Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by William Pearce. MS: Larpent 696; not published; synopsis of plot in Universal Magazine, Apr. 1785, p. 209]: With new Scenes and Dresses. The Overture and Airs composed by Shield. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "The Nunnery [is] ... a most powerful narcotic. The Performers--in friendly sympathy--had totally forgotten their parts--and passed the evening in a conversation with the prompter" (Public Advertiser, 15 Apr.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by James Cobb. MS: Larpent 698; not published; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 28 Apr. Prologue by the author (Public Advertiser, 9 June)]. Account-Book, 30 May: Paid Cobb in full for Humourist #100. Receipts: #58 16s. (28/15; 29/1; 1/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Burton and Harwood, prompter. 2nd piece [1st time; INT 1, author unknown. MS: Larpent 702, not published]. Receipts: #180 15s. 6d. (21/4/0; 13/16/6; 1/0/0; tickets: 144/15/0) (charge: #105 17s. 1d.}

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by George Colman, the younger. MS: Larpent 704; not published; synopsis of plot in Universal Magazine, July 1785, p. 38. Prologue by the author; Epilogue by Edward Topham (European Magazine, July 1785, pp. 70-71)]: The Overture and New Airs compos'd by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Wilson. Tickets deliver'd for the 12th Instant will be admitted. Second Course [1st time; F 2, author unknown. MS not in Larpent; not published]

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of Lord Russel, announced on playbill of 30 Aug. It was deferred on account of Miss Woollery's illness {Public Advertiser, 31 Aug.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 1, by Carlo Antonio Delpini. MS: Larpent 706; not published]: The Overture and Music composed by Dr Arnold. The Scenes painted by Rooker

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time in London; F 2, by John Philip Kemble, 1st acted at Manchester, 25 Mar. 1778, as The Female Officer. MS: Larpent 723; not published; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 20 Feb. Prologue by James Cobb (European Magazine, Feb. 1786, p. 129)]. Receipts: #222 8s. 6d. (192/0/0; 29/6/0; 0/7/6; tickets not come in: 0/15/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by A Lady [unidentified], based partly on L'Amitie A l'epreuve, by Charles Simon Favart and Claude Henri de Fusee de Voisenon]: The Overture and the new Music composed by Hook. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 30 Mar. 1786: This Day at Noon is published The Peruvian (1s. 6d.). [The music was printed under the title of The Fair Peruvian (S. A. & P. Thompson [1786]), which was the original title as given in the MS (Larpent 727).] Receipts: #246 8s. (242/16/6; 3/11/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bannister. Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Leonard Macnally, based on A Mad World, My Masters, by Thomas Middleton. MS: Larpent 729; not published. Introduction by the author (Town and Country Magazine, June 1786, p. 328]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre [composer unknown]. Morning Herald, 11 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Bannister, No. 29, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #273 4s. 6d. (180/6/0; 7/9/6; tickets: 85/9/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wells. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Edward Topham, with incidental music by Shield. MS not in Larpent; not published. Prologue by George Colman, the younger (European Magazine, May 1786, p. 370)]. "An old and established rule among the youth of Westminster [School will] not permit any exhibition on the stage reflecting upon their body ... In the second act Mrs Wells made her appearance in the dress of a Westminster scholar, when a general uproar [instigated by the scholars] took place, and the [rest of the] piece was prevented from being heard" (Town and Country Magazine, May 1786, p. 235). Public Advertiser, 8 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Wells, No. 188, Oxford-street. Receipts: #282 17s. (166/0/6; 21/19/6; tickets: 94/17/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. In consequence of Edwin's Indisposition, Bannister Jun. is obliged to undertake the character of Mrs Cole. Morning Chronicle, 19 July: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 29, Bow-street, Covent Garden. 1st piece [1st time; F I, author unknown, altered from The Walking Statue; or, The Devil in the Wine Cellar, by Aaron Hill. MS: Larpent 741; not published].3rd piece: Not acted these 7 years [acted 8 Sept. 1780]

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent 743; not published; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 14 Aug. The following season reduced to an afterpiece of 2 acts]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The Overture, new Airs and Accompaniments by Dr Arnold. The Scenes painted by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

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: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by John Scawen. Prologue by the author (European Magazine, Dec. 1786, p. 435). Larpent MS 749; not published; composer of songs unknown]; A Farce with Songs [for which see Morning Chronicle, and Morning Herald, both 8 Dec.]. Receipts: #237 2s. (233.16.6; 3.5.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Frederick Reynolds. Larpent MS 750; not published; synopsis of plot in Universal Magazine, Dec. 1786, pp. 333-34. Prologue by the author (London Chronicle, 23 Dec.). Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (World, 4 Jan. 1787); and see Epilogue to Such Things Are, 10 Feb. 1787]. Receipts: #165 14s. (156.1; 9.13)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Robert Jephson and John O'Keeffe, i.e. an abridgement by O'Keeffe of Jephson's The Campaign (see 12 May 1785). Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of plot in Universal Magazine, Mar. 1787, p. 155]: With new Scenes, Dresses, &c. A new Overture composed by the celebrated Haydn. The Airs by Gretry, Hook, J. C.? Bach, Paisiello, Duny [recte Duni], Carolan, Shield and Tenducci. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #265 11s. 6d. (257.11.6; 8.0.0)