Event Comment: Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years

Event Comment: The new Comedy of I'll Tell You What! [announced on playbill of 29 July] is obliged to be deferr'd on Account of the Indisposition of Parsons [see 4 Aug.]

Event Comment: 2nd piece: Written by the Author of I'll Tell You What [Elizabeth Inchbald]

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Lord Trinket to Dodd, but he "having been taken ill, Kennedy of Covent Garden Theatre performed Lord Trinket, and was favourably received" (Public Advertiser, 28 Sept.).] Receipts: #170 18s. (120/7/0; 49/11/6; 0/19/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Acted but once these 20 [recte 22] years [on 29 Mar. 1785]. Afterpiece: Contracted into 3 acts; not acted these 7 years [acted 19 Mar. 1782]. Receipts: #204 17s. (200/2/6; 4/14/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years [acted 2 Nov. 1781]. Paid Wardrobe #6 2s. 6d.; Guard [master carpenter] for Scenemen #17 15s. 11d. Receipts: #178 9s. (171/19; 6/10)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Stockwell to Aickin, but "Fearon, in consequence of Aickin's illness, took the part of Stockwell at a short notice and upon the whole acquitted himself respectably" (Morning Chronicle, 6 Oct.).] "There is an infinite combination in Mrs Abington, a power of making everything new yet conformable to the character (Public Advertiser, 14 Oct.). Receipts: #328 11s. 6d. (326/11/0; 2/0/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Abington. Pit and Boxes will be laid together. Ladies and Gentlemen are most earnestly requested to come early, to prevent Inconvenience in getting to their Places, and to send their Servants to keep them by Four o'clock. "At the close of the entertainment Mrs Abington came forward, and delivered a short poetical address to her fashionable auditory [written by Maurice Morgann (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1797, p. 263)], apposite to her feelings on the present occasion" (Morning Herald, 11 Feb.). "The character [of Scrub] throughout was well conceived, and executed with a sprightliness and degree of humour that kept the house in a continual roar of laughter" (Public Advertiser, 11 Feb.) "Mrs Abington's voice was in its usual tone; her manners and deportment were inattentive and torpid, rather than active and interesting" (Morning Post, 11 Feb.). "With all her endeavours to give new points to the character, she entirely failed. Her appearance en culottes, so preposterously padded, exceeded nature. Her gestures to look comical could not get the least hold of the audience, though they had seen her before in men's clothes, when playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice, where her figure, dressed as a lawyer in his gown, gave effect to her excellent delivery on mercy, and the audience had been always delighted. But this leu de benefice, comparatively speaking, was disgusting and absurd as she dressed the character ... However, I have heard it originated in a bet she had previously made" (Henry Angelo, Reminiscenes, 11, 281-82). Receipts: #406 13s. 6d. (249/9/6; 1/9/0; tickets: 155/15/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Benefit for Clarke. Mr Clarke begs leave to inform his Friends, from his violent Indisposition, and Incapacity to perform for his Benefit, Mr Yates offered his assistance to play the character of Scrub; but unfortunately Mr Yates is attacked by a violent fit of the Gout, and prevented from fulfilling his kind Intentions. Mr Quick has readily consented to play the part for Mr Clarke. Mr Clarke hopes his present severe Indisposition, which has prevented his playing for several Months past, will be considered by his Friends as a sufficient Apology for his not performing at his Benefit, and solicits their Patronage this Evening. Morning Chronicle, 22 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Clarke, No. 15, Great Russel-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #101 16s. 6d. (98/4/6; 3/12/0; tickets: none listed) (charge: #105)