Event Comment: Benefit for Dickinson (1st Gallery Office Keeper). House charges #84. [Deficit #54 14s.] Went at 5 to see King Lear...oblig'd to stand in a corner of ye Pit. It is said that Powell does Lear as well as Garrick...Mrs Palmer-Cordelia. This is Mrs Yates's part, but she is become a great woman and refuses to play for many of ye Benefits (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #29 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fox, Mrs Cross, Miss Simson. By Particular Desire. House charges #64 7s. [Profit to actors #1 2s. 6d. plus tickets. Received Mr Dickinson's deficiency #54 14s.] Rec'd of Clutterbuck #100. Paid French on account #40. Paid Florio for 7 nights in Cymon #7 7s.; Chorus singers #2 10s. 6d.; Rec'd repayment of Arne's note #50 and of Hopkins' note #28; Stopages #2 3s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #65 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, West, Lings. House charges #84. [Deficit to actors #60 4s.] Received Mr Evans and Miss Roger's deficiency #28 18s. 6d. Paid Ann Collett for a gold brocaided silk #10 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #23 16s. (Treasurer's Book). Went into ye Pit...Vernon is an excellent MacHeath. I don't like Yates as Peachum so well as Shuter, and Parsons is not so good a Filch as Holborn. Bransby ye Lockit and Mrs Abington Lucy pretty well...Polly-$Mrs Vincent, who is now too old for ye character, and I think wants feeling...One Tomlinson, who had a 4th of the Benefit, spoke an Epilogue in the character of a Beggar, but by one party hissing and a greater clapping, could not hear it.--At Covent Garden a Hurdy-Gurdy man and girl play in the whore's scene, and as the Highwaymen march out, one returns and kisses MacHeath, and Shuter says some things Yates did not, but perhaps they are additions of his own (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Benefit for Bowers (box-keeper) and Veal (1st gallery door-keeper). Play begins exactly at six o'clock. House charges #84. [Deficit to beneficiaries #61 5s. 6d.] Tickets deliver'd for The Busy Body will be taken. Paid Rector's rate and Watch 4 quarters #1 13s. Rec'd from Messrs Powell & Co for cloaths #11 11s.; Eight days from the Certainties #82 13s. 4d.; Stopages #1 18s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #22 14s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Took a place in ye front Boxes at Drury Lane for Wednesday next, when ye Suspicious Husband is to be performed for ye Decayed Actors' Fund, scarcely a place remaining untaken. I wanted one in ye Pit (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: Benefit for Cridland, Foley and Robertson. House charges #84. [Deficit to beneficiaries #66 14s.] Tickets deliver'd by Chinnall and Humphrys will be taken. Paid salary list #435 19s. Chorus singers #2 10s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #17 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Watson, Roberts, Kaygill and Palmer. House charges #84. [Deficit to beneficiaries #50 6s.] Bower's and Veal's deficiency of benefit received #61 5s. 6d. Rec'd from Mr Rowland 1 year's rent to Lady Day last (taxes and bills deducted) #30 6s. 1d. Paid Ridley Dorman for attending practices #10 10s.; Mr Larbor for attending Guidetti #2 2s. Mr Williams for 2 nights in Musical Lady #1 1s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #33 14s. (Treasurer's Book)

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: The above Play and Farce, will not be performed again for a considerable time. Neville MS Diary: Shuter took off Alderman Beckford...The House very full

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Never performed there. Neville MS Diary: Shuter made ye house laugh by saying to the conjurer. Should be glad to see you at Court; there will a change in ye Ministry soon" and by desiring Jo to take care of his Toes

Event Comment: This evening Covent Garden played against us Unexpected, on which account both houses performed every night (Hopkins MS Notes)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never acted there. Neville MS Diary: Both theatres opened again with The English Merchant. Went into the Pit of cg. Shuter did Freeport pretty well, but had not that appearance of blunt honesty which Yates has in that character....I like Miss Pope better in Molly than Mrs Mattocks. Mrs Goodman by Mrs Ward, who is a very different figure now from what she was some years ago. Her daughter did Amelia pretty well, but has a stiffiness and an indifferent voice. End Act III, The Irish Lilt-The celebrated dancer Aldridge, Sga Manesiere. Entertainment Harlequin Dr Faustus. I hope this emulation between the 2 Houses will cause exertion. Receipts: #146 8s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Read the principal parts of Much Ado About Nothing. Dined at St Clements Chop House, entered into a political conversation with a young gentleman, which prevented me from getting into the Pit till 5 o'clock. Was so squeez'd I could scarcely use my glass. [Lists parts.] The play was concluded by Comic Dance by the characters. How well and with what Agility Garrick dances (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: At 5 went into the Pit at Covent Garden to see Mrs Yates do Lady Townly. Yates is an excellent Sir Francis, but Powell does not shine in Lord Townly....The Entertainment was the new comedy in two acts called the Oxonian in Town, with a prologue by Woodward in the character of a student....It being suspected that a number of sharpers whose characters and practices are laid open in this piece, would attempt to damn it tonight (the 3rd of its being Performed) under pretence of its casting odium on the Irish, bills were dispersed in the House during the play vindicating it from any such intention. Woodward was allowed to speak the prologue, but as soon as the curtain drew up catcalls began. When the performers retired, Powell spoke several times, but was not heard. I was told that the author (Mr Colman) desires to know whom he has offended. The Pros were a very great majority, and at last after a contest of better than 1!2 an hour, the victory was over and the piece was performed. I think it contains many good sentiments, and excellent instruction to young men and is not unworthy of Mr Colman. If vice must not be exposed to hatred and contempt, the usefulness of our theatres is at an end. Only I think the Covent Garden pleasures are represented in too favourable a light. When all was over Powell came on the stage and thanked the audience for their generous protection (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #212 12s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Charles Sarjant for the Like sum advanc'd towards the repairs of the Houses in Bow St... #11 (Account Book). Receipts: #170 10s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by Wm Kenrick] never perform'd before. The characters New Dress'd. [Theatrical Monitor, No VIII (16 Dec. 1767) approved the mainpiece--"engages the mind, affects the passions, totally divested of indecency"--but thought Garrick's art of "puffing" was evident in his note at foot of playbills, "Those Ladies and Gentlemen, who have taken places for this day, are desired to send their servants by one o'clock, in order to ascertain the same, otherwise they cannot be secured," since the house, except the first night, had not been half full. N.B. This note appeared in an Advance Bill, but did not appear in the Bill of the Day.

Event Comment: Benefit for Theatrical Fund, instituted by Persons of this theatre. Mainpiece: Acted there but once. Such of the Nobility, Gentry, etc. who are pleased to favour this undertaking are desire to send for places, Pit or Box tickets, to Mr Sarjant at the stage-door. [Neville attended at half-past four and read the principal parts of the play, as altered by Colman. Noted that Sga Manesiere did The Sicilian Peasant in boy's clothes.] @Receipts #164 19s.@Charges to House #63@Chorus Singers #1 15s.@Candles #1 5s.@Kettle Drum 5s.@Bag Pipes 5s.@#66 10s.@Dr to the Fund #98 9s.-Account Book@

Event Comment: Paid Hull the balance of his night of The Royal Merchant the 16th Inst....#38 14s. Paid also the Extra Charge and allowed again for the same night...#3 10s. (Account Book). [Hull seems to have protested the charge of candles, drum & chorus in addition to the high house charge of #84, and seems to have succeeded.] Receipts: #141 13s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: HHull's second Night. House charges #84. Balance to Hull #52 16s. and in addition #1 13s. from disposal of 3 Box and 6 Pit tickets. Paid Mr Buzaglio in full for use of a warming machine #15 15s. (Account Book). Receipts: #136 16s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: By command of their Majesties. Pit and Boxes to be put together. Tickets will be deliver'd this day at the Office in the Theatre at Half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries will be opened at Half an Hour after Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To Begin at Half after Six. House Charges to Stanley and Smith #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Macklin. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. House charges and Candles #64 5s. Balance to Macklin #134 8s. plus #60 for disposing of 240 Box tickets (Account Book). Receipts: #198 13s. (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)