Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the Author of The Castle-Spectre [Matthew Gregory Lewis, also the author of Prologue and Epilogue (see text)]. "The Epilogue was spoken by Bannister Jun. in the character of Queen Elizabeth, who ascends from a trap in the middle of the stage, and who is supposed to have obtained the permission of Pluto to revisit her kingdom, in order to witness the representation of the East Indianv" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1799, p. 367). Receipts: #200 13s. 6d. (131.11.0; 67.9.6; 1.13.0)

Event Comment: The Rivals [advertised on playbill of 4 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred on account of the indisposition of a principal performer. "There seems to be a perverse and impolitic system introduced of late years in the management of this theatre, in virtue of which certain plays are suffered to remain in a state of slovenly representation, to serve as a kind of stage lumber, on which the manager can immediately lay his hand (confident of a good half-price, from the popularity of his after-piece); he wants something, no matter what, to fill up the intermediate space of time. This is a system, however, which in the event cannot fail to prove equally injurious to the interest of the proprietors, and the gratification of that part of the audience who pay the full amount of admission" (Dramatic Censor, I, 45). Receipts: #188 5s. (102.16; 83.17; 1.12)