Event Comment: "Had Mr Bannister, sen (whose merit as a singer is pre-eminent) never played any other character than that of Caliban, he would, by so capital, so unique, so unparalleled a performance, have deserved to be ranked with the foremost" (Jonson, ed. Waldron, 178). Receipts: #182 15s. (145.11; 36.2; 1.2)

Event Comment: Benefit for Vestris Sen. Opera: In 2 acts; the music by Rauzzini. With new scenes painted by Novosielski. New Dresses and Decorations for both the Opera and Dances. Tickets to be had of Vestris, No. 5, Leicester Street, Leicester Fields. Public Advertiser, 7 Apr.: By desire of the Frequenters of the Opera House books of the ballet of Medee et Jason are sold at the Theatre

Event Comment: Opera [1st time; Past 3, author unknown]. The music [to Part I] composed by Giovanni Battista? Bianchi, [to Part II by] Rauzzini, [to Part III by] Giordani. With Grand Chorusses. With new Decorations devised and painted by Novosielski, and new Dresses. The Side-boards, with a cold Collation and all sorts of Wines, at 12 o'clock. The Performance under the direction of Vestris Sen., and to conclude with a Ball. Tickets, at 2 Guineas each, are ready to be delivered at the Office in Union-court, where Boxes may be taken. No Masks will be admitted. The Doors will be opened at 9:00, and the Performance to begin at 10:00. Books of the Performance will be given out (gratis) at the Theatre. Morning Herald, 7 June: The Omaggio, or homage paid by the vassals and tenants to their Lord, is naturally calculated to give free scope to lively, and sentimental music. In the former stile Bianchi and Giardini [sic] were equally succesful; and in the latter Rauzzini was surprisingly great, both as composer and performer...Slingsby would, in our opinion, have come out with as great a share of applause as the best of them, having to go through an English dance in his own stile, but by some unaccountable accident...the music-band stopped short when he was in the very climax of his exertions. The scenes are in the rural stile, with the addition of natural trees, flowering shrubs, &c., set in the neatest order...The company did not begin to move till about four, and by five the rooms were cleared. Public Advertiser, 7 June: The Vestris' gave incontrovertible proof of the variety of their powers...They did more, they shewed what this country had never seen-the possibility of presenting to the eye a large and extensive stage filled with dancers all in motion at the same time

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Morning Chronicle, 8 May: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Charing-cross. Receipts: #518 19s. 6d. (146.11.0; 54.13.6; 19.16.0; tickets: 297.19.0) (charge: #221 6s. 8d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. Public Advertiser, 24 July: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 6, Great Russel-street, Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece: Never Acted Here. 2nd piece: Written by G. Colman Esq., with Alterations [from his Occasional Prelude]. 3rd piece: Not acted these 10 years [not acted since 17 May 1763]. Receipts: #207 18s. 6d. (89.5.0; 29.19.0; 1.13.6; tickets: 87.1.0) (charge: #106 13s. 8d.)

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by George Colman elder; also ascribed to George Keate. Larpent MS 565; not published]: In Three Scenes of Dialogue. 2nd piece: The Music compiled by Dr Pepusch. 3rd piece [1st time; B. BALL I (see king's, 29 Mar.)]: Ballet Tragi-Comique by Signior Novestris [i.e. George Colman, the elder]. The Music by Signior Gluck. With New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Machinist and Painter-Signior Rookereschi. Tailor-Signior Walkerino. Morning Chronicle, 9 Aug.: Bannister with great good sense played chastely, and suffered the burlesque to arise out of his serious performance of Polly, not attempting to render the character ridiculous by making it more outre than it was rendered by his voice and figure

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. [Kean's 1st appearance was at this theatre, 22 Mar.] 2nd piece: The Music compiled by Dr Pepusch. 4th piece: A Ballet Tragi-Comique, composed by Signor Novestris [i.e. George Colman, the elder]. Gazetteer, 23 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Charing-cross

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. 1st piece: In I act. Public Advertiser, 11 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. [Mrs Wells had 1st acted Macheath at the hay, 14 Sept. 1781; Bannister had acted Polly at the same theatre, 16 Sept. 1785.] Gazetteer, 3 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Haymarket. "There is now a most vehement rage of innovation in language, government, religion, and everything else...On the British stage, with infinite applause, young and beautiful actresses perform sometimes the Parts of highwaymen; and some singing actors squall in an affected voice resembling, and intended to imitate, that of women; the most humourous dramatic pieces are frittered away into songs; and I should not be surprised to hear that henceforth Miranda and Juliet are to be personated by grim-visaged grenadiers seven feet high, and Falstaff by a slender miss just entered her teens" (Universal Magazine, Mar. 1795, p. 171). Receipts: #285 14s. (162.4.6; 5.9.6; tickets: 118.0.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. 4th piece: Not acted these 7 years [acted 29 Mar. 1792]. Morning Herald, 12 May: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Charing-Cross. Receipts: #259 6s. (60.16.0; 51.17.6; 4.6.0; tickets: 142.6.6) (charge: #211 7s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. [Parys is identified in Morning Post, 29 Apr.]. Oracle, 7 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Suffolk-street, Charing-cross. Receipts: #353 19s. 6d. (194.10.6; 6.4.0; tickets: 153.5.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. The great Overflow from Covent-Garden Theatre, on Tuesday last, has induced many of Mr Bannister's Friends to desire he would again perform the Part of Polly. In Compliance with the Wish of those to whom he is under so many Obligations, he will, this Evening, make his Appearance in that Character, for the last Time of his appearing in Petticoats [but see 3, 13 May]. Tickets delivered for Alexander and Acis and Galatea will be admitted. Receipts: #276 10s. 6d. (167/11/6; tickets: 108/19/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. Public Advertiser, 13 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Bannister, No. 7, Great Suffolk-street, Haymarket. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by ---- Cranke. MS not in Larpent; not published]. Receipts: #276 5s. 6d. (101/18/0; 15/2/0; 1/2/6; tickets: 158/3/0) (charge: #67 13s. 5d.)

Event Comment: Queen Mab is reviv'd with Alterations and Additions particularly Grand New Scene with a Representation of a Regatta very well executed but is too much like The Naval Review (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Hopkins differs slightly. He also adds from the Public Advertiser, 13 Nov., The last grand scene is a Representation of the whole Regatta sailing by Ranelagh. That and the Red House were invented and drawn by Mr deLoutherberg, and painted by Messrs French, deRoy, Greenwood, and others."] Rec'd stopages #11 12s. 6d. Paid Salary list #626 16s. 6d. Receipts: #152 12s. (Treasurer's Book). [Fuller descriptions of the Regatta scene appeared in the Westminster Magazine for Nov.: The Scene affords a picturesque view of the Thames on the Surry Side to Ranelagh Gardens representing the procession of barges etc., of the different squadrons, previous to their landing the company. The effect produced by this united scenery and machinery was very pleasing; every barge appeared to be rowed to the time of the band of music which is supposed to be upon the water, and evepy man and oar keeps a regular stroke: the sky, flat behind, was finely designed and executed for the general relief, and disposition of the men and boats near shore, in the foreground, was beautiful and did the painter great credit. The whole concluded with a Tar 's song in character, by Mr Bannister, and a dance by sailors and their doxies.'

Event Comment: marly Benefit for Bannister. A new Burletta (music-Piccini, Arne, Arnold, Burney, Dibdin, &c.) in which will be introduced a variety of imitations by Mr Bannister

Event Comment: The Duke's Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but a copy in the British Museum (161 d 20) has a MS date, 27 Jan. 1681@2, and the play was advertised in True Protestant Mercury, 4-8 Feb. 1681@2; hence it was probably first presented in early January, perhaps late in 1681