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: bTo finish with: Medee et Jason. As 26 June. Only one act of the said Opera can be performed between the two Grand Ballets, owing to their being very long. By Particular desire of several of the Nobility; being positively the last Time of performing this Season [see 30 June]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: As originally written by Shakespeare. Afterpiece: To conclude with a perspective Representation of the Grand Camp at Cox-Heath [see 15 Oct. 1778]. Receipts: #170 8s. (121/10/0; 48/15/6; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: To conclude with a Grand Representation of a Regatta. Receipts: #146 16s. (119/2/0; 27/11/6; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Richard Tickell, some of the songs attributed to Richard Brinsley Sheridan; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 18 Dec. Songs (no pub., 1781) omits several [i.e. all the non-singing] characters. MS not in Larpent; not published]: With entirely new Music and a new Overture [by Thomas Linley Sen.]. To conclude with a View of St. Mark's Place, and a grand Representation of the Carnival. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations, designed by De Loutherbourg, and executed under his Direction. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 19 Dec. 1781: This Day are published the Songs in The Carnival of Venice (6d.). Account-Book, 11 Jan. 1782: Received from Miss Giles for 1,550 Books of the Songs in the Carnival #31. Receipts: #225 18s. 6d. (216/4/0; 9/14/6; 0/0/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Henderson. Mainpiece: Written by Congreve; and now carefully revised and corrected, by expunging the exceptionable passages. [The playbill assigns Lord Touchwood to Clarke, but on the Kemble playbill his name is deleted; the substitute name has been cut by the binder.] Afterpiece: Contracted into 3 acts. With a Grand Dance, and a Reinforcement of Bayes's Troops [for which, and for a list of the other parts, see DL, 13 Dec. 1777. In the Dancing Banti is announced as making his 5th appearance (see 25 Feb., 5 Mar.)]. Public Advertiser, 2 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Henderson, Buckingham-street, York Buildings. Receipts: #238 9s. 6d. (144/9/6; tickets: 94/0/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Baddeley. Public Advertiser, 13 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Baddeley, No. 2, Little Russel-street, Covent Garden. Mainpiece: The Music composed by Michael Arne. With a Grand Procession of the different Orders of the Knights of Chivalry. Receipts: #217 5s. (113/9; 35/8; 0/1; tickets: 68/7) (charge: #115 9s. 4d.)

Event Comment: A Serious Opera in 3 acts (1st time [in London; 1st performed at Turin, 1762]); the Music entirely new, composed by Bertoni; with Grand Chorusses. [The playbill also lists, at the end of Act II, the New Dance, as 7 May, but "As for the dances, Le Picq being confined to his bed, we were deprived of that part of the entertainment which we had been given to expect" (Morning Herald, 27 May).]

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Thomas Hull; also ascribed to Samuel Jackson Pratt. Author of Prologue unknown. Epilogue by S. J. Pratt. {Miscellanies, 1785,1,271). MS: Larpent 603; not published]: With a grand Masquerade Scene, and Decorations incident to the Piece. Receipts: #234 17s. (223/13/0; 11/1/6; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent 608; not published. CG playbill of 16 Nov. 1795 has a detailed synopsis of the action]: Intermixed with Songs and Dialogue. With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, Machinery, and Decorations. The new Music composed by Shield. The new Scenes designed by Richards, and executed by Richards, Hodgins, and assistants. To conclude with a Representation of the Lord Mayor's Show on the Water. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "As to the Pantomime it wanted nothing on the first Night but Abbreviations . . . [which should be] omission of the Doctors, the two Women of the Town, and the whole of Edwin's Character" (Public Advertiser, 27 Nov.). Gentleman's Magazine, Jan. 1783, pp. 29-31, contains a detailed synopsis of the procession, and adds, "The personages of this procession were all dressed in the characters of the time in which they lived, and before each of them a label, a scroll, or a pageant was carried, bearing their name, or some allusion of the poets to their occupation. The figures in transparency were all painted as large as the life, and had a most grand and beautiful effect . . . The idea of the paintings was furnished by Mr Richards and Mr Smirk [sic], and all of them executed by the latter in a style of so much taste and excellence that it is a matter of some wonder to us, where an artist of Mr Smirk's abilities has been so long concealed . . . The glee introduced with so much applause is the composition of the late Dr Rogers (who lived in 1600); the other airs in the pantomime and procession arc by Handel, Lord Kelly, Abel, Stamitz and Shield, and have very great merit. The expense of preparing this splendid spectacle must have been very great, and the cost of continuing its representation cannot be inconsiderable, since more than 200 supernumeraries are employed to walk in the procession." Receipts: #215 3s. (206/3; 9/0)

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: Afterpiece to include a Grand View of the Cumberland Fleet sailing for the Cup, and a song and chorus in honour of the Institution. To conclude with a Pageant, Rural and Pantomimical. Paid Danby for Chorus to 9th Inclusive #8 151. The Doors will be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 22 Apr. 1784]. Receipts: #187 (169/14/0; 16/15/6; 0/10/6)

Event Comment: A Serious Opera in 2 Acts; the Music entirely new by Anfossi; interspersed with Grand Chorusses and Dances incidental to the Opera.

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Younge. Mainpiece: Never acted here. In Act V a Grand Procession. Receipts: #275 12s. (161/4; tickets: 114/8) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss George. Gazetteer, 10 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Miss George, No. 23, King-street, St. Ann's. Mainpiece: With a Grand Procession of the different Orders of the Knights of Chivalry. Receipts: #141 19s. 6d. (60/8/0; 22/4/6; 0/15/0; tickets: 58/12/0) (charge: #117/19/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Farren. Gazetteer, 6 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Farren, No. 35, Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. Mainpiece: With the Grand Triumphal Entry of Alexander into Babylon. Receipts: #308 17s. (85/16/0; 18/8/6; 0/5/6; tickets: 204/7/0) (charge: #81 18s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield. 2nd piece: Written by George Colman, Esq. Not acted these 10 years [acted 20 Dec. 1777]. After which, a Grand Procession of the principal Characters of Shakespeare, as exhibited at the Jubilee at Stratford upon Avon [in Sept. 1769]. Public Advertiser, 5 May: Tickets to be had of Whitfield at his house, Leicester Court, Castle Street, Leicester Fields. Receipts: #114 4s. (45/18; tickets: 68/6) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With a Grand Procession of the different Orders of the Knights of Chivalry. [This was included in all subsequent performances.] Receipts: #125 2s. 6d. (90/6/0; 34/11/0; 0/5/6)