Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Afterpiece: By Particular Desire of several persons of Distinction, to be added for that night only. Neville MS Diary: Covent Garden Theatre after being shut up for the season was open'd tonight as a high favour to Shuter...Before [the farce] the Gods having call'd for the Music to play Roast Beef, would not suffer the play to begin till their request was complied with. They pelted Davies and Hull, who appeared first, with orange skins, crying Off, Off'...Glad Shuter had a good house. He is an excellent comedian and is said to have a good heart. [The income for this night not listed in the Account Books. On 10 June however, the treasurer received from Shuter #10 'for the renters for the night of his benefit," and #1 13s. 9d. for oyl that night. On 20 July the treasurer received from Shuter #43 15s. for tickets for his first benefit, and #1 4s. 1 1!2d. in money, along with #20 for his second benefit." On July 22, the treasurer paid "to sundry Creditors of Mr Shuter as per Receipt Books #245 4s. 1 1!2d., and to Mr Wilford by order of Shuter #60, and to Beard #26 16s." N.B. On Wednesday 1 July The sum of #60,000 was this day paid down for the purchase of the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, pursuant to agreement. The patentees are Messieurs Colman, Harris, Rutherford and Powell"--Gentleman's Magazine, p. 379.

Event Comment: Paid from treasurer's funds #16 12s. for a Lottery Tickett No. 5,603. Paid for playing the Organ 9 nights in the Oxonian in Town #2 5s. (Account Book). [Colman seems to have been dissatisfied with Mrs Lessingham's performance, for the Harvard Extra Illustrated Vol. of Genest (opposite p. 185) contains a MS note dated Tuesday Morning: "Mrs Bulkley's compliments to Mr Hull, as she is ready in the part of Mrs Sullen he need not call any rehearsal on her account." Presumably this note was written to the prompter the following Tuesday (24 Nov.). The next performance this season of the Stratagem did not occur, however, until 22 April 1768, at which time Mrs Bulkley played Mrs Sullen, for the 1st time.] Receipts: #155 15s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Colman the clear receipt of last Monday Night for the Oxonian, and the Alterations of The Rehearsal and King Lear, #230 6s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Third Day. For the Author. House charges and Candles #64 5s. Balance to Bickerstaffe #155 11s. 6d. (Account Book). This month were published Harris and Rutherford's Narrative of the Rise and Progress of the Disputes subsisting between the Patentees of Covent Garden Theatre, and Colman's True State of The Differences subsisting....Both were reviewed in the Gentleman's Magazine. Receipts: #219 16s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Published Animadversions on Mr Colman's True State etc., with some remarks on his little serious piece, The Oxonian in Town (20 pp.). [Criticizes the play as having a bad influence on the young, with its characters of whores, bawds and pickpockets. Did our author flatter himself that he could wipe out these rooted impressions with a cold moral sentence uttered by the mouth of a woman of pleasure, and perhaps never reaching the ears of one half of the audience from the variety of noises which accompany the finishing speech of every play?" Concludes: "The reputation of our Universities is a national concern of the highest and most sacred importance....I blush when I see academical characters brought upon the stage, but I burn when I see them lampooned."] House Charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. [Theatrical Monitor No 7, printed a list of 84 actors, actresses, and dancers belonging to the company, who signed a Petition to the Town in favor of Colman. See Harvard Library ed. of Memoirs of Macklin, II, part 2, p. 14.] Receipts: #115 15s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy [by Charlotte Lennox]. Never Performed. Prologue by Colman. Epilogue by Goldsmith. Treated so badly by the audience this first night that Mrs Lennox withdrew it. Burgoyne's The Heiress [dl, 14 Jan. 1784] draws upon it (Genest, V, 242). Receipts: #234 5s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mr Colman the balance of his night the 10th Inst. #104 17s. 6d.; and for the 13th Inst. #65 2s. (Account Book). Receipts: #123 8s. 6d

Event Comment: Prologue by Garrick; Epilogue by Cumberland, spoken by Foote and Mrs Jewell. A Comedy Never performed [by Foote]. [Audience included Dr Johnson, Mr Colman, Mr Garrick, Dr Goldsmith, Mr Macpherson, Mr Stevens, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Lord Littleton....So much applause that the audience stopped the play and required one speech repeated (Theatrical Intelligencer).

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid Whitefield for cloaths bought #34 7s. (Account Book). All the differences between the managers of Covent Garden Theatre are settled. They met together without the interposition of any other person, shook hands, dined at Mr Colman's, and put a final stop to all the proceedings at law (Gentleman's Magazine, XLI, 520). Receipts: #186 18s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Farce [by a Gentleman from Dublin] never performed. [It was fitted to the stage as an afterpiece, and provided with a Prologue by Colman. Advertisement for the Edition of 1772 indicates that it was "attempted to be acted, "but was damned. Taken principally from Moliere's Marriage Force. See account of damning of Farce, in Town and Country Magazine (Theatre No. XXXIII), before last act was over by a candle being thrown on stage.] Paid one year's ground rent for theatre due Mich. last #100 minus land tax of #16 5s.: Total #83 15s.; Paid ditto for the New Building adjoining the theatre #30, minus Land Tax of #4 17s. 6d.: Total #25 2s. 6d. (Account Book). Receipts: #198 16s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid Mr Babett for Papier Machee Ornaments 19s. 4s.; Paid Colman & Mrs Powell for Branson's additional salary for the last 3 seasons being advanc'd by them #93 7s. 6d. Paid ditto for 4 years' rent for apartments in their House, due lady Day next #80 (Account Book). Receipts: #124 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Dramatic Poem, Never Performed [written on the model of a Greek Tragedy by William Mason]. The Overture and all the Music entirely New Composed by Dr Arne. With New Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations (playbill). Altered by Colman to Mason's distress. (Biographia Dramatica). Books of the Chorus to be had at the Theatre. Rec'd from Bensley on account of Cash advanc'd last season #100 (Account Book). Receipts: #201 12s

Event Comment: [The preliminary number of The Westminster Magazine this date heartily condemned Colman's Comus "picked down into a skeleton," his production of King Henry VIII, and the new play Cross Purposes.] Receipts: #172 10s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 11 April 1771.] Paid Mrs Rich the balance of the Benefit for the Dispensary #36 11s. 6d., and paid Garton the balance due the Theatrical Fund #143 3s. (Account Book). [The Westminster Magazine this month comments upon the revival of the pantomime and the new scene of the Pantheonv: "This thought evidently was borrowed from the ludicrous situations of the Macaroni in the pantomime of the Pigmy Revels at the other theatre; but no one in the world borrows with less ceremony than Mr Colman, especially from Mr Garrick."] Receipts: #126 2s. 6d

Event Comment: Mr Colman's Night for the Alterations of Elfrida and Comus, & for the New Occasional Prelude (Account Book). Receipts: #254 15s. 6d

Event Comment: Gave the Porters at the several Inns of Court their Christmas Box, #3 11s. 6d. Paid Colman for the clear receipts of his night for alterations &c. the 11th inst. #254 15s. 6d. (Account Book). Receipts: #213 8s. 6d

Event Comment: Music of Afterpiece entirely new Composed by Dibdin. [An adaptation of Goldoni's Il Filosofo di Campagna.] Book of Songs to be had at Theatre (playbill). The Wedg R. a Comic Opera of Two Acts wrote & composed by Mr Dibdin. The Music very pretty--as the Author was kept a Secret The Town fancy'd that is one of Mr Bickerstaff & call'd out to know who was the Author. Mr Garrick inform'd them that he had no power to declare who the Author was but he could assure them that it was not Mr Bickerstaffs this did not Satisfy them at last Mr Dibdin went on & declard himself to be the Author & made an Affidavit of it & then the Farce went on with Applause (Hopkins Diary). [Account of The Wedding Ring in Westminster Magazine for Feb. 1773.] Paid #4 4s. for licensing The Wedding Ring and Alonzo (Treasurer's Book). [Maria Macklin, in a MS letter to her father, 3 Feb. 1773, commented fully on this night's performance: "Written as it was suppos'd by Bickerstaffe. The music by Dibdin. I went with a party into the Gallery to see the event as there was a great riot expected, & indeed never did I see an audience more inflamed. They would not suffer them to begin the piece. At last Mr King came on with a written paper in his hand, which he said he was desir'd to read in the name of the managers. After a great noise they let him read it. He said just before the play began the managers had receiv'd a letter from Mr Dibdin in which he declared that Bickerstaff was not the author of that piece, that he had made oath of it, and was ready to do the same again, but that for very particular reasons the author could not be given up. Then they stopp'd him & roar'd out that the author should be given up then. He continued as loud as he possibly could, reading on that 'but that if Mr Dibdin did not very soon given up the author he never should be suffered to appear again on that stage or any other.' Very luckily that turn'd them as I believe the House would have come down. The piece then began. Before the end of the first act one of Bannister's songs were encor'd. The other party were against it and would not let it go on. They all stood up and insisted that the author should be known then. After some time the house being nothing but confusion, Dibdin was push'd upon the stage ready to drop with fright, and declared that he was the author himself. Then they were as noisy the other way. Made them finish the piece, but how you may guess in a storm. It is like the Padlock, but the songs not so good." (Brander Matthews, Actors and Actresses, extra illustrated, Vol. I. Harvard Theatre Collection.). Westminster Magazine this month included in parallel columns flattering "Characters of Mr Garrick and Mr Colman," the Rival managers. The article especially praised Garrick's acting.] Receipts: #252 3s. 6d

Event Comment: [Lucy identified as Miss Dayes by Kemble note on playbill and by Winston MS 10.] At the opening of this season Justice Sir John Fielding wrote to Garrick not to play the Beggar's Opera fearing it had a bad influence on the minds of the young. But both Garrick and Colman continued to play it (Winston MS 10). Receipts. #183 13s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Afterpiece: Not acted these 12 years. [See 9 Nov. 1761.] With Additions and Alterations. [The Additions to The Fair seem to have included a number of actual animals (instead of the men costumed as an Ass and a Hog as used in Mother Shipton), for the Account Book this year for the first time notes payments, 22 March 1774, "for the hire of Horses in The Fair," and 18 June 1774, "To Mr Brooks for attending with the Camels &c. in the Fair." The tradition of bigger and better spectacles seems to have passed on from Rich to Colman.] Receipts: #180 17s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by William Kenrick] never performed before. [The play failed to succeed. Kenrick accounts for the failure in his Preface to the 1773 edition by reference to the Macklin affair (See 23 Oct., 30 Oct. and 18 Nov.) He quotes from the Public Advertiser (22 Nov.): "On Saturday last a new comedy called the Duellist was performed, for the first time, at Covent Garden Theatre. Previous to the curtain being drawn up, the following written handbill was dispersed about the house. 'Mr Macklin has been pursued by a malicious party to such a pitch of rancour, that at last they have succeeded so far in their cursed designs, as to get him discharged this theatre, and thereby have deprived him of the means of a livelihood; therefore if the public have any spirit, they will not suffer the new play to begin till Mr Colman promises that Mr Macklin shall be engaged again.' This handbill found its way into the green-room, and had a very visible effect on the performers, as was plainly evident from their confusion. The piece was received with great marks of approbation, and given out again for Monday, which was attended with some hissing, but that was greatly overpowered by the general applause of the audience. The overture to Thomas and Sally being attended to with silence, the greatest part of the author's friends quitted the theatre; which being taken advantage of by a party in the gallery, a riot ensued, and the entertainment was not suffered to go on till another play was given out for Monday." Kenrick agrees with this account, then analyses several other objections which he dismisses, to wit, in the play (a) too lengthy a satire on lawyers, (b) an indelicate passage in Latin (omitted from the printed version); in the audience, a conspiracy of Garrick and Bickerstaffe against him; and lack of a claque of his own friends to carry through their suport of him. Macklin's name appears on the playroll this night, but only for a accumulated 4 days of pay #8 16s. (Account Book).] Receipts: #221 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Colman the balance of his 3 nights for the Man of Business #230 7s. 6d. Receipts: #213 4s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Desire. [The presence of Arante as a character in the mainpiece seems to indicate that Barry returned to the Tate version or brought with him the Garrick modification from dl. She does not appear in the Colman version.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jewell. By Permission. A Tragedy for Warm Weather, not acted these ten Years, written after the manner of the worst as well as the best English Poets [author unknown] Containing, amongst a Variety of Particulars curious, entertaining, and pathetic, the Rebellion of the Journeymen Tailors, their Military Preparations and Election of a Chief, their Skirmishes, Ambushes, Sieges, Councils and Combats; their Division into Flints, and Dungs; with the Defection of the Dungs, at the Pass of Butcher Row and total Overthrow of the Flints at the famous Battle of Temple Bar; together with the Captivit and End of their valiant leader. [Colman's shortened version of the 1767 play (Biographia Dramatica).

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. )]