Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. [1st piece originally acted in 1767 as Dido. Prologue by David Garrick.] 3rd piece [1st time; INT 1, consisting of 3 tales in verse inserted into a continuous verse narrative]: As intended for Representation at the Theatre Royal, Hay-market, by George Colman Ynger. Morning Herald, 3 Apr. 1797: This Day is Published My Nightgown and Slippers (2s. 6d.). True Briton, 25 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Palmer, No. 39, Great Pulteney-street, Golden-square. Receipts: #491 16s. (152.3; 77.16; 11.16; tickets: 250.1) (charge: #232 18s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Text 1st published in his Posthumous Dramatic Works, Vol. II (G. and W. Nicol, 1813); it assigns no parts, but adds George Ivey and David Duncan, acted by Caulfield and Packer. Genest erroneously assigns Sir Adam to Wewitzer and Beau Tiffany to R. Palmer. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (True Briton, 9 May). Songs by Michael Kelly, in Act I harmonized by Sir William Parsons.] True Briton, 25 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 65, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #581 15s. (294.18.6; 72.7.0; 3.17.6; tickets: 210.12.0) (charge: #213 6s. 8d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Hilligsberg. Tickets to be had of Mme Hilligsberg, No. 36, Great Pulteney-street, Golden-square

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett. 1st piece: Not acted some years [acted 30 Oct. 1790]. 2nd piece [1st time: ENT 1]. 3rd piece: By Permission of George Colman, Esq., and for that Night only. Tickets and Places to be had of Fawcett at his house, No. 10, Golden Square, and of Brandon, at the Theatre. "To the Public, May 16, 1797. In consequence of repeated Forgeries of Tickets on Benefit Nights, particularly those of Miss Wallis, Mr Incledon, Mr Holman, and Mrs Mattocks, it has been found necessary to offer a large Reward for the Discovery of the Person or Persons concerned in this unjust and cruel Practice. Mr Fawcett, therefore, thinks it his Duty to warn his Friends and the Public from purchasing Tickets for his Night of Strangers, especially those Persons who sell them in the Avenues of the Theatre, as all such will be stopt at the Doors, and if forged the Persons offering them for Admittance will be drawn into a disagreeable dilemma" (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill). Receipts: #462 5s. (189.12; 8.13; tickets: 264.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kelly. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. Ballets: With appropriate Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations. True Briton, 4 May: Tickets to be had of Kelly, No. 9, New Lisle-street, Leicester-square. Receipts: #681 11s. (360.19.6; 47.5.0; 4.1.0; tickets: 269.5.6) (charge: #221 10s. 5d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for King. 2nd piece: Not acted for more than 20 years [acted 14 May 1782]. The Dialogue by Garrick and King. The Music by Michael Arne and Vernon. Tickets delivered for Friday May 5 [for which day the benefit was first announcedP will be admitted. True Briton, 6 May: Tickets to be had of King, No. 56, New Store-street, Bedford-Square. Receipts: #290 9s. 6d. (111.5.6; 58.4.6; 4.16.0; tickets: 116.3.6) (charge: #211 18s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. [In mainpiece the playbill retains King as Sir Peter Teazle, but "Murray, on account of the indisposition of King, was the Sir Peter to Mrs Jordan's Lady Teazle" (Monthly Mirror, May 1797, p. 311).] Tickets delivered for the 15th [for which day the benefit was first announced] will be admitted. "On the whole, Mrs Jordan's Lady Teazle, if not excellent, was respectable; and at a time when it was thought that it would be impossible to personify her Ladyship [i.e. after the retirement of Miss Farren], Mrs Jordan is commendable in having endeavoured it...[Sir Peter] was a part well suited to Murray, who excels in the still and the pathetic...In the screen scene his mirth in revealing to Charles the story of the French milliner, and his amazement the moment after when Charles, throwing down the screen, presented that milliner in the shape of Lady Teazle, must confirm the reputation of Murray. 'Lady Teazle!' (exclaimed he, turning from her towards the door, and in an accent alarmingly impressive), 'Lady Teazle, by all that is damnable!" (Monthly Visitor, June 1797, pp. 531-32). True Briton, 6 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jordan, No. 14, Somerset-street, Portman-square. Receipts: #550 3s. (232.4.0; 72.2.0; 7.10.6; tickets: 238.6.6) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dignum. [3rd piece in place of Lodoiska, advertised on playbill of 7 June.] Morning Herald, 22 May: Tickets to be had of Dignum, No. 23, New North-Street, Red-Lion-Square. Receipts: #578 7s. (60.5; 46.19; 6.6; tickets: 464.17) (charge: #223 11s. 9d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett. 3rd piece: By permission of T. Harris, Esq.; never acted at this theatre. True Briton, 29 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Fawcett at his house, No. 10, Golden-square

Event Comment: [Extra night] By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit the Widow of a Baronet [Sir Richard Perrott] and a large Infant Family. [Address by John Taylor (True Briton, 21 Sept.).] Tickets to be had of the Widow, No. 28, Spring-street, Portman-square [and see 28 Jan. 1799]

Event Comment: By Permission of the Most Noble the Marquis of Salisbury [the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for Wilkinson. 1st piece: Compress'd into 4 acts. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 precisely. Tickets to be had of Wilkinson, No. 16, Lisle Street, Leicester Square

Event Comment: Benefit for Holman. 2nd piece [1st time; D 5, by Joseph Trapp, adapted from Siri Brahe; oder, Die Neugierigen, by J. A. Gruttschreiber, itself a translation of Siri Brahe, by Gustavus III. Larpent MS 1206; not published. Prologue and Epilogue by John Taylor (Poems, I, 56-57)]: Written by the Late King of Sweden. Times, 28 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Holman, No. 73, New-street, Hanover-square. Receipts: #231 16s. (138.12.0; 4.10.6; tickets: 88.13.6)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Widow of a Baronet [Sir Richard Perrott], and a large Infant Family. Tickets to be had of Lady Perrott, No. 28, Spring-street, Portman-square

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. Times, 23 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Palmer, No. 39, Great Pulteney-street, Golden-square. Receipts: #274 5s. 6d. (86.1.6; 64.18.6; 0.18.0; tickets: 122.7.6) (charge: #245 3s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. Times, 25 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jordan, No. 14, Somerset-street, Portman-square. Receipts: #296 14s. 6d. (234.7.6; 59.6.6; 3.0.6; tickets: none listed) (charge: #20)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece [1st time; MF 2. Larpent MS 1210; not published]: Written by Charles? Dibdin, Founded on his Popular Novel under that Title, and enriched with a Selection of his most recent and favourite Songs. Do conclude with a new Finale by Dibdin. The Overture by Dibdin. "[It is a] wretched inanity; without interest, without humour, without character, original only in its dullness and unmatchable absurdity" (Monthly Mirror, May 1798, p. 306). 2nd piece: Compressed into Three Acts. 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal Hay-Market. Morning Herald, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 65, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #511 13s. 6d. (251.7.6; 68.7.0; 1.13.0; tickets: 190.6.0) (charge: #212 19s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for King. [This was Smith's last appearance on the stage, from which he had officially retired on 9 June 1788.] Broadside in Kemble playbills announcing this benefit: Mr King most respectfully informs the Public that his Night is fixed for Friday the 18th of May, when will be presented The School for Scandal. Mr King has the pleasure to add that Mr Smith, who was so long and so worthily applauded by the Public, and was the original performer of Charles Surface in the above, distinguished Comedy, at the particular request of Mr King, backed by a strong assurance from many admirers and encouragers of the Drama that it will not only add to Mr King's emolument but highly gratify the Town, has kindly consented to return to the Theatre for one night, and resume his favourite Character. "We had been told that Smith pourtrayed the Manners of a finished gentleman with more delicacy and characteristic propriety than any actor of his day; but this did not appear to us to be his particular excellence; he stands too wide to be graceful, and his deportment gains no advantage from a perpetual application of his hand to the lower part of the waist. These habits are far from elegant. His Charles, however, is a favourable specimen of that sort of acting which commonly falls under the denomination of the old school: light, airy, and natural; which excites applause without any anxious endeavour to produce it; which suffers the points to tell of themselves, and does not place them as so many traps to ensnare the injudicious part of the audience" (Monthly Mirror, May 1798, p. 299). "He was received with the most heart-felt gratulations by an audience who did not expect any apology for such acting, though he saw fit to deliver one at the conclusion of the play" (Monthly Visitor, May 1798, p. 72). Times, 4 May: Tickets to be had of King at his house, New Store-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #674 6s. (388.0.6; 55.17.6; 2.0.0); tickets: 228.8.0) (charge: #212 5s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dignum. Times, 5 June: Tickets to be had of Dignum, No. 23, New North-street, Red Lion-square. Receipts: #635 16s. 6d. (46.14.0; 55.0.0; 1.14.0; tickets: 532.8.6) (charge: #220 9s. 4d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss DeCamp. Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre-Royal Covent-Garden. Times, 17 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Miss DeCamp, No. 14, Tottenham-court-road, near Bedford-square

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the large Infant Orphan Family of a Man of Fashion [Sir Richard Perrott]. The mother of these helpless, unprotected infants, in contemplating the benevolence of a humane Public, throws herself with implicit confidence on the commiserating patronage of those who are ever ready to afford it for the relief of suffering innocence. Tickets to be had of Lady Perrott, No. 28, Spring-street, Portman-square [and see 18 Sept. 1797]

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, probably based on Die Zwillingsbruder, by Friedrich Ludwig Schroder]: Written by the Author of The Castle-Spectre [Matthew Gregory Lewis]. With Songs [composer unknown. Larpent MS 1245; not published]. Morning Chronicle, 3 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 65, Gower-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #599 3s. 6d. (315.3.6; 63.4.0; 0.1.0; odd money: 4.2.0; tickets: 216.13.0) (charge: #211 1s. 8d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Holman. Mainpiece: Acted but once [28 Mar. 1795] these 5 years. In IV a Grand Banquet. Morning Chronicle, 1 Apr.: Tickets to he had of Holman, No. 73, New-street, Hanover-square. Account-Book: Paid George? Papendick for [unspecified] Manuscript Plays of Kotzebue #200. Receipts: #350 2s. (257.6; 6.1; tickets: 86.15)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Crouch. [Miss Dixon is identified in European Magazine, Apr. 1799, p. 258.] Morning Chronicle, 5 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Crouch, No. 9, Lisle-street, Leicester-square. Receipts: #673 6s. 6d. (329.16.0; 58.12.6; 2.1.0; 7.0.6; tickets: 275.16.6) (charge: #250 5s. 9d.)