Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Leonard Macnally, adapted from the same, by Michel Jean Sedaine. Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Chronicle, 17 Oct. For text of abridged version see 21 Oct.]: Taken from the celebrated French Opera of that Name. With the original Overture, Airs, Duetts, Trios, Chorusses and Finale, by the celebrated Gretry. To which are added Compositions by the following Masters; Anfossi, Bertoni, Duni, David, Rizzio, Carolan, Tenducci, and Shield. With new Dresses, Scenery and other Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [The printed score (Longman & Broderip, c. 1786) indicates that the music was adapted by Shield; it does not refer to Duni, Rizzio or Tenducci, but includes Philip Hayes and John Wilson. After the 1st 4 performances the mainpiece was reduced to an afterpiece of 3 short acts; see 21 Oct.] Account-Book, 28 Nov.: Paid Macnally in full for Coeur de Lion #121 18s. 6d. "Inchbald we thought [was] rather hardly dealt with. His voice happened to fail him in a particular turn of the tune he was singing, and some of the audience were ungenerous enough to disconcert him so far that he made a modest bow and retired [leaving his part unfinished. In consequence of this] a duet that was to have been sung by the King from the battlements of the castle, and Blondel without the walls, on which the turn of the fable hinged, was omitted; a circumstance that could not but materially affect the intrinterest, as it destroyed the connexion of the fable" (Morning Chronicle, 17 Oct.). [The following day Inchbald withdrew from his engagement at cg.] Receipts: #249 12s. 6d. (247.11.6; 2.1.0)

Event Comment: A Serious Opera in 2 acts [1st time; altered by Carlo Francesco Badini from Demetrio, by Metastasio]; the music by Gresnick. By their Majesties' Command no person can be admitted behind the scenes. Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. 2nd Gallery 3s. The Doors to be opened at 6:30. To begin exactly at 7:30 [see 2 June 1787]. Subscriptions are received at Messrs Ransom, Morland and Hammersley's, Bankers, No. 57, Pall-mall, who will deliver the subscription tickets. The Nobility and Gentry, subscribers to the Opera-house, are respectfully intreated to send for them, in order to prevent future mistakes, as nobody can be admitted without producing a ticket. To prevent inconvenience to the Nobility and Gentry in getting to their carriages, they are most respectfully intreated to give positive orders to their servants to set down and take up with their horses' heads towards Pall-mall. The doors in Market-lane for chairs only. [Synopsis of opera in Morning Post, 25 Dec. Mme Perignon and Goyon were from the Opera, Paris.] Receipts: #86 11s. 6d. [These receipts, and those on all other nights throughout the opera season, represent the sale of non-subscription tickets. On this night 400 tickets were delivered to Prendergrass, office-keeper at the Haymarket pit entrance; of these he sold 84 at 10s. 6d. (i.e. #44 2s.). 100 were delivered to Reynolds, office-keeper at the King's Door pit entrance; he sold 6 at 10s. 6d. (i.e. #3 3s.). 300 were delivered to Butler, office-keeper of the 1st Gallery; he sold 112 at 5s. (i.e. #28). 200 were delivered to Snelson, office-keeper of the 2nd Gallery; he sold 70 at 3s. (i.e. #10 10s.). "Difference from Gallery to Pit" (i.e. money received from persons who changed their seats from gallery to pit, 16s. 6d.). The delivery of 1,000 non-subscription tickets to be disposed of was almost invariably the case on every night of the season. If a subscriber's box was released for sale it could be had for 2 guineas (see 6 Feb. 1787).

Event Comment: A Serious Opera in 2 acts; the music entirely by Handel, and selected from the various Operas set by that admirable composer, under the direction of [i.e. arranged and added to by] Dr Arnold. Benefit for Carnevale, deputy manager. No receipts listed. "In order to induce the king to visit the theatre called his own [see 17 Mar.], but which he seldom frequented, the Giulio Cesare of Handel was revived, or rather a medley from his Italian works, for little of the original music was retained, and many of his most favorite songs from other operas were introduced, Verdi prati [from Alcina], Dove sei [from Rodelinda], Rendi sereno il ciglio [from Sosarme], and others. This ancient music was particularly suited to Rubinelli, and was familiar to Mara, both of whom sung it incomparably well" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 61)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Griffiths. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Griffiths, No. 3, Southampton-buildings, Holborn; at the Royalty Coffee-house, Well Close Square; King's Arms, Leadenhall-street; Band Coffee-house; Sun-tavern, Foster-lane; Grotto, Southampton-buildings; Angel, St. Giles's; Cock and Bottle, Upper Brook-street; Nag's Head, Carnaby-market; One Tun, St. James's Market; Fox's Coffee-house, Bow-street; the Go, the Jump, and the Finish; and of Rice, at the Theatre

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera; the music by Paisiello. Under the direction of Storace. [Sga Storace was from the Opera, Vienna.] Morelli "was an actor such as the Italian stage has seldom witnessed. He was, I used to think, in his prime, quite upon a par with King of Drury Lane Theatre. Like him, he was distinguished for neat articulation, and an unremitting attention to the business of the whole stage" (Boaden, Kemble, I, 449). Receipts: #165 19s. 6d. [non-subscription]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wilson. Public Advertiser, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Wilson, No. 13, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #196 4s. 6d. (30.13.0; 22.10.6; 1.5.0; tickets: 141.16.0) (charge: #106 6s. 11d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Browne. [Miss Eccles, who was from the York theatre, is identified in European Magazine, July 1787, p. 64.] Public Advertiser, 16 July: Tickets to be had of Browne, No. 13, King-street, Covent Garden

Event Comment: "When Priuli was relating to the Senators the impending and immediate destruction of their wives and families, the Senators, without discovering any emotion, were very pleasantly surveying the house, and laughing with their friends in the Upper Gallery. These gross enormities, that yet hang about our stage and are its disgrace, call aloud for the correcting hand of an intelligent Manager, to weed them out. Thanks to their own genius the Principals take care of themselves-the Subalterns are a disgrace. Is not King responsible for this part at one house, and Lewis at the other?" (World, 8 Oct.). Receipts: #302 2s. 6d. (274.4.0; 27.3.0; 0.15.6)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. Account-Book: Paid Yeomen of the Guard #2 2s., King & Queen's Servants #3 9s. Receipts: #290 6s. (280.3.6; 10.2.6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of King Richard III, advertised on playbill of 12 Jan.] Receipts: #144 5s. 6d. (109.16.0; 33.5.6; 1.4.0)

Event Comment: [As mainpiece the playbill announces The Heiress, but "on the sudden indisposition of Kemble, the play was changed to The Wonder, where Miss Farren, King and Miss Pope had much applause" (World, 26 Jan.).] Receipts: #130 17s. (109.6; 20.17; 0.14)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kelly. 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. [Mme Mara had sung in concert at the Pantheon in 1784; in opera at the king's in 1786; and in the dl oratorios in 1787 and 1788.] Public Advertiser, 27 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Kelly, No. 48, Rathbone Place. Receipts: #351 5s. 6d. (177.12.0; 9.13.6; 0.5.0; tickets: 163.15.0) (charge: #111 3s.)

Event Comment: 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 3 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.] Afterpiece: To conclude with a Grand Representation of Regattav. Kemble Mem.: No Manager [i.e. King had resigned as acting manager; but see 23 Sept.]. Ivory Tickets introduced. [These tickets, also called "bones," were for the use of actors and other members of the company in gaining admission for themselves or their friends to the front of the house. They replaced paper orders (World, 18 Oct. 1788).] Receipts: #112 3s. 6d. (75.6.0; 35.10.0; 1.7.6)

Event Comment: "At the conclusion of the Opera on Saturday, a scene of riot and tumult took place which the King's Theatre has not witnessed since the celebrated discords between 'Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee' in the days of Handel and Bononcini. At the commencement of the last dance hostilities commenced by hissing and hooting from the pit and boxes...The dancers, however, were not dismayed, but continued their evolutions, though the noise was so great that they derived but little aid from the music. At last a body of malcontents, among whom were several stars and ribbons, sallied from the pit and took possession of the stage, from which they drove the light-heeled troops, and immediately began to perform a ballet tragique. The chamber of Ifigenia was despoiled of all its ornaments, and side scenes, and patent lamps; Roman tents and triumphal cars danced on the stage in all the mazes of confusion, nor did they cease, till they had demolished everything they found that was moveable. Mr Carnevale came forward to inform the audience that Mr Gallini could not be found...The ostensible reason given for this riot, which in our opinion is not to be justified on any pretense, is that Mr Gallini has not engaged dancers of sufficient eminence" (Public Advertiser, 10 Feb.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kelly. Public Advertiser, 28 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Kelly, No. 7, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #216 15s. 6d. (76.9.0; 21.7.6; 2.18.0; tickets: 116.1.0) (charge: #120 17s. 5d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Martyr. Afterpiece: The Music composed by Dibdin. Public Advertiser, 4 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Martyr, No. 13, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #314 18s. 6d. (167.15.0; 12.7.6; tickets: 134.16.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Blandford and Randall. 3rd piece: A Pantomimical Interlude, from Don Juan. First Scene opens with a Tempestuous Sea, and Shipwreck of Don Juan and his man Scaramouch, who is cast on shore from off the Back of a Dolphin on the Island of Martinico. Scene from the pantomimes of The Enchanted Island, Wizard of the Silver Rock, The Witches Frolic, &c. The whole to conclude with a View of the Inside of the Bastille, with the different Gratings, Railings, and Instruments of Death and Torture by which the unfortunate Victims suffered, and the Grand Chorus of God save the King. The Curtain will rise precisely at 6:45

Event Comment: [As mainpiece the playbill announces King Henry the Fifth, but it was not acted "on account of the indisposition of Kemble" (Public Advertiser, 8 Dec.). Kemble Mem. lists the substitute play.] Receipts: #167 5s. 6d. (106.4.0; 58.0.6; 3.1.0)

Event Comment: [The playbill announces The Way of the World, Love and War, and The Deserter, but "King being ill, the play was worse. For instead of Congreve's brilliant dialogue in The Way of the World there was, what few epithets can reach, The Castle of Andalusia" (World, 19 Dec.). The substitute for Love and War is listed in the Account-Book.] Receipts: #140 18s. (136.16; 4.2)