Event Comment: Books of the new Dance to be had at the Theatre. "Nothing could equal the manner in which the whole was conducted: the wrestling, the gladiators; the defeat of the Sabines; the besieging of Rome by the latter; their reconciliation with the Romans, &c." (Morning Herald, 13 Dec)

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: In afterpiece, added, following Lord Mayor's Show: A New Historical Procession of the Several Companies, with their respective Pageants, and the Chief Magistrates belonging to the City of London, from its Foundation. The Scenes, Machinery and Decorations, both of the Pantomime and Procession, invented and designed by Richards, and executed by Him, Smirk, Hodgins, Catton, and others. Book of the Songs, with an Explanation of the Procession [reprinted in Public Advertiser, 21 Jan.], to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 21 Jan.: The glee is the composition of the late [Benjamin] Rogers (who lived in 1600); the other airs are by Handel, [the Earl of] Kelly, Abel, Stamitz, and Shield . . . More than 200 supernumeraries are employed to walk in the Procession. Receipts: #236 4s. 6d. (231/4/0; 5/0/6)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Miss Linley still continuing so ill [see 7 Mar.] as not to be able to perform this Evening, Mrs Bannister has been so kind as to undertake to supply her Place. Tickets to be had and Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at half a guinea each. Pit 5s. 1st Gallery 3s. 6d. 2nd Gallery 2s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Darley, Jones, Painter, Besford, Mrs Davenett, Mrs Sharpe, the Widow of the late Dr Arne, and Mrs Dalrymple will be admitted. Tickets delivered for The Maid of the Mill will be taken. [Afterpiece in place of THE Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 27 May.] Receipts: #286 14s. 6d.(93/6/6; 3/1/0; tickets: 190/7/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Portal, Shade, Enoe & the Widow of the late Carleton Sen. Receipts: #264 (39/10/0; 17/2/6; 0/7/6; tickets: 207/0/0) (charge: #107 12s. 2d)

Event Comment: Benefit for Jewell, treasurer. 3rd piece [1st time; F 1, by Richard Paul Jodrell. Text 1st published (with cast for later season) by W. Lowndes and J. Barker, 1786]

Event Comment: "With respect to Mrs Siddons, in [Act v of Douglas], there was no question about her superiority [to Mrs Crawford]; and her passions were displayed in the tones of harmony; her great rival seemed to me the first of a school, in latter periods much admired, which deemed discordance the natural ally of anguish, and tortured the ear to overpower the heart" (Boaden, Siddons, 11,76). Receipts: #289 9s. (284/0/6; 5/8/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe and Charles Bonnor; later (see 29 Jan. 1784) altered as Harlequin Rambler. MS: Larpent 642; not published; synopsis of action in Public Advertiser, 24 Dec]: The Overture and all the Music new, with entire new Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, Decorations and New Performers. The Pantomime invented by O'Keeffe, the Music composed by Shield, the Scenery designed by Richards and Carver, and executed by them, Hodgins, and others. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. Books of the Songs (T. Cadell, 1783) [which list no cast] to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #288 1s. (277/18; 10/3)

Event Comment: "The appearance of Mrs Abington in the two characters of the Capricious Lady and Lady Bab Lardoon cannot fail of being considered as a high Treat ... as the first exhibits the coy, formal Manners of the last Age, and the latter the free degagee Breeding of the present" (Public Advertiser, 13 Feb.). Receipts: #227 12s. 6d. (211/10/0; 16/2/6)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Oratorio: Composed by the late Dr Arne. At Playhouse Prices [see 10 Mar.]. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Tickets for the Boxes to be had at Messrs Longman and Broderip's, in Cheapside and the Haymarket; and at the Stage Door of the Theatre, in Suffolk-street, where Places may be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Simonet. There being a few Boxes to be disposed of, those who would wish to be accomodated are requested to direct their commands as above, as soon as possible. Tickets, half a guinea each, to be had of Mme Simonet, No. 33, Pall-mall

Event Comment: Serenata: Composed by the late Dr Arne, with Alterations and additional Chorusses from the Doctor's own Manuscripts. Books of the Serenata to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Mrs Cuyler. [Kean is identified on HAY playbill of 26 Aug. 1784.] 1st and 2nd pieces: Both written by George Colman, Esq. 3rd piece: Written by the late David Garrick. Not acted these 12 years. Tickets to be had of Mrs Cuyler, No. 7, St. Alban's-street; at the bar of George's Coffee-house; and of Rice, at the Theatre, where places for the boxes may be taken. Tickets delivered for the 15th will be admitted

Event Comment: 1st piece: Set to Music by Handel. [For singers of individual airs therein see 5 Mar.] 2nd piece: Composed by the late Henry Purcell

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Jones, Painter, Bates, Goodwin, Atkins, Mrs Davenett, Miss Francis, Mrs Branson, Mrs Sharpe, and the Widow of the late Dr Arne will be admitted this Evening. Receipts: #229 3s. 6d. (46/11/6; 2/7/0; tickets: 180/5/0)

Event Comment: [Extra night] Benefit for Bonnor. Afterpiece [1st time; INT 1]: Translated [by Charles Bonnor] from a new Production of Dorvigny, entitled La Fete de Campagne; ou, L'Intendant Comedien malgre Lui, now acting in Paris with uncommon Applause [MS: Larpent 664; not published; in later season occasionally acted under the title of Transformation]. Tickets to be had of Bonnor, No. 19, Piazza, Covent Garden. Bonnor begs leave to inform his Friends and the Public that on account of his Absence at the time his Night was to have been appointed he was induced to decline a Benefit in the course of the Season, but the Manager having obligingly made him an Offer of the Theatre, free of all Expense, and the several Performers kindly engaging to assist him, he has fixed on this Day. Receipts: none listed

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time in London; T 3, by William Hayley, 1st acted at Chichester, late in May 1784. Text in his Plays . . . for a Private Theatre (T. Cadell, 1784). Prologue by George Colman, the elder (European Magazine, Aug. 1784, p. 165). Contrary to the usual custom on the 1st night of a new play, the parts on this occasion are assigned]. "Palmer had done with Lord Russel as he did with many other characters, that is, totally neglected to study the words of the part . . . Whenever he felt himself at a loss he dexterously introduced some passages from The Earl of Essex, which he contrived to fit into the cues received by Lord Russel." His brother, R. Palmer, who told this anecdote to Boaden, said that the audience suspected nothing amiss (Boaden, Kemble, I, 193)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Author. Play [1st time; T 5]: Written by the Rev. [Thomas] Stratford. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had of Dr Stratford, No. 5, Cecil-street, Strand, and of Fosbrook at the Theatre. Dr Stratford, in the overflowing of a grateful heart, is happy indeed in returning thanks to the Ladies and Gentlemen who, with equal benignity and humanity, have so generously exerted themselves in bringing forward his tragedy of Russel. Above the mean manoeuvres that have been practised by persons he had the least reason to expect such a conduct from, and which have detained him almost three years in London, at a ruinous expense, he went with a party of his friends, on Wednesday last, to the Hay-market, in support of the other Lord Russel, penned by superior genius. As he never injured an individual, he trusts every intention to defeat the success of his play will be disappointed by a generous London audience who, he still presumes to hope, will be actuated by the same noble spirit and principle that first induced the Lady and Gentleman to undertake so arduous a task as appearing on a public theatre. As many parts of the play will be expunged and altered, he begs leave to mention that it cannot be again represented till Wednesday next, when the characters of Lord Howard and Hubert will be performed by two other Gentlemen, who have generously undertaken their parts, and an entire new address will be spoken by the Gentleman who performs Lord Russel, wrote by himself. "The performers ... rendered the Doctor's Tragedy one of the most laughable farces at which we were ever present. [It] has much Calimanco in it, and where we could hear a sentence compleat (which was seldom indeed) it abounded with Fustian" (Public Advertiser, 21 Aug.)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. [Both Prologues by David Garrick.] To begin at 7:00

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Dighton. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15

Event Comment: The Confederacy and Arthur and Emmeline [the latter announced on playbill of 10 Jan.] are obliged to be deferred a few Days. Receipts: #146 11s. 6d. (108/16/0; 37/10/6; 0/5/0)

Event Comment: Turk, and No Turk and Harlequin Teague [the latter announced on playbill of 16 July] are both postponed on account of the Indisposition of Parsons and Wewitzer