Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Hook Jun. Larpent MS 1065; not published; synopsis of plot in Pocket Magazine, May 1795, p. 334]: The Musick composed by Hook? Sen. The Scenes, Dresses, Decorations and Machinery are entirely new. The Scenery of the Opera designed and painted by Greenwood and Capon. The Masque and Decorations by Marinari. The Machinery by Cabanel and Jacobs.The Dresses by Johnston and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. [Afterpiece in place of The Adopted Child, advertised on playbill of 5 May.] Receipts: #269 8s. (213.0.6; 53.16.0; 2.11.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [Altered by John Philip Kemble]: With new Scenes and Dresses. The Scenes painted by Marinari, and the Dresses design'd by Johnston and Miss Rein. [Kemble introduced a tableau of the conspirators being led to their execution, to the sound of tolling bells and muffled drums. This scene held the stage for many years.] Receipts: #269 16s. (208.18.6; 59.10.0; 1.7.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [altered by John Philip Kemble]: With new Scenes, Dresses, Decorations, and Machinery. In Act I, at the opening will be introduced, for the First Time a Battle between the Macedonians and the Persians. In Act IV, the Royal Banquet. [These were included in all subsequent performances.] The Scenes designed and painted by Marinari. The Dresses and Decorations by Johnston and Miss Rein. The Machinery by Cabanel. "[In the last scene] the expiring tone with which [Kemble] pronounces 'Cover me'; his shivering, when wrapt round in the imperial robes; his wan and wasted countenance; the manner of his labouriously drawing his legs together, and their aguish knocking when they meet, surpass all description" (Monthly Mirror, Jan. 1796, p. 180). Receipts: #375 2s. 6d. (306.14.6; 67.3.0; 1.5.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by George Colman, ynger]: The Scenery and Dresses are entirely new. The Musick composed by Storace.The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood and Capon [the Gothic library was painted by Capon (Oracle, 21 Mar. 1796)]. The Dresses by Johnston, Gay and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. [When Colman published his play he prefaced it with an acrimonious attack on Kemble, in which he accused him of deliberately trying to make the play a failure. But almost without exception the contemporary reviews excused Kemble's performance on the grounds of his obvious indisposition, and agreed that the play itself was unsatisfactory. "The play failed, and we are sorry to say did not merit to succeed...Kemble, who was tormented With an incessant cough, said he could not but be sensible that much of the displeasure of the house proceeded from his deficiency in a principal character...The whole audience with one voice cried out, 'No, no, Kemble-it is not your fault'" (Oracle, 14 Mar.). "The dialogue is extremely heavy, and there is little or no incident to relieve the tedium of more than four hours representation...Sir Edward Mortimer is a being distracted, with no adequate cause; a prey to remorse, which he of all men was the last to feel from the principles that make up his being. This therefore is the radical moral defect of the piece. But there is another which, though not equally strong, is equally fatal: there is no progression of interest, there is no involution of plot, there is no development of character" (Star, 14 Mar.). Other notices of the opening night were much in the same vein. Subsequently Colman revised the play, and it held the stage for many years. "The curtailments which have been made shorten the representation near an hour and a half, and the alterations are many and judicious" (Morning Herald, 21 Mar. 1796). Morning Herald, 23 July 1796: This Day is published The Iron Chest (2s.). Receipts: #471 9s. (468.13; 2.16)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Prince Hoare. Larpent MS 1126; not published; synopsis of plot in Monthly Magazine, May 1796, p. 320]: With new Scenes, Dresses, Decorations, &c. The Musick principally composed by the late Mr Storace [who had died on 19 Mar.], with a few Selections from Paisiello, Haydn and Sarti. [Grove, under Storace, states that the music was completed and prepared for the stage by Kelly and Sga Storace.] The Scenes designed and executed by Marinari and assistants. The Dresses by Johnston, Gay and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. "It was exceedingly tedious the first night, not being over till eleven o'clock. Since, it has been prudently cut down, and yet has lost nothing. A prologue, written on the very morning of representation, deploring the loss of the composer, was spoken (perfectly) by the last unfortunate Benson [for whom see 9 June. It was written by Hoare (Universal Magazine, May 1796, p. 362), and Was perhaps spoken only on the 1st night; it is not listed on any playbill]" (Monthly Magazine, May 1796, p. 320). "In short, possessing all the science of Harrison, the melody of Incledon, and the pleasing articulation of the late Mrs Kennedy, we have no hesitation in pronouncing [Braham] the first public singer of the present day. He was three times encored. His action is indifferent, and his dialogue scarcely audible" (Morning Herald, 2 May). Receipts: #297 14s. (258.10.6; 38.19.6; 0.4.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Caulfield, Phillimore & Johnston. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1]. 3rd piece: Not acted these 5 years. To conclude with a superb Prospect of the Infernal Regions, and a Rain of Fire. Morning Herald, 4 June: Tickets to be had of Caulfield, No. 2, William-street, Adelphi [others not listed]. Receipts: #122 17s. (55.17.0; 51.16.6; 5.9.6; tickets: none listed; odd money: 9.14.0) (charge: #211 8s. 2d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Caulfield, Trueman & Johnston. Afterpiece: With a Sea Fight. Receipts: #454 7s. 6d. (57.3.6; 45.14.6; 2.4.6; tickets: 349.5.0) (charge: #224 6s. 1d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 2, by George Colman, ynger, based on Raoul Barbe Bleue, by Michel Jean Sedaine (although, in the 1st edition of the play, this denied by Colman). Text (Cadell and Davies, 1798)]: The Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, and Decorations entirely new. The Musick composed and selected [from Paisiello] by Kelly. The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood? Jun, Chalmers, and others. The Machinery, Decorations, and Dresses designed and under the direction of Johnston, and executed by him, Underwood, Gay, and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. Times, 8 Feb. 1798: This Day is published Blue Beard (1s. 6d.). "In the course of the representation, many blunders in working the scenery, which are unavoidable in a first representation of this nature, occurred, and the delays which took place were frequently very great...It was twelve o'-clock before the curtain dropped...The Expense of getting it up is said to be not less than #2,000" (London Chronicle, 18 Jan.). Proud swells the tide, with loads of capering heels, And vacant Folly shouts applause in peals; Hoards, even beyond th miser's wish, are thrown, To deck some sham farago for the town...Money for dresses, money for new scenes, New music, decorations, and machines; The cost of these, including every freak, Would pay ten decent players four pounds a week. Anthony Pasquin (pseud. for John Williams), "Innovation," in The Devil [1787], II, no. 2, 46. Receipts: #319 14s. 6d. (216.17.6; 102.2.0; 0.15.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Caulfield, Trueman and Johnston. 1st piece: Never [previously] acted at this Theatre. Receipts: #489 (36.12; 35.0; 1.3; tickets: 416.5) (charge: #232 6s. 6d.)

Event Comment: 2nd ballet: With entire new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations, the Scenes designed by Marinari, and executed by himself and others under his direction; the Dresses by Sestini; the Stage Decorations by Johnston of the Theatre-Royal, Drury-lane. "Telemaque is the same as that produced by Dauberval at Bordeaux, as to the management of the story the story on the stage; but the Dances are the composition of Degville. The music is [compiled by D'Egville and Bossi] from Haydn, Pleyel, Sacchini, Gluck, Schulz, Moreau" (Morning Chronicle, 27 Mar.). [Synopsis of action in London Chronicle, 27 Mar.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 32nd Night [i.e, in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. The Scenery, Dresses and Decorations entirely New. The Musick, Airs and Chorusses incidental to the Piece composed by Kelly. The Symphony preceding the Play, and those between the Acts, composed for the occasion by Dussek. The Scenery designed and executed by Marinari, Greenwood, Demaria, Banks, Blackmore, &c. The Machinery, Decorations and Dresses under the Direction of Johnston, and executed by him, Underwood and Gay. The Female Dresses designed and executed by Miss Rein. Account-Book lists the attendance as follows:@1st Account Spectators Receipts@Boxes Pit 1st Gallery Upper Gallery@1162 348!12@706 123!11@583 58!6@312 15!12@Total 2763 546!1@2nd Account Spectators Receipts@300 45!0@13 1!6@23 1!3@14 0!7@Total 350 47!16@. Total of spectators 3113. Receipts: #595 5s. (546.1; 47.16; 1.8)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Joanna Baillie. "Adapted to the stage by J. P. Kemble" (note in his hand on Kemble playbill), Text in the author's A Series of Plays (T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, 1798). Prologue by the Hon. Francis North; Epilogue by Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Larpent MS 1287)]: The Scenery, Musick, Dresses, and Decorations entirely new. The Musick of the Third Act composed by Shaw [and sung by Sedgwick (Dramatic Censor, II, 162)] and of the Second and Fourth Acts by Kelly. The Scenes designed by Greenwood? Jun and Capon, and executed by them, Banks, &c. The Dresses and Decorations designed by Johnston, and executed under his direction by Gay and Underwood. The Female Dresses designed and executed by Miss Rein. Receipts: #308 12s. 6d. (264.3.0; 43.15.6; 0.14.0)