Event Comment: An Italian Comic Opera by some performers just arriv'd from Paris. Went off pretty well, -a Girl greatly admir'd (Cross). [The girl seems to have been Sga Spiletta.] She plays off with inexhaustible spirits all muscular evolutions of the face and brows; while in her eye wantons a studied archness, and pleasing malignity. Her voice has strength and scope sufficient; has neither too much of the feminine, nor an inclining to the male. Her gestures are ever varying; her transitions quick and easy. Some over-nice critics, forgetting, or not knowing the meaning of the word Burletta, cry that her manner is outre. Wou'd she not be faulty were it otherwise? The thing chargeable to her is (perhaps) too great a luxurience of comic tricks; which (an austere censor would say) border on unlaced lasciviousness, and extravagant petulance of action (Paul Hiffernan, The Tuner, No 1). [Spiletta was the name of the character to whom Sga Nicolina Giordani gave such life that the name stuck to her. See Saxe Wyndham, Annals of Covent Garden Theatre.] [A Comic Opera by G. Giordani, Music by G. Cocchi-Nicoll, English Drama, III, p. 349.] Nothing less than the full price will be taken during the Performance. Printed books of the opera sold at the theatre. Tomorrow, Venice Preserved. [Murphy commented in Gray's Inn Journal (22 Dec.): "A great deal of whatever humour this production may contain, is certainly lost to an English audience; and the manner of acting, being a burlesque upon what people here are not very well acquainted with, is not universally felt. But notwithstanding these disadvantages, there is one among them, Sga Nicolina Giordani, who displayed such lively traces of Humour in her countenance, and such pleasing variety of action, and such variety of graceful deportment, that she is generally acknowledged to be, in that Cast of playing, an excellent comic actress."

Event Comment: Libretto by Goldoni; Music by Galuppi. A new comic Opera. To begin at 6:30 p.m. Pit and Boxes Half a Guinea. Gallery 5s. By His Majesty's Command No Persons admitted behind the Scenes [Repeated. The 1760 Libretto of Arianne e Teseo calls for Prologue to be sung by Signora Mattei on this night.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: In the Manner it was performed at Stratford. This Ode was as it was perform'd at the Jubilee at Stratford upon Avon Dedicating a Building & Erecting a Statue to Shakespeare it was written by D. G. Esqr. and the Music by Dr Arne Mr G. speaking in this performance is equal to anything he ever did and met with as much applause as his heart could desire. It is a most delightful performance (Hopkins Diary)

Event Comment: Mrs Smith Patty for the first time very well & great Applause (Hopkins Diary). Paid Tallow chandler's 2nd bill #36 9s. 5d.; Mr L. Frederick for sattin, #21 9s.; Mr Weston per order Mr G. G. #7 7s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #156 2s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Ackman. Tickets to be had at Pond's in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden; and of Mr Johnston, at the Theatre. House charges #84. Profit to Ackman #123 10s.; Paid Mr Davies's note to Liddell, #3 3s.; Paid extra Flute and Hautboy 10s.; Chorus 2 nights (this incl.) #4 1s. Receipts: #207 10s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mrs Abington continuing ill, The Maid of the Oaks oblig'd to be deferr'd. Soon after the Farce began off off--no, more, no more, was the General Cry with much hissing--Mr King went on Two or three times to know their pleasure but they would not hear him. They Call'd for Mr Garrick he attended--but they would not hear him for a long time tho' Attempted Several times to speak--at last Somebody said hear him! hear him!--Mr G. told them that he would wait their [sic] all Night with pleasUre if they requir'd it--hear him! again was bellow'd out--he told them he waited to know their pleasure--whether they would have the Blackamoor go on or if they would have any other Farce then a great Noise ensued; as soon as they were quiet Mr G. told them that his Theatrical Life would be very Short and he should be glad to end it in peace--A man in the Pit said if you have a mind to die in Peace don't let this Farce be play'd again Mr Garrick was on and off the Stage several times nothing would content them--at Length Mr King told them that the Author had taken the Copy from the Prompter and was gone away with it.--Soon after this they withdrew So ended this troublesome Affair (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble is considerably lengthened.] Paid Mr Rowland's bill for dinners #8 9s. 3d. Receipts: #284 18s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Robinson, musician, and Mrs Newby

Event Comment: A Concert of Music, Vocal and Instrumental, by the most celebrated performers, with Dancing by Miss Cranfield. Between the several parts of the Concert will be rehearsed (gratis) by Pupils, for their mutual improvement in Oratory The Fair Penitent [etc., as above]. By Subscription. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin precisely at 6:30. Boxes 3s. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. No money will be taken at the door, nor any person admitted without a ticket, which may be had at the Office near the Concert Room, where attendance will be given from Ten to One every day; and from half past Five till Eleven each evening of performing. Morning Chronicle, 19 June: A correspondent who was present declares the business of the evening was conducted with great regularity and decorum... The dresses were as good as those of the Theatres Royal, the band excellent, and the decorations neat and ornamental

Event Comment: Concert, &c., as 18 June, but Dancing-Herbert, and added: The Early Horn by Barnshaw

Event Comment: [The play was not allowed to conclude, nor was the afterpiece, All the World's a Stage, performed. "Yesterday evening, during the representation of...A Bold Stroke for a Wife, at China Hall, Rotherhithe, a party of the inhabitants, who had laid an information against the performers, rushed into the theatre, behind the scenes, and seized Mr Russell (who played the character of Colonel Feignwell), and carried him, in his stage dress, before Justice Smith, at the Rotation-Office, St Bennet's-hill, who committed him to the House of Correction, for further examination this morning" (Morning Chronicle, 24 July). What happened to Russell is not known, but because of this occurrence the theatre did not re-open until the following season, on 25 May 1778. See my article on the history of this unlucky playhouse, Theatre Notebook, VIII, 76-80.

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Afterpiece [1st time; INT 1, by Horace Walpole. Text 1st Published in Walpole's Works, vol. II (G. G. and J. Robinson and J. Edwards, 1798)]

Event Comment: Afterpiece: All the scenery, machinery, designed by DeLoutherbourg, and executed under his direction. Receipts: #170 17s. (126.19.0; 43.8.6; 0.9.6)