Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Younge. Last time of performing till Easter. Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years. [See 9 Nov. 1768.] Afterpiece: Never acted here (playbill). Part of pit laid into boxes. Ladies and Gentlemen requested to come early. Rec'd stopages #2 12s. 6d.; short charge for new farce on 8 March #10 10s.; Paid 4 days salary list #348 14s. 8d.; Mr King's extra salary #2; Mr S. Barry on note #100; Mr Cook's 4 boys 4 nights (the 7th incl.) #6 Mr J. French on acct #10 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #282 19s. 6d. Charges #64 17s. Profit to Miss Younge: #218 2s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Younger. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 18 May 1772.] Tickets delivered by Miss Helme will be taken. Charges: #66 17s. 6d. Profit to Younger #52 1s., plus #130 1s. from tickets (Box 201; Pit 344; Gallery 382) Receipts: #118 18s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Younge. Miss Young Kitty first time very la! la! (Hopkins Diary). Receipts: #141 10s. Charges: #69 6s. 6d. Profits to Miss Younge: #72 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Thomas Hull, altered from The School for Guardians by Arthur Murphy. Not in Larpent MS; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser 19 Nov.]: With New Dresses, &c. The Music chiefly compiled; the rest composed by Dr Arne, Sacchini and Fisher. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 18 Nov. 1777: This Day is published the Airs in Love Finds the Way (6d.). [Miss Courtenay is identified in the Airs.] Receipts: #233 8s. 6d. (232.5.0; 1.3.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Younge. Mainpiece: With the grand Triumphal Entryv. [Public Advertiser, I Apr., identifies the Epilogue as an alteration by Garrick of his epilogue to Alfred.] Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by J Hough]: The Music composed by William? Bates. Tickets delivered for The Brothers will be taken. Books of the Performances to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 7 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Miss Younge at Thelwall's, Silk Mercer, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #285 13s. 6d. (141.9.0; 11.15.0; 0.2.6; tickets: 132.7.0) (charge: #76 19s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Richard Cumberland]: taken from [the same, by] Massinger and [Mariamne, by] Fenton. [not in Larpent MS; not published.] With new Dresses. Henderson "might surely break himself of the aukward custom of clapping his hands together almost perpetually, and running on and off the stage with so ungraceful a levity" (Morning Chronicle, 11 Nov.). [Miss Younge was from dl.] Receipts: #127 10s. 6d. (124.14.0; 2.16.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Colles, Miss Abrams & Miss Kirby. Public Advertiser, 4 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Colles at Smith's No. 10, Bow-street, the corner of Martlet Court, Covent Garden; of Miss Abrams, Little Bridges Street, Covent Garden; of Miss Kirby at Andrews's, No. 70, Long Acre. Receipts: #203 7s. (28.1; 14.16; 1.11; tickets: 158.19) (charge: #90 2s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Thompson, Nix, Mrs Booth & Miss Field. Public Advertiser, 5 May: Tickets to be had of Thompson, No. 7, Great Marlborough-street; of Nix, Mrs Booth and Miss Field, No. 8, Broad-court, Longacre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same for rest of season]. Receipts: #180 3s. 6d. (29.15.0; 21.4.6; 0.1.0; tickets: 129.3.0) (charge: none listed)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [Public Advertiser, 18 Feb., refers to the Overture to Rodelinda, which opened the performance, and to Street Bird, sung by Miss Linley, accompanied on the organ by Stanley; Oft on a plat of rising ground by Miss Prudom; Hide me from day's garish eye by Miss Linley; Horn and Morn by Reinhold.] 2nd piece: Set to Music by Handel. Tickets to be had and Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at half a guinea each. Pit 5s. 1st Gallery 3s. 6d. 2ndGallery 2s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Being the Sequel to The Beggar's Opera, written by Gay. Books of the Opera to be had at the Theatre. [Miss Hooke is identified on playbill of 18 June.] Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never acted here. [The playbill lists R. Palmer as Rodolpho in mainpiece, and as Young Clackit in afterpiece, but he "was prevented appearing either in the tragedy or entertainment, having had the misfortune to break his arm" Chondon Magazine, July 1784, p. 75). For Egan and Riley as his substitutes see 14 July. Miss Woollery is identified on playbill of 24 July. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, III, 254). Miss Kemble was from DL.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Stevens and Miss Besford. Tickets delivered for The Brothers will be admitted. Morning Chronicle, 13 May: Tickets to be had of Stevens, No. 54, Drury-Lane; of Miss Besford, No. 5, Bow-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #167 15s. (75/16; 6/17; tickets: 85/2) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe. Beginning with 8 Dec. reduced to an afterpiece of 3 short acts. Prologue by the author (World, 7 Nov.)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, &c. The Music by Handel, Rizzio, J. C.? Bach, Gretry, Corri, and Shield [who compiled the music of the other composers]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Afterpiece: In I act. [Miss Fontenelle is identified on playbill of 22 Nov.] Account-Book, 17 Mar. 1789: Paid O'Keeffe in full for Highland Reel #67 10s. Receipts: #263 11s. 6d. (257.1.6; 6.10.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Wallis. Public Advertiser, 27 Jan.: Tickets to be had of Miss Wallis, at Alden's, No. 15, Caroline-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #297 10s. (160.6; 6.9; tickets: 130.15)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, ascribed variously to Elizabeth Inchbald and to Miss Griffiths, based on L'Amour Use, by Philippe Nericault, dit Destouches. Prologue and Epilogue by George Colman, ynger (see text)]. Morning Herald, 4 Sept. 1792: This Day is published Cross Partners (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. [In mainpiece the playbill retains Mrs Bland as Ariel , but "Ariel was, on account of the sudden indisposition of Mrs Bland, read by Miss Heard" (Diary, 8 May). Miss Heard may also have substituted for Mrs Bland in the afterpiece.] Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by James Cobb, for whose authorship see Kemble Mem. Larpent MS 982; not published]. Public Advertiser, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Charing Cross. Receipts: #227 8s. (95.17; 7.5; tickets: 124.6) (charge: #90 2s. 6d.)

Event Comment: [The playbill for this night announces as mainpiece MUCH ADO ABOUT NOT HING, but "The Publick are most respectfully informed that, on account of the sudden indisposition of a Principal Performer, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING cannot be acted. This Evening will be presented AS YOU LIKE IT" (printed slip attached to BM playbill, Harris, Vol. IV). "Mrs Kemble being ill, Miss Collins play'd Celia for Mrs Kemble and Miss Heard Phebe for Miss Collins" (Powell). Since Powell mentions no other changes, it may be assumed that the cast was otherwise the same as on 25 Apr.] Receipts: #208 8s. (127/1/6; 77/0/0; 4/6/6)

Event Comment: "The shrillness of [Mrs Hopkins's] voice, and the squabbishness of her figure are admirable accompaniments to the peevish expression of her features, and thus as far as natural requisites go, she is perfectly suited to old maids and crabbed aunts" (Monthly Mirror, Aug. 1796, p. 240). [On this evening the following performers appeared both at dl and at the hay: Palmer, Trueman, R. Palmer, Burton, Wathen, Suett, Miss DeCamp.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: As altered from Beaumont and Fletcher. Not acted these 18 years [acted 3 Oct. 1780. For Miss Allingham see 13, 18, 27 Oct.]. Receipts: #152 (143.8.6; 8.11.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Phillimore, Denman, Cooke, Stokes, Miss Tidswell, Miss Heard, Mrs Benson. Morning Herald, 9 June: Tickets to be had of Miss Heard at Mrs Fletcher's, No. 239, Piccadilly; True Briton, 5 June: of Mrs Benson, No. 31, Hart-street, Bloomsbury [no others listed]. Receipts: #78 10s. (35.0.6; 41.2.6; 2.7.0; tickets: none listed) (charge: #224 15s. 3d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss DeCamp. 1st piece: Never [previously] acted here. Times, 11 May: Tickets to be had of Miss DeCamp, No. 14, Tottenham-court-road. Receipts: #435 2s. 6d. (153.16.6; 57.2.0; 1.16.0; tickets: 222.8.0) (charge: #232 15s. 2d.)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; D 3, by Henry Neuman, based on Der Opfertod, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Text (R. Phillips, 1799) assigns no parts]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice, at the Theatre. The Theatre, since the last Season, has been newly Decorated. [Beginning with 19 June the playbill: Printed by T. Woodfall, Drury Lane; on 4 Sept.: No. 104, Drury Lane.] Morning Chronicle, 27 June 1799: This Day is published Family Distress (2s.). Gentleman's Magazine, May 1800, pp. 406-8, prints a letter from "J. B." in which strong exception is taken to Kotzebue in general, and this play in particular. "Theatrical entertainments have an extensive influence upon the manners of Society. When well regulated, and the pieces for representation well selected both as to matter and manner, they may be esteemed friendly to morality, and improvers of public taste. But what shall we say when both these ends are disregarded; when moral virtue is banished from the scene, and purity of taste is destroyed by affected language and pantomimical decorations? Improvements in almost every art and science have been within a few years, rapid and important. But that is not the case with the stage; nor can it be, while Kotzebue and his friends usurp the venerable boards of Shakespeare." The writer then, in sarcastic terms, outlines the plot of Family Distress. [Pope and Miss Chapman were both from cg.

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss DeCamp. Mainpiece: The Overture, Chorusses, and new Musick by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker, Marinari, &c. Morning Chronicle, 9 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Miss DeCamp, No. 14, Tottenham Court Road, near Bedford-square

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Margarita to Mrs Powell, and Clara to Miss Heard, but Mrs Powell "being suddenly indisposed, Miss Heard was her substitute" (Morning Chronicle, 30 Sept.). It is not stated who acted Clara.] Receipts: #245 2s. (150.3.6; 92.18.6; 2.0.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Andrew Franklin]: The Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations entirely new. The Overture and Musick composed by Florio. The Scenes, designed by Greenwood, and painted by him, Banks, and assistants. The Machinery, Dresses and Decorations designed by Johnston, and executed by him, Gay, and Underwood. The Female Dresses designed and made under the direction of Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "With thy exception of Pizarro, this is one of the most magnificent spectacles the stage has for some time produced. The dresses...are attended with particular accuracy to the costume of the country...and the scenery is locally correct" (Monthly Mirror, Mar. 1800, p. 173). "As a singer [Mme Mara's] powers are indisputable; but as a performer she exhibits herself in a light which alternately provokes our ridicule and pity. Her delivery is an absolute libel on the profession. To the defects of a foreign pronunciation she joins a natural impediment of speech, which partakes too strongly of a lisp to warrant her bearing part in the prose dialogue of a play. What could possibly induce her to appear before the public under such disadvantages, unless she did it in compliment to the composer, we are at a loss to conjecture; nor less are we puzzled to account for the supineness of an audience which can patiently tolerate such puny efforts" (Dramatic Censor, I, 347-48). Morning Chronicle, 14 June 1800: This day is published The Egyptian Festival (2s.). Receipts: #320 18s. 6d. (277.6.6; 42.8.0; 1.4.0)