Event Comment: A New Serious Opera [1st time; SER 3, ascribed to Giovanni Gualberto Bottarelli]. The Music entirely new, composed by Sacchini. 2nd dance: The Music entirely new, composed by Charles Stamitz

Event Comment: [This was a puppet show, rewritten by Charles Dibdin from his Comic Mirror; it consisted of 7 different acts, presented in 3 Parts. The audience was both misled into thinking that it was to be performed by actual persons, and made angry because of the "almost unintelligible manner of conveying [the various acts], as the singers were scarcely audible, and the objects very indistinctly visible.' A riot ensued. Lighted candles were thrown on the stage against the curtain, chandeliers broken, benches torn up. The audience was not "satisfied" until Colman the proprietor of the theatre, disclaimed any concern with the entertainment, and Dibdin made an apology. Although announced for repetition on 3 Mar., it was not again performed. (See Dibdin, II, 65; Morning Chronicle, 2 Mar. )]

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Gardner. Afterpiece: From The Devil upon Two Sticks, written by the late Samuel Foote, Esq. [Mrs Mills is identified in Morning Chronicle, 1 Jan. 1783. For remarks on this night's performance, including references to Dunstan by Charles Lamb, see Theatre Notebook, VIII, 5.] Gardner having unavoidably been obliged to postpone his night from the 26th to the 30th, he thinks it his duty to inform his friends that tickets delivered for the 26th will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Brereton. 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. [Afterpiece in place of Too Civil by Half, announced on playbill of 14 Apr.] Public Advertiser, 24 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Brereton, Charles-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #317 19s. (133/13; 12/11; 0/9; tickets: 171/6) (charge: #107 15s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Brereton. Public Advertiser, 26 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Brereton, Charles-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #262 7s. 6d. (129/3/0; 18/13/0; 0/10/6; tickets: 114/1/0) (charge: #106 7s. 10d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bellamy. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. "Mrs Bellamy was too much frightened to speak the address [written by Charles Stuart (European Magazine, May 1785, p. 354)], and Miss Farren spoke it--Mrs Bellamy herself added some few words in prose" (Genest, VI, 342). But Stuart's address was abandoned, and in its place Miss Farren spoke one written by Alexander Bicknell (Gentleman's Magazine, June 1785, pp. 449-50). This occurred at the end of the play; following the address the curtain rose, and Mrs Bellamy "succeeded in muttering a few words, expressive of her gratitude" (Reynolds, I, 282-83). [This was Mrs Yates's last appearance in London. In July of this year she was acting in Birmingham (Morning Chronicle, 18 July). Mrs Bellamy's last appearance on the stage was at CG, 1 June 1780.] Receipts: #306 4s. (188/1/0; 13/3/6; 0/14/6; tickets: 104/5/0) (charge: #113 8s. 10d.)

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera [1st time; COM 2], written by Charles Francis Badini, and set to music by Pasquale Anfossi. "The Author has . . . struck out ideas fit to excite the utmost powers of harmony. We do not think that he has been sufficiently seconded by Signor Anfossi. The music evidently labours under a tedious monotony" (General Advertiser, 22 May)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Taylor. Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years. Public Advertiser, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Taylor, No. 10, Charles-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #173 (50.17; 23.17; 0.10; tickets: 97.16) (charge: #109 11s. 11d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Marchesi. A Serious Opera; the music by Tarchi. Under the direction of Federici. Tickets to be had of Marchesi, No. 14, Charles-street, St. James's-square

Event Comment: [This is the only occasion in the 18th century when a play was acted in London on this date. "The performance at the Haymarket on the 30th of January has been noticed by his Majesty in a manner which is still a topic of conversation in the higher circles...There will be no more theatrical performances on the 30th of January" (London Chronicle, 28 Feb.). On 3 Feb. the Lord Chamberlain wrote to Sheridan as follows: "Sir--Information has been received at this Office that Theatrical Entertainments were exhibited at the Theatre, under your direction, in St. James's Haymarket on the 30th of Last Month, contrary to all precedent, and repugnant to Decency, being the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First. I do not know by what Authority such a Step was taken but, as Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household, think it my Duty to desire that you will be pleased to Cause the Practice to be discontinued in future. I am, Sir, Your Obedient, Humble Servant, Salisbury" (MS Letters to Sheridan from Various Correspondents,II, 64, in Harvard Theatre Collection). The Morning Chronicle on 31 Jan. offered another opinion: "It gave us infinite pleasure that last night we happily broke through one of the most absurd fasts in the calendar. The Managers of Drury Lane, with proper regard to the public, rescued them from the common dullness of a 30th of January." But the absurd fast remained in force until 1843.] Receipts: #339 18s. (291.4; 40.0; 8.11; ticket not come in: 0.3)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Edward Morris, with incidental music by Richard Suett. Prologue by Charles Morris; Epilogue by George Colman, ynger (see text)]: With new Dresses, Decorations, &c. Morning Herald, 23 Apr. 1793: To-morrow will be published False Colours (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #231 9s. (188.2; 38.18; 4.9)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Kemble, but "The Publick are respectfully informed that Kemble having been attacked in the course of Last Night with a violent Pleurisy, which confines him to his Bed, Charles Kemble has undertaken to read the part of Mahmoud, and hopes for your kind Indulgence" (printed slip attached to BM playbill (Harris, Vol. V)). Afterpiece in place of The First Floor advertised on playbill of 3 May.] Receipts: #315 4s. (252.6.6; 60.19.0; 1.9.6; tickets not come in: 0.9.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull and Macready. 1st piece: In Act IV a Martial Procession with the Body of Marcus. 2nd piece [1st time: M. INT 1, author unknown. Larpent MS 1173; not published]: With appropriate Scenery and Dresses. The Music selected from Boyce, Purcell, Reeve and Shield. Morning Herald, 31 May: Tickets to be had of Hull, No. 7, Duke's-court, near Dean's-yard, Westminster; of Macready, No. 22, Charles-street, Tottenham-court-road. Receipts: #314 3s. (112.9.0; 4.14.6; tickets: 196.19.6, of which Hull sold 70.12.6, and Macready 126.7.0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by Thomas John Dibdin; pantomime by Charles Farley]: With new Scenery, Machinery, Tricks, Dresses, and Decorations. The Overture, Airs and Chorusses by Attwood. The Pantomime Music by Attwood, Mountain, and Ealy [recte Eley]. The Scenery by Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Blackmore, Thorne, Wilkins, &c. The Machinery and Tricks by Cresswell, Sloper and Goostree. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #364 (353.12; 10.8)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; D 5, by Elizabeth Inchbald, based on Das Schreibepult; oder, Die Gefahren der Jugend, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. Prologue by Charles Moore (MS annotation by J. P. Kemble in Kemble-Devonshire copy in Huntington Library); Epilogue by John Taylor (see text)]: With New Dresses and Scenes. Morning Chronicle, 17 Dec. 1799: This day is published The Wise Man of the East (price not listed). Receipts: #323 14s. 6d. (321.12.6; 2.2.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Biggs. Morning Chronicle, 12 May: Tickets to be had of Miss Biggs, No. 17, Charles-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #247 2s. 6d. (92.4.6; 62.4.0; 5.4.0; tickets: 87.10.0) (charge: #229 10s. 10d.)