Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. 1st piece: Never acted in this Theatre. [Prologue by George Colman, elder. Monologue by Hester Lynch Piozzi (European Magazine, May 1797, p. 343).] True Briton, 12 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, No. 49, Great Marlborough-street. "The scenery destroyed much of the effect of the tragedy; for the characters are supposed to be 'steeped in poverty to the very lips;' and yet their apartments would have become a family in the meridian of wealth and prosperity. Mrs Siddons was also too well dressed for Mrs Wilmot" (Monthly Mirror, May 1797, p. 308). "In the scene in which [Mrs Siddons's] son having put into her hands a casket to keep, and she having touched a spring it opens and she sees jewels, her husband (Kemble) enters, and in despair exclaims, 'Where shall we get bread?' With her eyes fixed on the jewels, she runs to him, knocks the casket against her breast and exclaims, 'Here! Here!' In Mrs Siddons's tone and in her look there was an anticipation of the murder which was to take place" (Robinson, I, 39). Receipts: #618 2s. (386.8.6; 43.19.0; 2.4.0; tickets: 185.10.6) (charge: #211 1s.)

Event Comment: Boxes 6s. Second Price 3s. Pit 3s. 6d. Second Price 2s. Gallery 2s. Second Price 1s. Upper Gallery 1s. Second Price 6d. No Money to be returned. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook at the office in Russel Street. The Doors t be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 4 Dec.]. Printed by C. Lowndes next the Stage-door. The Public are respectfully informed that the Entrances to the Pit are now removed from Bridges Street to Russel Street and Wooburn Street. In Wooburn Street the Lower Saloon is opened for the accomodation of the Frequenters of the Pit, previous to Opening the office Doors of admission. Many complaints having been made by the Frequenters of this Theatre respecting the application of the Box and office keepers and other Servants of the Theatre for Benefit Tickets, Christmas Boxes, &c., the Public are respectfully informed that a full compensation being made by the Proprzetors to all the said Persons in lieu of all such emoluments, no Benefit, Gift, or Perquistite will in future be permitted to the servants of this Theatre on any pretence whatever. [On Kemble playbill Kemble has written, "See June 14th and 15th for the Benefit of the Boxkeepers, and the perpetuating of this Ruse, if it is one at all."] Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Hay-Market. Receipts: #324 8s. 6d. (227.19.0; 94.13.6; 1.16.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for C. Kemble. Mainpiece: By permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Morning Chronicle, 8 Aug.: Tickets to be had of C. Kemble, No. 126, Great Russel-street, Bloomsbury

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. [Mrs Pollard is identified byMS annotation on Kemble playbill.] Receipts: #141 14s. 6d. (106.16.0; 32.5.6; 2.13.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author and the Composer of the Farce [who are listed in Kemble Mem., but not on the playbill]. Receipts: #193 3s. (145.3; 45.16; 2.4; tickets: none listed) (charge: #125)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece "English Herald [omitted from playbill] Trueman; Cooke Ill." In afterpiece the playbill retains Aumer as Hephestion, but "Hephestion C. Kemble, Aumer at the Opera House. Miss Redhead, Miss Leak absent, Ill" (Powell).] Powell, 13 Mar.: King John rehearsed at 10; Edwy and Elgiva at 12; Jack of Newbury read at 2; 14 Mar.: Jack of Newbury rehearsed at 11. Receipts: #255 3s. (204.14.0; 48.8.6; 2.0.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 9 years. [Mrs Worthington is identified in MS list in Kemble playbills of new performers for this season.] Ballet: 1st time; composed by Giacomo? Gentili. Afterpiece [1st time: ENT 1, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan; acted in place of The Prize, advertised on playbill of 4 Mar. Text (C. Lowndes, 1797)]: Altered from a Dramatick Entertainment performed 1794 [The Glorious First of June]. In the course of which will be introduced a representation of the late Glorious Engagement between the British and Spanish Fleets on the Fourteenth of February [1797, under Sir John Jervis, off Cape St. Vincent]. Receipts: #253 9s. (151.2.6; 100.17.0; 1.9.6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns the 1st Gravedigger to Parsons, but "an Apology was made for Parsons, and Suett went through his Part" (Public Advertiser, 2 Oct.). In afterpiece the playbill retains Parsons as Solomon; for Fawcett see 26 Nov.] "We have for so many years been accustomed to see Hamlet dressed in the Vandyke costume, that it may be material to state that Mr Kemble played the part in a modern court dress of rich black velvet, with a star on the breast, the garter and pendant ribbon of an order-the mourning sword and buckles, with deep ruffles: the hair in powder; which, in the scenes of feigned distraction, flowed dishevelled in front and over the shoulders" (Boaden, Kemble, I, 104). Receipts: #285 16s1. (265/14/0; 19/19/6; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [Kemble's 1st appearance as King John was at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 18 Apr. 1782; Mrs Siddons's 1st appearance as Constance was at Bath on, by coincidence, the same day.] Receipts: #300 9s. (289/8/0; 10/3/6; 0/5/0; tickets not come in: 0/12/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kemble. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. "Mrs Siddons spoke the speech on mercy as it certainly should be spoken--but as in truth we never heard it spoken--as a reply to 'On what compulsion must I?' From every other Portia it has always appeared as a recitation, prepared for the occasion" (Morning Chronicle, 8 Apr.). Morning Chronicle, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Kemble, No. 19, Charles-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #284 2s. 6d. (160/19/0; 20/17/6; 1/1/0; tickets: 101/5/0) (charge: #107 0s. 5d.)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill lists Mrs Brereton as Louisa Dudley, but she had been married to J. P. Kemble on the morning of this day at St. Giles in the Fields.] Receipts: #80 9s. (60.13; 19.1; 0.15)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kemble [whose 1st appearance as Hastings was in Dublin in the spring of 1782]. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their servants by Half past Four o'Clock. Public Advertiser, 25 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Kemble, No. 13, Caroline-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #324 12s. (190.0; 9.8; 0.14; tickets: 124.10) (charge: #107 4s. 7d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kemble [who is named in the Account-Book, but not on the playbill.] Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years. Receipts: #92 14s. (70.12; 21.3; 0.19; tickets: non listed) (charge: #106 9s. 6d.)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Witwou'd to Dodd, but "In Dodd's absence, Suett was Witwou'd' (World, 13 Nov.). As afterpiece the playbill announces the 9th night of The Doctor and the Apothecary, but it was not acted, presumably because of Dodd's absence. Both Kemble Mem. and the Account-Book list the substitute play. See 15 Nov.] Receipts: #81 17s. 6d. (65.7.0; 16.4.0; 0.6.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Henry. [As afterpiece the playbill announces Arthur and Emmeline, but it was not acted. Kemble Mem. lists the substitute play.] Diary, 24 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Henry, Bruton-street, Berkeley-square. Receipts: #153 12s. (38.6; 21.2; 0.19; tickets: 93.5) (charge: #111 13s. 9d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for a Fund for the Relief of those whose Infirmities oblige them to retire from the Stage. The whole Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Those Ladies and Gentlemen who have seats in the Pit are earnestly requested to be early at the Theatre, and Servants are desired to attend at half past Four o'Clock to keep Places. "The fine tragic powers of [Mrs Siddons] and Kemble were but wasted on the turgid trumpery of the play...But Kemble in this scene [end of Act III] was so impassioned and transcendent that it killed all the rest of the piece. The scorn of Mrs Siddons at his dissimulation--her haughty bearing and marking emphasis, with the piercing powers of her eye, are all treasured where they should be" (Oracle, 16 May). Receipts: #117 14s. (107.11.0; 9.12.6; 0.10.6; tickets: none listed, but Oracle, 17 May, reports that tickets were purchased for as much as one guinea and a half) (charge: free)

Event Comment: "The performance of last night boasted some additional impression, by the fine imagination of [Kemble's] starting at the trumpet from the prayer of penitence, and springing up the Hero and the King...[In Act V] the scene with Katharine was as sportive and as easy as possible...Comus followed, vice the Critic, obliged to be postponed from [the] indisposition of Parsons (MS annotation on Kemble playbill)]. Some disapprobation attended the drawing up the curtain. Palmer explained, and then, without 'wiping his lips since he spoke last' began "The Star that bids the Shepherd fold" (Oracle, 1 Nov.). Receipts: #223 5s. 6d. (180.8.6; 41.3.0; 1.14.0)

Event Comment: [C. Kemble was from DL.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Shade, Cameron, Nix, Woollams, Wood, Dangerfield, Wilson, Panchaud, Irish, Edwards, Wooldridge, Griffiths. Kemble Mem.: BT. the box-keepers. Receipts: #528 8s. 6d. (30.13.6; 16.7.6; 11.7.6; tickets: 470.0.0) (charge: #211 14s.)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece altered by John Philip Kemble.] An Accurate Edition of King Lear to be had in the Theatre. Receipts: #214 19s. 6d. (159.2.6; 54.9.0; 1.8.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With Alterations [by John Philip Kemble]. The Scenery and Dresses are entirely new. The Scenes designed and executed by Marinari and Capon. [Oracle, 29 Feb.: Capon painted three scenes of Westminster Hall.] An accurate Edition of The Plain Dealer to be had in the Theatre. Receipts: #324 14s. 6d. (322.6.6; 2.8.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Johnstone. 1st piece: The Overture, Chorusses and new Musick by Dr Arnold. The new Scenery by Rooker, Marinari, &c. 2nd [1st time; MF 1, author unknown. Not in Larpent MS; not published]: Overture and new Music by Reeve, and selected Songs by Dibdin. [3rd piece in place of The Prize, advertised on playbill of 31 Aug. C. Kemble had 1st appeared as Zorinski at the hay on 31 Aug. and 7 Sept. 1795.] Morning Herald, 27 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Johnstone, No. 19, Piazza, Covent-Garden

Event Comment: [Halpin is identified in MS list in Kemble playbills of new performers for this season. This was not his first appearance; he had acted previously in Dublin (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1796, p. 437; Hibernian Journal (Dublin), 16 Dec. 1789, 20 Jan. 1790). For the naming of the characters in mainpiece, as they were called originally, see 23 Feb. 1792.] Receipts: #255 (193.11.6; 58.4.6; 3.4.0)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Horatio to Kemble, but "The publick is respectfully informed that on account of the sudden indisposition of Kemble the part of Horatio will be performed by Whitfield" (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill).] Receipts: #238 5s. (156.12; 78.9; 3.4)

Event Comment: On account of the Indisposition ofof a Principal Performer [Kemble (see 28 Sept.)] Hamlet [advertisyd on playbill of 23 Sept.] is obliged to be postponed to Thursday next. [Afterpiece in place of The Humourist, advertised as above.] Receipts: #315 15s. 6d. (222.5.0; 90.8.6; 3.2.0)