Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; c 5,by Richard Griffith. Prologue by Richard Tickell (see text). Author of Epilogue unknown]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 27 Mar. 1782: This Day is published Variety (1s 6d.). Receipts: #226 9s. 6d. (218/5/0; 7/14/6; 0/10/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Text (which assigns no parts) 1st published in his Posthumus Dramatic Works, I, 1813. Epilogue by the author (Public Advertiser, 24 Apr. 1782). Prologue probably by same; speakers unknown]: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. Receipts: #171 14s. (166/6; 5/8)

Event Comment: Benefit for Zuchelli, Delpini & the Miss Stageldoirs. Mainpiece: With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan]. Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, author unknown]: The whole under the direction of Delpini and Zuchelli. The Music by the celebrated Chevalier Clough. An Historical Account of the Pantomime, with the Songs, may be had at the Theatre. Morning Herald, 27 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Zuchelli, No. 81, Hay-market; Ibid, 30 Apr.: of the Miss Stageldoirs at their house, No. 26, Crown-street, Little Russel-street, Covent-garden [Delpini not listed]. Receipts: #226 13s. (67/7; 28/12; 0/3; tickets: 130/11) (charge: #120 16s. 9d.)

Event Comment: [Mrs Wheatley, for whom see HAY, 26 Aug. and 2 Sept. 1782, is identified in European Magazine, Oct. 1782, p. 308.] Receipts: #232 (223/17/6; 8/2/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Banditti (see 28 Nov. 1781). Text in his Dramatic Works, Vol. 1 (T. Woodfall, 1798)]: With new Scenes [by Carver (O'Keeffe, u, 38)], Dresses, and a new Overture. The Selected Airs by Handel, Vento, Giordani, Giardini, Bertoni, Dr Arne, and Carolan, the Irish Bard. The Overture and New Airs composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [This was Sga Sestini's 1st appearance on the English-speaking stage. For several preceding seasons she had been a member of the Italian opera company performing at the King's.] "Sestini . . . was handsome, sprightly, and a good actress, if great exuberance of gesticulation, activity of motion, and affected Italian smorfie could make her one; but her voice was gritty and sharp (something like singing through a comb), and she was nothing of a singer, except for lively comic airs. Yet she was . . . long a favourite with the mass of the public, though not with the connoisseurs" (Mount-Edgcumbe, p. 33). Account-Book, 30 June 1783: Paid O'Keeffe in full for The Castle of Andalusia #368 18s. 6d. Receipts: #166 2s. 6d. (165/9/0; 0/13/6)

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: Afterpiece [1st time; f 2, by Miles Peter Andrews, with incidental music by James Hook. MS: Larpent 607; not published; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 12 Dec. Prologue by Edward Topham {London Chronicle, 20 Dec.)]. Receipts: #129 13s. 6d. (76/6/0; 53/0/0; 0/7/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Sestini. Public Advertiser, 13 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Sga Sestini, No. 52, Margaret-street, Cavendish Square. Afterpiece [1st time; burl 2, by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent 616; not published]: Taken from the Italian of La Serva Padrona [by Gennaro Antonio Federico]. The Music chiefly the Original of Parosasi [i.e. Pergolesi, and so spelled on playbill of 17 Feb.]. The new Music composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #256 5s. 6d. (198/12/0; 7/3/6; tickets: 50/10/0) (charge: none listed)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Public Advertiser, 25 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis at his house in Broad-court, Bow-street. Afterpiece [1st time in London; co 2. MS: Larpent 620; not published]: Written by the Author of The Castle of Andalusia, The Agreeable Surprise, Son-in-Law, &c &c. [John O'KeefFe, 1st acted at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, 15 Apr. 1777, and altered in the CG season of 1783-84 as The Poor Soldier]. The Airs Select [ed by the author from] Irish [airs]. With a New Overture and Accompaniments by Shield, who composed the music of Rosina. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #256 9s. (201/10; tickets: 54/19) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Quick. Public Advertiser, 8 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Quick, No. 99, High Holbourn. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont [recte Massinger] and Fletcher. With Alterations [by Leonard Macnally (Not. Dram.)]. To conclude with a Representation of the Ceremony of receiving a Knight of the Order of Malta. The Music by Dr Arne. Afterpiece: Never performed here. Receipts: #292 13s. (197/1; tickets: 95/12) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield. Public Advertiser, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Whitfield at his house in Leicester Court, Castle-street, Leicester-fields. Afterpiece: Taken from Beaumont [recte Massinger] and Fletcher's Play of the same Name. [F 2(?); Town and Country Magazine, May 1783, p. 23 5: synopsis of plot. And see DL, 19 Oct. 1749.] Receipts: #197 9s. 6d. (102/5/6; tickets: 95/4/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Waldron. Public Advertiser, 9 May: Tickets to be had of Waldron, No. 19, Martlet-court, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Mainpiece [1st time in London; C 5, by Francis Godolphin Waldron, 1st acted at Richmond, Aug. 1782, as The Belle's Stratagem; or, The Female Fortune-Hunters, and again at the HAY in 1794 as Heigho for a Husband! Prologue by the author (MacMillan, Larpent Catalogue, 100). Author of Epilogue unknown. MS: Larpent 599; not published]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 8 years. The Indisposition which prevented King from performing last Friday continuing, Palmer has very kindly undertaken and studied the Character King intended to have appeared in this Evening. Receipts: #126 15s. 6d. (34/5/0; 21/18/6; 2/15/0; tickets: 67/17/0) (charge: #106 9s. 8d.)

Event Comment: "[Kemble] has not, and we speak charitably, any pretensions to a first or second rank in the theatre. We are sorry for this, as he seemed to labour earnestly, but in vain" (London Magazine, Oct. 1783, p. 350). Paid Music 3 nights #23 19s. Receipts: #288 12s. 6d. (287/0/0; 1/12/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Diana to Mrs Martyr, but "News of Mrs Martyr's husband's death having reached her the day before, an apology was made for her not playing Diana; Miss Wheeler, however, from the other house proved a very agreeable substitute" (.European Magazine, Oct. 1783, p. 310). In afterpiece the playbill assigns Lucy to Mrs Wilson, but on the Kemble playbill a MS annotation substitutes Mrs Davenett.] Receipts: #134 19s. 6d. (133/9/0; 1/10/6)

Event Comment: RosiNA [announced on playbill of 2 Oct.] is obliged to be deferred on account of Mrs Martyr's Indisposition. "There are many of Mr Garrick's most favourite characters which [Henderson] appears in with great credit to himself, and applause from the audience; that in which he has been thought to approach the nearest to his predecessor is Hamlet; and, if we oppose the declamatory skill of Henderson-a quality indispensably necessary to the performance of this most difficult character-to the pathos and phrenzy (whether it be assumed or real madness in Hamlet is not here the question) of Garrick; I think it must be allowed that however short of him he may fall in some particulars, in the one I have mentioned, at least, he exceeds him" Qonson, The sad shepherd, ed. Waldron, p. 174). Receipts: #199 4s. 6d. (197/19/0; 1/5/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: As altered in 3 acts by Garrick. 2nd piece [1st time; ball, p 2, composed by the principal characters, who were from Audinot's company in Paris. Synopsis of action in London Chronicle, 10 Oct.]: A Dramatic Romance told in Action. With New Dresses, Scenery and Decorations. The Music selected from the most Eminent Composers. The Story will be delivered (Gratis) at the Theatre. Receipts: #158 19s. 6d. (157/2/0; 1/17/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe and Charles Bonnor; later (see 29 Jan. 1784) altered as Harlequin Rambler. MS: Larpent 642; not published; synopsis of action in Public Advertiser, 24 Dec]: The Overture and all the Music new, with entire new Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, Decorations and New Performers. The Pantomime invented by O'Keeffe, the Music composed by Shield, the Scenery designed by Richards and Carver, and executed by them, Hodgins, and others. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. Books of the Songs (T. Cadell, 1783) [which list no cast] to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #288 1s. (277/18; 10/3)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, author unknown. MS not in Larpent; synopsis of action in Public Advertiser, 8 and 9 Jan.]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. To conclude with a Representation of the Repulse of the Spaniards before the Rock of Gibraltar [on 13 Sept. 1782; this was included in all subsequent performances]. The Music partly new [by William Shield, with overture by Carl Friedrich Baumgarten] and partly compiled from the best Masters. The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. Books of the Pantomime to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 4 June: Paid the Author of Harlequin Junior a Compliment on the Success #30. Receipts: #261 5s. 6d. (257/10/0; 3/8/0; tickets not come in: 0/7/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Lord Lumbcrcourt to Wilson, but "Lee Lewes was the substitute for Wilson, and far indeed better than the man he appeared for" (Public Advertiser, 31 Jan.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'KeerFe]: The Music composed by Shield. The Scenery designed by Richards and Carver, and executed by them, Hodgins, and others. The 1st Part of this Pantomime is an Alteration of the Last New One [Friar Bacon (see 23 Dec. 1783)], and the 2nd Part entirely new and never before exhibited. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. "If Macklin once loses the Catch Word he is gone irretrievably." At the end of the 3rd act, at half price, some apprentices coming into the pit talked so loudly that "Macklin stopped; he lost himself. ... He came to the Side of the Stage, and stooping down to the Talkers, said, 'Gentlemen, I must beg you to be silent; my Hearing and Recollection are not so perfect as they were; I cannot proceed for your Talking'" (Public Advertiser, 5 Feb.). Receipts: #286 14s. (282/15; 3/19)