Event Comment: Benefit for Vestris Sen</a>. Opera: In 2 acts; the music by Rauzzini. With new scenes painted by Novosielski. New Dresses and Decorations for both the Opera and Dances. Tickets to be had of Vestris, No. 5, Leicester Street, Leicester Fields. Public Advertiser, 7 Apr.: By desire of the Frequenters of the Opera House books of the ballet of Medee et Jason are sold at the Theatre

Event Comment: Opera [1st time; Past 3, author unknown]. The music [to Part I] composed by Giovanni Battista? Bianchi, [to Part II by] Rauzzini, [to Part III by] Giordani. With Grand Chorusses. With new Decorations devised and painted by Novosielski, and new Dresses. The Side-boards, with a cold Collation and all sorts of Wines, at 12 o'clock. The Performance under the direction of Vestris Sen</a>., and to conclude with a Ball. Tickets, at 2 Guineas each, are ready to be delivered at the Office in Union-court, where Boxes may be taken. No Masks will be admitted. The Doors will be opened at 9:00, and the Performance to begin at 10:00. Books of the Performance will be given out (gratis) at the Theatre. Morning Herald, 7 June: The Omaggio, or homage paid by the vassals and tenants to their Lord, is naturally calculated to give free scope to lively, and sentimental music. In the former stile Bianchi and Giardini [sic] were equally succesful; and in the latter Rauzzini was surprisingly great, both as composer and performer...Slingsby would, in our opinion, have come out with as great a share of applause as the best of them, having to go through an English dance in his own stile, but by some unaccountable accident...the music-band stopped short when he was in the very climax of his exertions. The scenes are in the rural stile, with the addition of natural trees, flowering shrubs, &c., set in the neatest order...The company did not begin to move till about four, and by five the rooms were cleared. Public Advertiser, 7 June: The Vestris' gave incontrovertible proof of the variety of their powers...They did more, they shewed what this country had never seen-the possibility of presenting to the eye a large and extensive stage filled with dancers all in motion at the same time

Event Comment: Benefit for Vestris? Jun. Opera: In 2 acts; the music by Piccinni, and conducted by Bianchi. With new Scenes painted by Novosielski. New Dresses and Decorations both for the Opera and Dances. Mme Simonet will this Evening reassume her station at the Opera House; but as she is not perfectly recovered from the consequences of her late Accidnet, she hopes for the indulgence of the Public, from whom she has already received so many flattering proofs of Approbation. Tickets, 10s. 6d., to be had of Vestris, No. 5, Leicester-street, Leicester-fields. "Last Thursday was the benefit of Vestris and son; the house could not receive and contain the multitudes that presented themselves. Their oblations amounted to fourteen hundred pounds" (Walpole [26 Feb. 1781], XI, 406)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; BALL. P 2, by James Byrn. Synopsis of action, somewhat enlarged from that on playbill (H. Macleish, 1794)]: The Music partly new by Shield, and partly selected from Haydn, Mazzinghi, Gluck, Baumgarten, Gretry, Martin? y Soler, Dezede, Eley. With a new Overture for a Double Orchestra composed by Reeve. The Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations are entirely New. The Scenery painted by Hodgins, Walmsley, Phillips and Lupino Jun., assisted by Hollogan, Byrn, &c. The Dresses chiefly designed by Lupino Sen., and executed under the direction of Dick. "This ballet [is] the most magnificent exhibited on the English stage for many years" (Universal Magazine, Nov. 1794, p. 378). Receipts: #136 13s. 6d. (123.12.6; 13.1.0)

Event Comment: [Huddart, whose 1st appearance on the stage was at the Crow Street Theatre Dublin, on 14 May 1798, is identified in European Magazine, Oct. 1798, p. 258.] "In the gentle and tender scenes [Huddart] was impressive...but in the impassioned parts he was often too boisterous, and from his too eager exertion, he exhausted himself, in a great measure, before the conclusion of the piece" (Morning Herald, 16 Oct.). [Mrs Pope, as Miss Campion, had 1st appeared as Desdemona at the same theatre, 11 Mar. 1790. Mrs Wybrow was from the Royal Circus. She had appeared at cg on 6 June 1798.] Afterp iece [1st time; BALL. PI, by John Cartwright Cross. Larpent MS 1228. Text (i.e. synopsis of the ballet, and the songs) in his Circusiana (Lackington, Allen & Co., 1890), Vol. 1; it lists the cast for the Royal Circus]: Taken chiefly from the favourtie Piece of the latter Title [1st acted at the Royal Circus, 9 Apr. 1798], with Alterations and Additions by the original Author. The Music by Sanderson, and Scenery by Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Blackmore, &c. Receipts: #294 15s. 6d. (290.8.6; 4.7.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Morelli. A new Comic Opera [1st time; COM 2, by Giovanni Bertati, adapted by Girolamo Tonioli]; the music composed on purpose for this Theatre by Paisiello. With new Scenes and Decorations painted by Moench; the dresses invented and executed by Lupino [from playbill of 28 June]. Under the direction of Mazzinghi. Tickets to be had of Morelli, No. 12, Poland-street. Morelli is happy in having succeeded to bring forward on his Benefit Night (though at a considerable expense) such an excellent new Opera for the entertainment of those who shall honor him with their presence; soliciting the kind patronage of the Nobility, Gentry and Public accordingly on the occasion. Morning Post, 4 June: The Subscribers and the Public are respectfully informed that the new Comic Opera of La Locanda, written expressly for this Theatre, and the only Opera ever composed by this great Master for an English audience, is some time since arrived, and will be brought out shortly

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by Thomas John Dibdin; pantomime by Charles Farley]: With new Scenery, Machinery, Tricks, Dresses, and Decorations. The Overture, Airs and Chorusses by Attwood. The Pantomime Music by Attwood, Mountain, and Ealy [recte Eley]. The Scenery by Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Blackmore, Thorne, Wilkins, &c. The Machinery and Tricks by Cresswell, Sloper and Goostree. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #364 (353.12; 10.8)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kemble. "Kemble? Sen. performed the Miller...Here and there we could perceive the liberty of the country performer, by saying more than was set down by the author" (Public Advertiser, 27 Aug.). [Address by John Taylor (European Magazine, Sept. 1788, p. 217).] Public Advertiser, 21 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Kemble, No. 26, Villiers-street, York-buildings, Strand

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."