Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Tragedy never performed there. Mrs Yates first appearance this stage in 8 years. This Play is from the Orestes of Voltaire Mrs Yates who has been at Covent Garden these 8 years is now return'd & chose to make her first appearance in the part of Electra. Mr Garrick wrote an Excellent Prologue & Epilogue for the Occasion both of which were greatly receiv'd With great Applause. The Play is very dull & heavy & Mrs Yates wanted Spirit greatly in the part of Electra had but little Applause (Hopkins Diary). Paid salary list 5 days at #91 8s. 10d. #457 4s. 2d.; Mr French on acct #5 5s. (Treasurer's Book). [From Westminster Magazine, Oct. (of the mainpiece): From its want of business, it is a very heavy, tedious performance. Most of the scenes are mere declamations; and a certain air of coldness and apathy, which is the peculiar characteristic of French drama, runs thro the whole, which must ever render it unpleasing as well as uninteresting to an English Audience." Gave a severe comment on the Prologue with its theme "home is home be it ever so homely." Preferred the Epilogue. The perspective scenery of Argosv, the Palace of Aegisthusv, and the Tomb of Agamemnonv, designed by Loutherbourg, and painted by Messrs French and Roy, were warm and spirited, and the dresses elegant and characteristic."] Receipts: #243 17s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mr G. never play'd Kitely better (Hopkins Diary). Paid Mr Hatsell (mercer) #59 16s.; Cropley (linen draper) #92 2s.; Cole (turner) #56 11s.; Hopkins & Co. (ironmongers) #49 8s.; Stacy (colourman) #10 8s. Middleton (colorman) #11 8s.; Scott (copper laceman) #41 7s. 6d.; Ireland (upholsterer) #30 1s.; Carter (scowerer) #11 6s. 6d.; Cubitt (tinman) #15 8s. Receipts: #251 4s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Tragedy [by John Hoole] never perform'd. [The author in his Advertisement to the 1775 Edition express "singular obligations to Mrs Hartley, who most readily undertook the part of Cleonice, which she has continued to support, with unremitted assiduity and friendly alacrity, amidst the repeated attacks of severe indisposition." Reviewed, but without praise in the Westminster Magazine, March.

Event Comment: Mrs Yates would not play for Mr Slingsby altho' her name has been advertis'd from the beginning--Mrs Hartly of Covent Garden was ask'd to do the part, She refus'd it as it was to be done there for a Benefit the week after at Last Mr Reddish said Mrs Canning Should do it, & Such a performance I think was never Seen in Drury Lane Theatre very bad indeed many hisses (Hopkins Diary). Benefit for Slingsby. [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly in wording.] Paid 1 yrs. Subscription to St George's Hospital to Lady Day 1776, #10 10s. Receipts: #270 10s. Charges: #68 8s. Profits to Slingsby: #202 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Palmer. The Entertainment, a New Poetical Interlude (never perform'd there) Alter'd from Prior's Nut Brown Maid, by Mr Bates, With a New Air and Chorus. Music by Dr Arne. Receipts: #203 12s. Charges: #68 2s. 6d. Profits to Palmer: #13 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Smith, Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. [The change in benefit piece from Cymbeline and the Wish remains unexplained. (See 22 and 27 April.) Larpent MS 387 is the Wish, scene a Sultan's Gardenv. Parts: Ammath; Nourjahad; Mandana; Zelia and Sanbeg. It seems never to have been performed.] Paid licenses for Bob Ton & Inflexible Captive, & Book #4 5s. 6d. Receipts: #119 1s. Charges: #67 12s. Profits to Mrs Smith: #51 9s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Mr G.-never play'd better, and when he was in the Woman's Cloaths he had a head drest with Feathers, Fruit etc. as extravagant as possible to Burlesque the present Mode of Dressing-it had a Monstrous Effect (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly in wording.] Paid Mr Fredrick his bill for sattin #40 10s.; a Tow Bill 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [This monthly bill for Tow amounted to #4 10s. for the season and will not be further mentioned.] Receipts: #217 19s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Tomorrow, A New Comic Opera, never perform'd, call'd The Duenna, or The Double Elopement, with New Dances, Dresses, and Scenery

Event Comment: Mr G. never better (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble: Mr Garrick prodigiously fine.'] Receipts: #286 14s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Pantomime Entertainment, never performed. With New Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Machinery. The Overture composed by Fisher. The scenes painted by Messrs Dahl and Richards. Nothing under FULL PRICE will be taken. The Words of the songs to be given at the Doors. [This information included in all subsequent bills for the pantomime this season, until 25 March when the half-price practice is announced. Full account of the content of the afterpiece is given in The Westminster Magazine for Dec. The reviewer was delighted with the adherence to the classical myth in the first and last scenes, and with the variety of action and excellence of the machinery and painting in the interventing comic portion.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy [by Hugh Kelly, not printed] never performed. [It was performed but once. The Biographia Dramatica suggests failure was partly due to Woodward's misconception of the main character. The Westminster Magazine for Feb. damns the play, for developing two confusing and parallel plots, for the acting, and for the language.

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Tickets to be had and places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Fosbrooke at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at Half a guinea each. Pit 5s. First Gallery 3s. 6d. Second Gallery 2s. Doors to be opened at Half past Five. To begin at Half past Six. N.B. Those ladies who have had boxes for the Oratorios and who intend continuing them are humbly requested to give notice to Mr Fosbrooke at the Stage Door. Rec'd Stoppages #1 1s. (Treasurer's Book). [The Westminster Magazine, Feb., p. 75, contained an article on the "Origin of Oratorios," followed by one on the Musical Powers of Handel, particularly relating to his Oratorios. The Morning Chronicle for 24 Feb. commented as follows on Miss Linley's performance in Acis and Galatea: "Miss Linley...gave every delight that the ear, the heart, or understanding could receive from Music...Miss Linley's manner of delivering Recitative is peculiarly distinct and sensible; a circumstance of infinite importance in a performance of this nature. Her voice is clear and melodious, and capable of truest expression as was peculiarly evident in the song of 'Must I my Acis still bemoan?'...Their Majesties' presence and apparent satisfaction lead us to hope that the Royal countenance and encouragement will never again be withdrawn to grace the innovations of foreigners on the only musical ground which is left for English genius to take root and flourish"( (Quoted in Hampden, Journal).]

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Masque [by Capt. Edward Thompson] never perform'd. With New Music, Dresses, Scenery, and Decorations. The Music composed by Fisher. The Scenes painted by Dall and Carver. Books of the songs to be had at the Theatre. [The Westminster Magazine for March also lists Boreas -Reinhold; Carlos -DuBellamy; Traverse -Mahon; Druid -L'Estrange, and tells the story of the play. The reviewer did not approve of the piece, since for him it lacked unbounded fire of fancy, originality of idea, language, and character. He approved of Fisher's music.

Event Comment: Benefit for Woodward. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Afterpiece : A New Farce [by Joseph Reed] from a Story in Gil Blas, never perform'd (Larpent MS 409). Tickets deliver'd for the Double Gallant will be taken. [The Westminster Magazine for March lists Alguazil-Thompson; Alphonso-Lewis; Inis-$Mrs Willems, tells the story for the play, and concludes: "The story is professedly taken from Gil Blas, and although we cannot pay the Dramatist any great compliment either on his diction, the management of his fable, the sublimity of his allusions, or in a word, on the excellence of his tout ensemble; it would be unjust were we not to say, that the farce provok'd most hearty peals of laughter; it may therefore serve as well as any other such Bartholomew-fair-like droll for a heel-piece to the performance on a benefit night."

Event Comment: A Sacred Oratorio, never performed. The Music entirely new, composed by Hook. [The reviewer for the Westminster Magazine for March thought the Ascension would make but a poor figure at the Day of Judgement. [Hook] has, like many other votaries of Clio and Calliope, mistaken dullness for dignity...if there were no other objection to the Ascension than its extreme length and tediousness, that circumstance alone would prevent it from ranking among the pleasing Oratorios now in performance."

Event Comment: Oratorio (composed by Dr Arnold) never performed there

Event Comment: House (Hopkins Diary). The new Comedy of The Runaway is unavoidably oblig'd to be deferred till Saturday. Rec'd Mr Stanley's Oratorio Account, 11 nights, #327 5s. Paid Lawrence (paper hanger) #13 7s.; Renters (for 11 Oratorio nights) #88; Cubit (tinman) #7 14s. 6d.; Gardner (shoemaker) #25; Chettle (timber merchant) #22 14s. 6d.; Mist andCo. (brazier) #10 8s.; Thomson (smith) #5 16s. 6d. Barrow andCo. (oil) #106 5s.; Tallow Chandler's 8th Bill #26 12s.; Palmer's Bill of Bath for Spermacetti Candles #162 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [MacMillan quotes from Kemble's note on the playbill, a Garrick interpolation in Drugger 's last speech (IV, vii): "Abel: Did you never see me play the Fool? Face: Yes. Abel: But the wise ones say I have played the Fool long enough; So I am going to leave it off and grow melancholy." [This note does not appear in the Hopkins Diary in the Folger Library.] Receipts: #265 17s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Afrerpiece: Never performed there, a Musical Entertainment, which went off with great Applause the New Scene of the Regatta was properly introduc'd in the Farce (Hopkins Diary). Rec'd Stopages #10 4s. 6d.; Mr Burges one quarter's rent (land tax deducted) #4 4s.; Paid Mr Grist by order of Mr Garrick #10; Mr Johnston's Music bill #14 3s. 6d.; Mr Burges (bricklayer) #52 2s. 6d. Receipts: #82 3s. 6d. Charges: #66 18s. Profits to Bannister: #15 5s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock. Afterpiece: Never performed there

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jackson. Mainpiece [a tragedy by John Jackson]: Never perform'd there. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Abington. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Garrick's last time of performing Archer . Pit and Boxes will be laid together. Ladies and Gentlemen most earnestly requested to come early (playbill). Mrs Abington having wrote to Mr Garrick that she intended to quit the Stage at the End of the Season never to return to it again, he very kindly play'd for her Benefit (Hopkins Diary). Tickets deliver'd for Much Ado will be taken. Attempted to get into Drury Lane Theatre to see Mr Garrick in the character of Archer, but the crowd was so great that after suffering thumps, squeezes and almost suffocation for two hours, I was oblig'd to retire without effecting it (Hampden, Journal). Receipts: #129 19s. 6d. Charges: #65 7s. 6d. Profits to Mrs Abington: #64 12s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The Prologue to the Capuchin, written by George Colman, Esq printed this day in the Public Advertiser: @"Critics, whatsoe'er I write, in every scene,@Discover meanings that I never mean, etc."

Event Comment: The Provoked Husband and Rival Candidates was given out for Tuesday. On Sunday Morning Mrs Yates sent word she was ill and could not play--sent to Miss Younge, and she sent word that she was ill in bed--King sent word he had a sore Throat, and could not play--so that we could do no Play but the Committee and Rival Candidates. On Monday the Managers met, but nothing was settled. At twelve o'clock Mrs Baddeley sent word she had a sore Throat, and could not play in the Riv[al] Can[didates] (Hopkins Diary). The Hypocrite and The Christmas Tale are obliged to be deferred. "[Smith] has a good figure, is gentlemanlike, and decent in everything he undertakes. When we allow that, we have said all; he wants both feeling to be affected, and powers to convey his feelings, if he had them. In fine, in spite of all the partiality of his friends, or the ignorant prejudices of those who never judge but at second hand, his performance of Richard was little more than a strong union of judgement and industry, unaided by nature. He should woo genteel Comedy oftener; and not that coy sister of hers, who certainly holds Smith at the point of her lance" (London Magazine, Oct. 1776, p. 511). Receipts: #186 18s. 6d

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never perform'd there. With New Dresses and Decorations. Receipts: #153 14s. 6d. (151.12.6; 2.2.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by George Edward Ayscough, based on Semiramis, by Voltaire. Prologue by the author. Epilogue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (see text)]: With New Scenes and Dresses. This Tragedy is a translation from Voltaire by Captain Ayscough. Mrs Yates played finely, and met with the Applause she deserved. Mrs Reddish, alias Mrs Canning, who played the part of Azema, was hissed all through, and must never perform again. Indeed she was very bad. The Play was greatly applauded (Hopkins Diary). Public Advertiser, 24 Dec. 1776: This Day is published Semiramis (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #226 3s. 6d. (224.16.6; 0.0.0; 1.7.0)