Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Edward Morris. Prologue by Charles Morris; Epilogue by George Colman, ynger (see text)]: With new Dresses and Decorations. Morning Chronicle, 14 Mar. 1799: This Day is published The Secret (2s.). Receipts: #371 18s. 6d. (319.17.0; 49.14.6; 2.7.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Parsons, Real, Miss Cokayne, Mas. Besford, Francis. Both pieces By Particular Desire. Tickets deliver'd by Wild, Bassan, Pullin, Mrs Griffiths, Mrs Paddick, Mrs Walters, and Widow Trott will be taken. [House took half value of tickets in addition to ready money.] @Tickets Box Pit Gallery Value Half Value@Parsons 17 76 73 #22 19s. #11 9s. 6d.@Real 19 9 12 #7 6s. #3 13s.@Miss Cokayne 10 25 42 #10 9s. #5 4s. 6d.@Mas. Besford 1 32 49 #9 19s. #4 19s. 6d.@Francis - 41 18 #7 19s. #3 19s. 6d.@Wylde 5 18 29 #6 17s. #3 8s. 6d.@Bassan 14 53 56 #17 1s. #18 10s. 6d.@Pullin - 34 83 #13 8s. #6 14s.@Mrs Griffiths - 32 46 #9 8s. #4 14s.@Mrs Paddick 6 26 26 #8 #4@Mrs Walters 2 13 31 #5 11s. #2 15s. 6d.@Widow Trott 28 4 17 #9 6s. #4 13s.@Total 102 363 482 #128 3s. #64 1s. 6d.@ Receipts: #80 17s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; M 3, by--Francis. Perhaps the same as a piece performed under this title at Bath, 20 Nov. 1785]: With new Musick, Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The new Musick and Overture by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Catley, being the last time, but one, of her performing this season. Box, Pit and Gallery Tickets to be had of Mr Sarjant at the Stage Door. Charges #65 6s. Profit to Miss Catley #136 5s.; plus #67 11s. from tickets (Box 232; Pit 49; Gallery 22). Paid one year's Rector's Rate for theatre due Xmas last #8 15s., Watch rate #14 11s. 8d., and half year's paving rate due Mich. last #26 5s. Paid Recor's rate (one year's due Xmas last) for House in Bow Passage, 6s. 3d, and watch rate for ditto 10s. 8d. Receipts: #201 5s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by John Till Allingham]. Morning Chronicle, 14 May: Tickets to be had of Whitfield, No. 10, Clifford's-inn. Ibid, 26 July 1799: This Day is published Fortune's Frolic (price not listed). Receipts: #394 13s. 6d. (79.15.0; 5.0.0; tickets: 309.18.6)

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Daily Advertiser, 20 Nov.: Yesterday Mr Harper was brought up to the Court of King's Bench . . . but the Right Hon. the Lord Hardwicke, Chief Justice, perceiving . . . that it might probably take up a long time to hear [the Counsels'] several Arguments, was pleas'd to put off the Affair till this Morning

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Afterpiece: Only time this season. Send serv'ts by 3. None admitted behind Scenes. [Public Advertiser assigns Mordecai to Cushing.

Event Comment: Benefit John Roberts, in lieu of one last Season at DL. Afterpiece: Written by Henry Fielding, Esq. 6:30 P.M. N.B. The Play and Entertainment will be conducted with the utmost Decorum: And whereas several Irregularities have been committed, as to Hours of beginning, &c. this is to assure all Gentlemen and Ladies that please to favour us with their Presence, that the Play will certainly begin at the time propos'd; and particular Care is taken that the whole Performance will endeavour at universal Satisfaction. Tickets for Sir Walter Raleigh taken at this Play

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Charke. Being positively the last Time of the Company's Acting there this Season

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Farren. Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, "taken from the French" (see Songs), by @@ Robinson. Larpent MS 783; not published. Music selected by John Edwin, ynger (Town and Country Magazine, Sept. 1787, p. 414). Author of Prologue unknown]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mas. Maltere, Miss Foulcade, Mrs L'font & Goodwin. Receipts: #130 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit Miss Brett

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss George. Public Advertiser, 30 July: Tickets to be had of Miss George, No. 23, King-street, St. Ann's, Soho

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Martyr. 1st piece: Never performed here. [Miss Thornton is identified by MS annotation on Kemble playbill. Address by Horatio Edgar Robson (European Magazine, May 1786, p. 369).] 2nd piece: Not acted these 7 years. 3rd piece: Written by Henry Fielding. Morning Herald, 19 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Martyr, No. 31, Tavistock-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #280 6s. 6d. (138/15/6; 3/6/0; tickets: 138/5/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit Havard, J. Delagarde, Miss Wherrit. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Distinction

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Pritchard and Miss Mann

Event Comment: Richard by Mr Dodd-O la! Ola! (Hopkins Diary). Benefit for Dodd. Afterpiece: Not acted for 3 years. [See 9 April 1768.

Event Comment: CCastalio by Mr Powell (1st time) very well (Hopkins). Mr Powell very well-Mr Jackson very bad (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Receipts: #235 17s. 6d. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: [W+Winston MS 10 notes that O. Smith suggests Miss Spencer. Winston suggests Mrs Greville. The Town and Country Magazine (From Theatre No XIII): "Mrs Gladeau...has appeared as Rosetta in Love in a Village." Comments that she does not know much about music but "has a pleasing voice and an agreeable figure and will probably be a valuable acquisition to the stage. Received with applause."] Receipts: #217 16s. 6d

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Dress'd in the Habits of the Times. Mr Powell King Henry for 1st time (Hopkins). Mr Powell played King Henry with great feeling, and was very well received in it (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Receipts: #142 3s. (MacMillan)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales [who were present]. Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher. Afterpiece: Written by the Author of the Toy Shop. [For a letter on the disputes between the footmen and the gentlemen, see Grub St. Journal, 17 March.] [There is in the Bennett Collection, I, 93, in the Birmingham Library, an exceptionally curious advance notice for a performance to be given at Drury Lane soon after Easter of The Conscious Lovers and The Devil to Pay, with no cast for either play in the bill. The announcement appears to refer to the spring of 1737 and presumably appeared around the middle of March. It is intended for the benefit of a Widow under Misfortunes and the bill bears the heading: Gift and Pleasure. According to the announcement, the widow has been left Italian pictures, antiqees, jewels, and precious stones; and she intends, for the encouragement of her benefactors, to make a gift of all the objects, which will be placed in three hundred parcels. Tickets for the performance are advertised at five shillings, and no one is to be admitted without a ticket. The pit and boxes are to be put together at two tickets for each person, and the first and second galleries are placed together at one ticket for each spectator. The tickets are not to be left with the door-keepers as usual, but only shewn and kept. On the day following the benefit a raffle will be held, by Mr Foubert's Patent Mathematical Machine, at Hickford's Great Room in Brewers Street, Golden Square, and only holders of tickets will be admitted to the raffle, After this entry was set, an advertisement was found in the Daily Advertiser, 18 April 1738, announcing this performance for 13 May 1738. The Daily Advertiser on 5 May 1738, however, announced that the proposed performance had been cancelled.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: With Alterations and Additions. Not acted these 7 years. [See 23 May 1763.] With New Music, Dresses, Scenes, and Decorations. The First Scene painted by the Late Mr Lambert, the last by Servandoni (playbill). [See 6 Nov. for specification of Scenes.] Receipts: #240 4s. 6d

Event Comment: This piece was greatly Cut & Alter'd. the 5th Act Entirely left out & many Airs interspers'd all through; got up with a vast deal of trouble to everbody concern'd in it but particularly to Mr Coleman, who attended every Rehearsal & had alterations innumberable to make. Upon the Whole, never was anything so murder'd in the Speaking. Mr W. Palmer & Mrs Vincent were beyond Description bad; & had it not been for the Children's Excellent performance, (& particularly Miss Wright who Sung delightfully) the Audience would not have Suffer'd'em to have gone half thro' it. The Sleeping Scene particularly displeas'd. Next day it was reported, The Performers first Sung the Audience to S leep, & then went to Sleep themselves (Hopkins). Fairies pleas'd--Serious parts displeas'd--Comic between both (Cross Diary). This piece of Shakespear's was greatly cut and altered,--the fifth act entirely left out,--and many airs introduced--got up with a vast deal of trouble to all concerned, but particularly to Mr Colman, who attended every rehearsal, and had alterations innumerable to make. Upon the whole, I believe, never was piece so murdered as this was by the singing speakers, in which Mrs Vincent and Mr W. Palmer were beyond description bad; and had it not been for the children's excellent performance (particularly Miss Wright, who ran away with all the applause and very deservedly) the audience would not have suffered them to have gone half thro' it.--The sleeping particularly displeased. The next day it was reported, the performers sung the audience to sleep, and then went to sleep themselves (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). Overture and airs composed by the most eminent English masters. Book of the play sold at the theatre, 1s. [See "A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Hands of Garrick and Colman," PMLA, June 1939.] Receipts: #98 7s. (MacMillan)