Event Comment: "I have been for two days in town, and seen Mrs Siddons . . . She is a good figure, handsome enough, though neither nose nor chin according to the Greek standard, beyond which both advance a good deal. Her hair is either red, or she has no objection to its being thought so, and had used red powder. Her voice is clear and good; but I thought she did not vary its modulations enough, nor ever approach enough to the familiar--but this may come when more habituated to the awe of the audience of the capital. Her action is proper, but with little variety; when without motion, her arms are not genteel ... I treated my eyes, not only with Mrs Siddons but a harlequin farce. But there again my ancient prejudices operated: how unlike the pantomimes of Rich, which were full of wit, and coherent, and carried on a story! What I now saw was Robinson Crusoe: how Aristotle and Bossu, had they ever written on pantomimes, would swear! It was a heap of contradictions and violations of the costume. Friday is turned into Harlequin, and falls down at an old man's feet that I took for Pantaloon, but they told me it was Friday's father. I said, 'Then it must be Thursday'" (Walpole [3 Nov. 1782], XII, 356-57, 359). Receipts: #241 6s. (222/4/0; 18/15/6; 0/6/6)

Event Comment: [For afterpiece see also 20 Sept.] The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 3 May 1783]. Receipts: #246 8s. (213/19/0; 31/9/6; 0/19/6)

Event Comment: "Among other Obligations that the Town has to the new Open is that it has, for this year, delivered the Play-goer from his periodical Endurance of Rowe's Tamerlane" (Public Advertiser, 6 Nov.). The reference is to the long established custom of performing Tamerlane either on 4 Nov. (the date of William III's birth) or 5 Nov. (the date of his landing in England). In the play the virtuous Tamerlane was held to be the portrait of an upright monarch, and the vicious Bajazet [i.e. Louis xiv] as that monarch's enemy. At DL Tamerlane was acted on either or both of these nights uninterruptedly from 1716 to 1777; at LIF and CG, with the exception of five seasons, from 1721 to 1784. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 1 May 1783]. Receipts: #155 2s. 6d. (153/4/0; 1/18/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Antony to Phillimore. On the Kemble playbill his name is deleted, but no substitute is listed. For Waldron see 30 May 1783.] Receipts: #71 13s. (39/5/0; 32/0/6; 0/7/6)

Event Comment: [Me Rossi was from the Opera, Naples.] "Her very first step proclaimed her a perfect mistress in the art of pantomime. Her dress was a manteau a la reine, lately imported by our travelling milliners. The body, bones and trimming are puce, the sleeves and lower part of the garment a white gawze. Her partner, Lepicq, dressed in the same uniform, discovered such profusion of talents, if we may be allowed the expression, as 'beggar all praise'" (Public Advertiser, 3 Dec)

Event Comment: A Serious Opera in 3 acts, acted but once last Season [on 25 May 1782]; the music by Bertoni

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 5 years [acted 14 May 1779]. Paid Barratt, Wax Chandler, on Acct. #100. Receipts: #126 15s. 6d. (126/6/0; 0/7/0; ticket not come in: 0/2/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by William Hodson, based on The Coffee House Politician, by Henry Fielding. Prologue by the author (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 2 May 1783: This Day is published The Adventures of a Night (ix.). Receipts: #166 7s. (112/9; 52/3; 0/10; tickets not come in: 1/5)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Ward. [Afterpiece in place of Who's the Dupe?, announced on playbill of 1 May.] Receipts: #165 12s. (48/1; 17/7; 0/13; tickets: 99/11) (charge: #110 12s. 7d.)

Event Comment: Public Advertiser, 13 May: The Subscribers to the Operas are respectfully informed that the usual Number of Subscription Nights, viz. 50, exclusive of the Thursdays, were completed on Saturday the 3rd instant

Event Comment: There will be no Play this Evening [The Grecian Daughter, also Belphegor had been announced on playbill of 16 May], on Account of the Indisposition of Mrs Siddons. The Money received for Tickets issued for this Night will be returned at Fosbrook's Office

Event Comment: Benefit for a Fund for the Relief of those who from their Infirmities shall be obliged to retire from the Stage. 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. [Mainpiece in place of Isabella, announced on playbill of 17 May.] Receipts: #292 (146/5/0; 10/12/6; 0/12/6; tickets: 134/10/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Hunter. Tom Thumb [announced on playbill of 19 May] is unavoidably obliged to be changed, on account of Mrs Kennedy's Indisposition. Receipts: #170 17s. 6d. (77/15/6; tickets: 93/2/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: The Mourning Bride [announced on playbill of 21 May] cannot be performed, on account of the Indisposition of Smith. Receipts: #216 11s. (198/0/0; 17/16/0; 0/2/6; tickets not come in: 0/12/6)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered by Darley, Jones, Painter, Besford, Mrs Davenett, Mrs Sharpe, the Widow of the late Dr Arne, and Mrs Dalrymple will be admitted. Tickets delivered for The Maid of the Mill will be taken. [Afterpiece in place of THE Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 27 May.] Receipts: #286 14s. 6d.(93/6/6; 3/1/0; tickets: 190/7/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for T. Ansell, Pilford, Marks & Furkins. Tickets delivered by Clarridge, Doe, Roberts, Walker, Cox, Sarjent, Seymour, Sloper, Abbot, Akrey [Account-Book adds Rolles] will be admitted this Evening. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. [This was Yates's last appearance on the stage in London; he subsequently acted in Edinburgh in March, 1785. Afterpiece in place of The Country Mad-Cap, announced on playbill of 30 May.] Receipts: #255 3s. 6d. (20/5/0; 0/15/6; tickets: 234/3/0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Acted but once [12 May 1783] these 8 years. Receipts: #108 4s. (71/18/0; 34/7/0; 0/11/6; tickets not come in: 1/7/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Hannah Cowley. Authors of Prologue and Epilogue unknown.]. Public Advertiser, 27 May 1784: This Day is published More Ways than One (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #208 15s. (205/14/6; 3/0/6)

Event Comment: Books of the Ballets may be had at the Theatre, price 6d. Public Advertiser, 8 Dec.: As to the Dances, such exquisite perfection was never seen in England before, because there certainly never was before seen such a band of transcendent Dancers simultaneously subsisting on the same Stage . . . They were almost equally admirable. Thus, if Vestris and Theodore were most surprising, Lepicq and Rossi were more touching, Slingsby more exhibiting

Event Comment: Grimaldi being extremely ill, and it being uncertain when he may be able to perform, Wright has undertaken to supply his Character of the Clown, and Hamoir that of the Old Harlequin, and hope the Public will accept them with their usual kind Indulgence. In afterpiece: Repulse of the Spaniards, as 7 Jan. Receipts: #219 16s. (213/17; 5/4; tickets not come in: 0/15)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years [not acted since 12 May 1781. Afterpiece in place of The Positive Man, announced on playbill of 22 Jan.]. Receipts: #301 12s. 6d. 295/17/6; 5/15/0)

Event Comment: Opera: Not performed these 3 years [performed 14 May 1782]. The Music, with Alterations, by Rauzzini