Event Comment: Afterpiece: Not acted these 4 years [acted 28 May 1784]. "We see the present rising theatrical generation swinging back with a vengeance to rant and mouthing. The natural and just medium introduced by Garrick seems already forgotten, and speaking no longer deemed a requisite for the stage . . . But last night in Richard Holman was not more violent than the character required him to be" (Public Advertiser, 6 Dec). Receipts: #147 1s. 6d. (143/14/6; 3/7/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb]: Some of the Airs compiled from the best Masters [Purcell, Sacchini, et al.]; the rest of the Music, the Overture, Accompaniments, &c. by Linley [Sen.]. [The scenery by Greenwood {Public Advertiser, 15 Dec). In 1792 this opera was altered by the author as The Algerine Slave.] Public Advertiser, 11 Jan. 1786: This Day is published The Strangers at Home (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #200 1s. (183/6/0; 16/10/0; 0/5/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Baddeley. [In mainpiece Genest, who remarks that "this play was very well acted," does not assign Freelove, but it is the only other male part in the play.] Morning Chronicle, 11 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Baddeley, No. 2, Little Russel-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #248 16s. (99/13/0; 25/12/6; 2/15/6; tickets: 122/15/0) (charge: #105 17s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Hannah Cowley, based on The Lucky Chance, by Aphra Behn. Prologue and Epilogue by James Cobb (see text)]: With Variety of new Scenes, Dresses, &c. Morning Chronicle, 28 Dec. 1786: This Day is published A School for Grey-Beards (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #220 8s. (206.14; 13.4; 0.10)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft. Prologue by the author (Public Advertiser, 19 Mar.). Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (Knapp, 81)]: With new Scenery, Dresses, &c. Public Advertiser, 31 Mar. 1787: This Day is published Seduction (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #187 15. (162.14.0; 24.1.6; 0.17.0; ticket not come in: 0.2.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wild. 2nd piece: In 3 Acts. 3rd piece [1st time; MF 2, by Leonard Macnally. Larpent MS 778; not published; composer of music unknown]. Morning Herald, 22 May: "[The Cantabs] was not heard out by the audience, nor can we differ from the verdict, as it possessed little to entertain, and less to interest." Receipts: #222 16s. 6d. (113.8.0; 7.6.6; tickets: 102.2.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Harriet Lee. Prologue by Richard Cumberland (see text). Epilogue by the author (World, 28 Nov.)]: With new Dresses, Decorations, &c. Public Advertiser, 26 Nov. 1787: This Day is published The New Peerage (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #209 4s. (188.1.0; 19.14.6; 1.8.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb]: Some of the Airs compiled from the best Masters; the rest of the Music, the Overture, Accompaniments, &c. by Linley? Sen. With variety of new Scenery ["A view of Calcuttav, from a painting done on the spot by Hodges, opens the piece" (Public Advertiser, 26 Feb.)], Dresses and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 6 Mar. 1788: This Day is published Love in the East (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #207 8s. 6d. (172.8.0; 33.9.6; 1.11.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years [not acted since 23 Sept. 1785. Afterpiece in place of The Deserter, advertised on playbill of 14 Nov.]. Paid the Duke of Bedford one Year's Rent #192 10s. Receipts: #226 9s. 6d. (222.0.0; 4.9.6)

Event Comment: [Kemble Mem.: "King not strong enough to act Puff in the Critic." But The Critic was nowhere advertised for this night. King is listed in the mainpiece as Trappanti, but perhaps he did not act.] Receipts: #146 13s. (107.5.0; 37.6.6; 1.11.6; tickets not come in: 0.10.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Joseph Richardson, based on The Coxcomb, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Prologue by Richard Tickell. Epilogue by John Burgoyne (see text)]: With new Dresses, Decorations, &c. Morning Herald, 1 May 1792: This Day is published The Fugitive (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #315 7s. 6d. (275.0.0; 39.2.0; 1.5.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Goodall. [In mainpiece the playbill retains King as Trappanti, but "King being indisposed, Trappanti...was represented by Benson" (unidentified clipping on playbill of 27 Apr., BM: Harris, Vol. III).] Morning Herald, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Goodall, No. 13, Great Russell-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #364 8s. 6d. (125.13.6; 36.15.0; 4.7.0; tickets: 197.13.0) (charge: #157 11s. 2d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; DO 3, by Prince Hoare, based on Didone Abbandonata, by Pietro Metastasio]: The Musick is chiefly new, and composed by Storace. The Selections are made from the most celebrated works of Salieri, Paer, Rampini, Sacchini, Sarti, Giordani, Cimarosa, Schuster, Andreozzi. The Scenery and Machinery designed by Greenwood and executed by himself and his Pupils. The Dresses of the Tyrians, Trojans and Africans entirely new, and taken from the most accurate descriptions of the Habits of their respective Nations. [Both Miss Barclay and Master Welsh had 1st appeared at the king's oratorios, 24 Feb.]. "A procession was introduced in which an Ostrich, a Dromedary and an Elephant marched to slow music. The Masque, which concluded the opera, was some insipid stuff about Neptune and Nereids, with a representation of the Temple of Neptune. Young Welsh sang prettily in this said Masque" (Morning Herald, 24 May). "[Mara] retained only one song of her Didone [see king's, 14 Feb. 1786]; the brilliant bravura, Son Regina, of Sacchini" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 80). Morning Herald, 28 May 1792: This Day is published Dido (price not listed). Receipts: #244 8s. 6d(213.14.5; 28.15.0; 1.19.0)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Polonius to Wilson, but "Previous to the play an apology was made by Farren, for the absence of Wilson [see 2 Nov.], and requesting the Audience to accept of Munden in Polonius, which they chearfully assented to, and his performance justified their opinion" (Thespian Magazine, Dec. 1792, p. 153). "Hamlet is perfectly within the scope of [Holman's] powers; but his performance last night did not exhibit one discriminate feature of the character. He 'out Heroded Herod' throughout, with more than his usual perseverance. The praise of the evening rests with Munden, who laudably endeavoured to rescue Polonius from the buffoonery which has hitherto disgraced him" (Morning Herald, 6 Nov.). Afterpiece in place of Oscar and Malvina, advertised on playbill of 3 Nov.] Receipts: #319 2s