Event Comment: [Mrs Brown is identified in MS list, in hay playbills now at Harvard, of new performers for the 1790 season.

Event Comment: No Money to be returned. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook, at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 2 Nov.]. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s.] Mainpiece: The Sixtieth Night [but in the previous season (its 1st) the play had been acted 56 nights. On this evening Bannister Jun. acted in the mainpiece at dl and in the 3rd piece at the hay.]. Account-Book, 16 Nov.: Paid Jarvis for 4,000 Songs of Haunted Tower #28 4s. Receipts: #256 2s. 6d. (214.12.0; 40.10.6; 1.0.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Vestris Sen. Tickets to be had of Vestris, No. 2, Hay-market. 2nd ballet: A new Historical Dance [in 3 acts]. The Music entirely new, composed by VanEsch. With new Dresses, Machinery, and Decorations. [Morning Chronicle, 15 Apr., printed a letter from Vestris complaining that the manage had not fulfilled his promises as regards the scenery. Vestris outlines what he had planned, and concludes with a description of the "3rd and last act, the Olympus descending, which shall fill the whole stage with clouds, and a Glory in which one shall see Jupiter with his whole Celestial Court; Hercules shall appear there mounting in the Olympus to receive his Apotheosis; the Ballet shall be concluded by a general acclamation of joy and admiration of all the people assembled in the place."

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. [2nd piece: 1st acted at the hay, 10 Aug. 1784, as A Peep into Elysium.] Oracle, 6 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Wilson, Park-lane, Church-lane, Chelsea

Event Comment: No Money to be returned. Boxes 6s. 2nd Price 3s. Pit 3s. 6d. 2nd Price 2s. Gallery 2s. 2nd Price 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook, at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 14 Nov.]. The Avenues to the Boxes, Pit and Gallery are all at the Front of the Theatre in the Hay-Market, and the Door in Market-Lane is for Chairs only. "The short time since it had been determined to occupy this theatre had not been sufficient to enable the workmen to perfect what was intended so soon as was expected; nor could they be got out in time for opening the doors in the afternoon: this delay, and the difficulty of finding the way to different parts of the house [see 24 and 27 Sept.], caused some disgust" (Universal Magazine, Sept. 1791, p. 220). 1st piece [1st time; M. PREL 1, James Cobb; music by Storace (Kemble Mem.). Larpent MS 918; not published]. Receipts: #472 8s. 6d. (451.7.6; 20.6.0; 0.15.0)

Event Comment: "On 31st Dec. I was with Pleyel in the Pantheon Theatre. They gave La Pastorella Nobile by Guglielmi. Mad. Casentini played the leading role and Lazarini? the primo huomo; the thin Calvesi had l'ultima parte. The opera did not please. Neither did the ballet, even though the great Hilligsburg [sic] danced" (Haydn, 266)

Event Comment: [La Pastorella Nobile, with La Fontaine d'Amour and La Fete Villageoise announced, in place of La Discordia Conjugale, "unavoidably postponed," but not performed. "On Saturday last [the Pantheon] was burnt to the ground. The fire broke out about two o'clock in the Painter's room...The building before seven in the morning was a mere shell" (Morning Herald, 18 Jan.). For continuation of opera season see hay, 14 Feb.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. With new Dresses and Decorations. The Characters dressed in the Habits of the Times. [Palmer Jun. was from the hay.] "It is necessary to remind both Macbeth and his Lady that there is a measured declamation, of which the natural utterance of passion knows nothing, and that words and syllables may be divided and subdivided till the fatigue of the ear overcome every other feeling...Between the first and second acts Ca ira was loudly called for from the pit and gallery. The clamour, after preventing the first part of the second act from being heard, subsided as unaccountably as it rose. The performers, in compliance with an admonition from the pit, began the act again, and proceeded without further interruption" (Morning Chronicle, 20 Feb.). "In Macbeth there was too much that was not Shakespeare, too much bad taste and shabbiness in the costumes of the witches, and all in all too much claptrap. He found it insufferable that Banquo should take the part of his own ghost and felt that the audience should behold the specter only in Macbeth's terror, as was the case with the banquet guests. 'Mr Kemble has desired on several occasions to suppress the ghost,' Meister says, 'but has never had the courage to do so.'" (J. H. Meister quoted in J. A. Kelly, 134). For Kemble's eventual courage in this matter see dl, 21 Apr. 1794.] Receipts: #425 6s. (383.2; 40.4; 2.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With additional Music by Reeve. Afterpiece: 1st Time at this Theatre [1st acted at the hay, 2 July 1788]. Receipts: #174 14s. 6d. (158.0.6; 16.14.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wrighten, prompter. Morning Herald, 10 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wrighten, No. 84, Hay-market. Receipts: #384 16s. (79.8.6; 37.15.0; 6.2.0; tickets: 261.10.6) (charge: #177 13s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. Wilson's most violent and sudden Indisposition will prevent his having the honor of appearing before the Public and his Friends this Evening, and sincerely hopes the Pieces he is under the necessity of substituting will meet their approbation. [2nd piece in place of Hail Fellow Well Met; 3rd piece of The Rights of Woman, both advertised on playbill of 7 May. A 4th (and new) play, The Point of Honor, by John Peter Roberdeau, was also advertised on playbill of 7 May. It was never acted. Hail Fellows [sic] Well Met and The Rights of Women [sic] were 1st acted, for Wilson's benefit, at the hay, 9 Aug. 1792.] Morning Herald, 24 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wilson at his house, Park-lane, Church-lane, Chelsea. Receipts: #285 5s. (93.17; 1.14; tickets: 189.14) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of Poor Old Hay-Market, advertised on playbill of 27 June.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kemble. Mainpiece: Never performed at this Theatre. Afterpiece: Not acted these 4 years. Morning Herald, 28 July: Tickets to be had of Mrs Kemble at Adams's Masquerade Warehouse, Hay-market

Event Comment: [As Miss Logan Mrs Gibbs had 1st appeared at the hay, 18 June 1783. She had acted later at the Royalty.

Event Comment: [Miss Villers is identified in MS list, in hay playbills in Harvard Theatre Collection, of new performers for 1793.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 27th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the 1793 hay season]. The Overture, Chorusses, and the new Music by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Half-Price not being taken at this Theatre, the Prices will be as in the Summer. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout season, but see 11 Nov.]. Places for the Boxes to be had of Rice at the Theatre. dl Account-Book, 23 Nov.: Received of Colman for 50 Nights Use of the Patent of Drury Lane Theatre at #15 a Nt. #750; 3 Dec.: for 10 nights Use of Patent #150 [Et seq. throughout season.

Event Comment: [1st piece in place of A Quarter of an Hour before Dinner, advertised on playbill of 19 Sept.] 2nd piece: 19th time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the 1793 hay season]. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. 3rd piece: Never acted there

Event Comment: By Command of Their Maiesties. "A most dreadful accident happened this evening; no less than fifteen persons were crushed to death at the opening of the pit door" (Thespian Magazine, Feb. 1794, p. 87). [This accident gave rise to many speculations and suggestions as to the necessity of instituting easier and safer means of access to the various theatres. But little was ever done about it. Sec HAY, 4 Feb.]

Event Comment: [The last night of the season, but not so specified in the playbill. Further performances were planned; this playbill carries the advertisements for 10 Apr. But most of the actors in this HAY season were regular members of the DL company. They were, presumably, required for rehearsals for the opening of the new DL theatre on 21 Apr.]

Event Comment: Afterpiece: In one Act. [For Miss Leak's 1st appearance as Sally see HAY 24 Feb.] Powell: Thomas & Sally rehearsed at 1 0; The Inconstant at 11; The Jew at 12.30 (for Suett and Miss Tidswell). Receipts: #540 (462/7/6; 76/7/0; 1/5/6)