Event Comment: [Nicoll, III, 280, 390, states that this was an alteration of Shakespear's play by John Lee.] Receipts: #174 5s. (173.10.6; 0.14.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time in London; F 2, by John O'Keeffe, 1st acted at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 13 Apr. 1774. Prologue by George Colman elder (Prose on Several Occasions, III, 222)]. Public Advertiser, 16 Aug. 1780: This Day is published Tony Lumpkin in Town (1s.)

Event Comment: Prelude [1st time;PREL I, probably by Richard Cumberland. Larpent MS 472; not published]. Mainpiece [1st time; M 3, by Richard Cumberland, based on Calypso and Telemachus, by John Hughes]: The Overture and all the Music entirely new, and composed by Butler. With new Scenery painted by Richards and Carver, and new Dresses. Books of the Masque to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 27 Mar. 1779: This Day is published Calypso (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Reddish [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Public Advertiser, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the Turnpike, Tottenham Court Road. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to try whether he could not go through the character of Posthumus. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late John Ireland gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the room with the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, I play Romeo.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience his recollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only the stage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (Boaden, Kemble, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lewis. Morning Chronicle, 15 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Lewis at his house, Broad-Court. Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years [not acted since 2 May 1758]. 2nd piece [1st time in London; INT I: ascribed to John Philip Kemble, 1st acted at York, 27 Mar. 1779]. Receipts: #230 5s. (192.9; tickets: 37.16) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations [by Richard Brinsley Sheridan]. Paid John Dallas, painter, #11 10s. Receipts: #95 4s. 6d. (70.12.0; 23.12.6; 1.0.0)

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: 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: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [Prologue by Nicholas Rowe.] Afterpiece [1st time; co 2, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Shamrock (see CG, 7 Apr. 1783); published (1st authorized) as noted above]: The selected Music by the Author of the Piece. The Overture, new Airs and Accompaniments by Shield. With New Dresses, Scenery, &c. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 30 June 1784: Paid O'Keeffe for Copyright, &c. of The Poor Soldier #315. Receipts: #218 14s. (215/7; 3/7)

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: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Staunton as King John, but on the Kemble playbill a MS annotation substitutes L'Estrange.] Receipts: #223 13s. (211/18; 11/15)

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)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by John O'Keeffe. Text (ist authorized) in Cumberland's British Theatre, Vol. xxxi]: Written by the Author of The Agreeable Surprise, Son-in-Law, &c. The Overture and new Airs composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: [Holman is identified on playbill of 5 Nov. Address by John Barwis (European Magazine, Oct. 1784, p. 336, which also lists name of speaker).] Mainpiece: With new Dresses, Scenery and Decorations. In Act I a Masquerade Scene. [This notice is included in all subsequent playbills.] "This easy and natural performance of Holman . . . will prove a fatal blow to the cause of the Attitudinarians and Face-makers; to those who think dramatic excellence consists in . . . finding out meanings that were never meant ... in stretching out their fingers like monkies dying in convulsions ... in uttering their words like minute-guns at royal funerals" (Public Advertiser, 1 Nov.). "Why does Romeo wear black in the last Act? Is it on account of his banishment? He has not heard of Juliet's death" (Gazetteer, 28 Oct.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four o'clock. Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years [acted 15 May 1782]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 5 years [not acted since 25 Mar. 1775]. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Banquo to Bensley, but "Poor Bensley's illness last night took him off; but on another night he will give and take in the triumph" {Public Advertiser, 4 Feb.). In afterpiece he is assigned to The Guardian. On the Kemble playbill in both cases his name is deleted and MS annotations substitute Hull's.] "Macbeth at Drury-lane will. . . gag the drivellers who, on the failure of Constance [in King John], ventured a sweeping prophecy of condemnation that 'the Siddons never could play Shakespeare.' Would it not have been better to have borrowed Farren, rather than Hull, for Banquo?" (Public Advertiser, 4 Feb.). "'Why,'say some of the critics, 'should Mrs Siddons wear a white dress in her last scene of Lady Macbeth? She is supposed to be asleep, not mad.' What reason except custom can be given for a mad heroine appearing in white we know not [and see DL, 20 Dec. 1782]. Yet there is an obvious reason why a person walking in their sleep should wear a white dress of the loose kind worn by Mrs Siddons ... It [is] the nearest resemblance which theatrical effect will admit, to the common sort of night-dresses" (Public Advertiser, 7 Feb.). Receipts: #346 16s. (198/10/0; 7/2/6; 0/8/6; tickets: 140/15/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by John Dent. On 16 Aug. acted at HAY under its 2nd title]. 2nd piece: As altered in 3 acts by Garrick. [Kean was from the HAY.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time in London; co 3, 1st acted at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 30 Jan. 1784. MS: Larpent 703, not published]: Written by [Robert] Jephson [with lyrics by Sir Nathaniel Barry (Larpent MS). In 1787 abridged by John O'Keeffe as Love and War]. With new Scenes and Decorations. A new Overture by the celebrated Haydn. The Airs by David Rizzio, [J. C] Bach, Paisiello, Duni, Carolan, Shield and Tenducci [i.e. "The Music partly compiled by Tenducci; the new Airs composed by Shield" (notice on playbill of 11 May)]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Afterpiece in place of The Lying Valet, announced on playbill of 11 May.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations by the Author [John O'Keeffe]. Receipts: #179 15s. 6d. (177/15/6; 2/0/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by John Burgoyne, based in part on Le Pere de Famille, by Denis Diderot. Prologue by the Hon. Richard Fitzpatrick; Epilogue by the author (see text)]: With a Variety of new Scenes [by Greenwood (Daily Universal Register, 16 Jan.)], Dresses, and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 4 Feb. 1786: This Day is published The Heiress (1s. 6d.). "It rarely happens that all the characters of a piece are so well sustained" (Morning Chronicle, 16 Jan.). "We never saw a play more admirably performed in all its parts" (Gazetteer, 16 Jan.). "In point of performance the comedy had every advantage" (Morning Herald, 16 Jan.). Receipts: #226 2s. (205/10; 20/7; 0/5)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2]: Written by the Author of The Poor Soldier [John O'Keeffe. Text 1st published in his Dramatic Works, Vol. IV (T. Woodfall, 1798)]. With new Scenes, Dresses, &c. The Airs partly compiled, the new Music, Overture, and all the Accompaniments composed by Shield. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 6 Apr.: Paid O'Keeffe in full for Love in a Camp #105. Receipts: #189 2s. 6d. (175/1/6; 14/1/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer and Meadows. Morning Chronicle, 20 May: Tickets to be had of Palmer, No. 36, Bow-street, Covent Garden; of Meadows, John-street, Golden-square. Receipts: #208 10s. (36/19/6; 9/11/6; tickets: 141/19/0) (charge: #105)