vestris Sen., and to conclude with a Ball. Tickets, at 2 Guineas each, are ready to be delivered at the Office in Union-court, where Boxes may be taken. No Masks will be admitted. The Doors will be opened at 9:00, and the Performance to begin at 10:00. Books of the Performance will be given out (gratis) at the Theatre. Morning Herald, 7 June: The Omaggio, or homage paid by the vassals and tenants to their Lord, is naturally calculated to give free scope to lively, and sentimental music. In the former stile Bianchi and Giardini [sic] were equally succesful; and in the latter Rauzzini was surprisingly great, both as composer and performer...Slingsby would, in our opinion, have come out with as great a share of applause as the best of them, having to go through an English dance in his own stile, but by some unaccountable accident...the music-band stopped short when he was in the very climax of his exertions. The scenes are in the rural stile, with the addition of natural trees, flowering shrubs, &c., set in the neatest order...The company did not begin to move till about four, and by five the rooms were cleared. Public Advertiser, 7 June: The Vestris' gave incontrovertible proof of the variety of their powers...They did more, they shewed what this country had never seen-the possibility of presenting to the eye a large and extensive stage filled with dancers all in motion at the same time

Event Comment: A revived Serious Opera; the Music by the most eminent Composers [Bertoni, Gugliclmi, Giordani, Rauzzini, Gretry, &c], under the direction of Bertoni. With entire new scenes painted by Novosielski. New Dresses and Decorations both for the Opera and Dances. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin exactly at 7:00 [see 18 June 1782]. By Command of Their Majesties no Persons to be admitted behind the Scenes. Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. To prevent inconvenience in getting to their carriages, the Nobility and Gentry are requested to order their servants to set down and take up with their horses' heads towards Pall-Mali. The Subscribers to the Opera are intreated to send their instructions to Jewell and Johnson at the Office in Union-court before the opening of the Theatre, when the final arrangement of the Boxes will take place, and those which are not retained will then be disposed of. Subscriptions to be paid on delivery of the tickets. Books of the Opera, with an account of the Pantomime Dance, to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Mrs Greville and Williams. Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years. Tickets delivered for the 17th of December will be admitted. Tickets and places to be had of Williams at Mr Spoke's, Tottenham Court; Mr White, Auctioneer, Queen street, Westminster; Messrs Ellis and Scott, Old Bond-street; Mr Hewitt, New Bond-street; Mr Cowcieroy, Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury; and at the Excise Office Coffee-House, Old Bond-street

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. Public Advertiser, 2 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wroughton, Broad Court, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #151 2s. (119/7; tickets: 31/15) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Aldridge, ballet-master. Morning Herald, 24 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Aldridge at Rumler's, Clare-court, Drury-lane. Receipts: #238 6s. 6d. (142/13/6; tickets: 95/13/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [In the 1st ballet the playbill lists Mme Rossi, but she did not dance. As the 2nd ballet the playbill announces Il Ratto delle Sabine, but Mme Rossi was ill, which "rendered a verbal apology unavoidable. 'Mme Rossi was in hopes that her wish to court your favour would enable her to overcome her illness, but it has been as sudden as it is now alarming. She has just been let blood. The manager therefore intreats your indulgence, and that you will accept of Apelles and Campaspe instead of the Grand Ballet, which cannot possibly be performed.' . . . Henry performed the part of Alexander with the greatest propriety" (Public Advertiser, 19 Dec.).]

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Public Advertiser, 25 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis at his house in Broad-court, Bow-street. Afterpiece [1st time in London; co 2. MS: Larpent 620; not published]: Written by the Author of The Castle of Andalusia, The Agreeable Surprise, Son-in-Law, &c &c. [John O'KeefFe, 1st acted at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, 15 Apr. 1777, and altered in the CG season of 1783-84 as The Poor Soldier]. The Airs Select [ed by the author from] Irish [airs]. With a New Overture and Accompaniments by Shield, who composed the music of Rosina. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #256 9s. (201/10; tickets: 54/19) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield. Public Advertiser, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Whitfield at his house in Leicester Court, Castle-street, Leicester-fields. Afterpiece: Taken from Beaumont [recte Massinger] and Fletcher's Play of the same Name. [F 2(?); Town and Country Magazine, May 1783, p. 23 5: synopsis of plot. And see DL, 19 Oct. 1749.] Receipts: #197 9s. 6d. (102/5/6; tickets: 95/4/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Waldron. Public Advertiser, 9 May: Tickets to be had of Waldron, No. 19, Martlet-court, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Mainpiece [1st time in London; C 5, by Francis Godolphin Waldron, 1st acted at Richmond, Aug. 1782, as The Belle's Stratagem; or, The Female Fortune-Hunters, and again at the HAY in 1794 as Heigho for a Husband! Prologue by the author (MacMillan, Larpent Catalogue, 100). Author of Epilogue unknown. MS: Larpent 599; not published]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 8 years. The Indisposition which prevented King from performing last Friday continuing, Palmer has very kindly undertaken and studied the Character King intended to have appeared in this Evening. Receipts: #126 15s. 6d. (34/5/0; 21/18/6; 2/15/0; tickets: 67/17/0) (charge: #106 9s. 8d.)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns the 1st Gravedigger to Parsons, but "an Apology was made for Parsons, and Suett went through his Part" (Public Advertiser, 2 Oct.). In afterpiece the playbill retains Parsons as Solomon; for Fawcett see 26 Nov.] "We have for so many years been accustomed to see Hamlet dressed in the Vandyke costume, that it may be material to state that Mr Kemble played the part in a modern court dress of rich black velvet, with a star on the breast, the garter and pendant ribbon of an order-the mourning sword and buckles, with deep ruffles: the hair in powder; which, in the scenes of feigned distraction, flowed dishevelled in front and over the shoulders" (Boaden, Kemble, I, 104). Receipts: #285 16s1. (265/14/0; 19/19/6; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. By Desire of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, who on this occasion will attend in proper cloathing, and the different Regalias of their Order. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, author unknown. MS: Larpent 685; not published. Author of Prologue unknown]. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had at the Globe in Pall-mall; the Black Horse, Coventry-street; the Castle, in Castle-Court, Cornhill; the Rose Coffee-house in the Old Bailey; the Half Moon Tavern, Cheapside; and at the Theatre, where places for the boxes may be taken. Great care will be taken to have the House well aired