Event Comment: [Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, 10,239).] Afterpiece: Written by the Author of The Son-in-Law [John O'Keeffe]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s.] The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. On 24 May Colman inserted the following in Public Advertiser: The Theatre Royal in the Haymarket will open next Saturday. In order to avoid unnecessary' Repetitions during the Season, the Public are desired, once for all, to take Notice that every Performance at this Theatre will be exhibited to most brilliant, crouded and OVERFLOWING audiences; and received with loud and universal Bursts of most UNBOUNDED and UNCOMMON Applause

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by John O'Keeffe, based on Le Rival Suppose, by Germain Francois Poulain de Saint-Foix. It was written in honor of the 21st birthday, 12 Aug., of the Prince of Wales. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, m, 248)]: The Overture by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 2 Oct. 1783: This Day is published The Birth Day (1s.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Charles Stuart and John O'Keene. Text 1st published, unauthorized, Dublin: For the Booksellers [1783]. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (O'Keeffe, I, 140)]: With a new Overture by Dr Arnold. With Italian, French, Irish, Scotch, Welsh and English

Event Comment: Benefit for Edwin. Public Advertiser, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Edwin, No. 19, Piazza, Covent Garden. Mainpiece: Written by Ben Jonson, and altered by George Colman, Esq. Receipts: #349 15s. 6d. (250/15/6; tickets: 99/0/0) (charge: #105)

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 Palmer. Mainpiece [1st time; C 3, by William Hayley. Text in his Plays . . . for a Private Theatre (T. Cadell, 1784). Prologue by George Colman, the elder. Epilogue by Edward Topham (Gazetteer, 13 Sept., which also gives the names of the speakers). The parts are assigned (see 18 Aug.)]: A new Comedy, in Rhyme

Event Comment: Turk, and No Turk [announced on playbill of 3 Sept.] is oblig'd to be deferr'd on Account of Miss George's Indisposition

Event Comment: Benefit for Palmer. Mainpiece [1st time; C 3, by George Colman, the elder, altered from The Mutual Deception, by Joseph Atkinson, which was based on Le Jeu de l'Amour et du Hasard, by Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux, and 1st acted at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 2 Mar. 1785. Prologue by the author (.European Magazine, Sept. 1786, p. 166). Author of Epilogue unknown]. Afterpiece: Never acted at this Theatre. [Prologue and Epilogue by David Garrick.] "This play, originally French, was translated by an Officer (the plot of which may be found in The Man's the Master, as well as in many other English plays and farces) who, with some few additions, changed it into five acts, and called it The Mutual Deception (which is now in print), but was represented in Ireland with little or no success. This Comedy, however, has undergone many very masterly alterations, and received many additions by the able hand of the attentive Manager of this Theatre" (Public Advertiser, 30 Aug.). Public Advertiser, 6 May 1788: To be published May 7, Tit for Tat (1s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Edwin. Mainpiece: By Permission of George Colman, Esq. [the holder of the copyright]. Public Advertiser, 24 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Edwin, No. 19, Piazza, Covent-garden. Receipts: #386 7s., as follows: money taken at the doors was #256.0.6, on which he paid charge of #100.11.6, leaving a balance due him of #155.9.0, which he was paid on 7 Apr.; after money, #4.8.6, was retained by the theatre; he sold 411 box tickets, 83 pit tickets, 107 gallery tickets for #125.18.0, free of charge; his total profit therefore was #281.7.0

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Goodwin. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Tickets delivered for Yesterday the 28th will be admitted. [The Satiric print, The Prince's Bow, had 1st appeared on 17 Mar. 1788; it was not by Bunbury, but by Frederick George Byron (Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires...in the British Museum, 1938, VI, 557).

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 3, by George Colman, ynger. Prologue by the Hon. Francis North. Epilogue by the author (see text)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 2 Sept. 1788: This Day is published Ways and Means (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time; F 2, author unknown, based on Der Postzug; oder, Die nobeln Passionen, by Cornelius Hermann von Ayrenhoff. Larpent MS 834; not published. Prologue by George Colman elder (Public Advertiser, 19 June)]

Event Comment: [1st piece in place of Summer Amusement, advertised on playbill of 10 July.] 3rd piece [1st time; F 2, ascribed by Town and Country Magazine, July 1789, p. 327, to George Colman ynger. Prologue by the author (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 19 Aug. 1789: This Day is published The Family Party (1s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Jones. Tickets to be had of Jones at the White Horse, Parson's Green; at the King's Arms, Fulham; Ship, Fulham; and the George, Walham Green. Afterpiece: It is hoped that the greatest Attention will be paid, as it is impossible for the Company to cogitate throughtout the Cogibundity of Cogitations, unless the most profound Profundity of Thought is observed. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. Good Fires in the Pit

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by George Colman, ynger]: The new Musick (with a Martial Overture) by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. The Characters will be dressed [playbill of 6 Aug.: The Dresses by Whitfield] in the Habits of the Times. Books of the Songs [T. Cadell, 1791] to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister Jun. [Afterpiece: Prologue by George Colman, elder.] Public Advertiser, 29 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Bannister Jun., No. 2, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #240 (Gazetteer, 5 Sept.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dignum. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2]: Written by George Saville Carey. Morning Herald, 15 May: Tickets to be had of Dignum, No. 23, North-street, Red Lion-square. Receipts: #525 15s. (67.15; 22.19; 5.10; tickets: 429.11) (charge: #173 6s. 10d.)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; MD 3, by George Colman, ynger]: The Overture, Choruses, and new Musick by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. The Dresses entirely new. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Salary List (Enthoven Collection): Paid Colman for Mountaineers #290 10s. Morning Chronicle, 26 Feb. 1795: This Day is published The Mountaineers (2s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; HIST. D 5, by George Watson. Prologue and Address by the author (European Magazine, Apr. 1795, pp. 267, 268)]: With new Dresses and Decorations. Morning Chronicle, 11 May 1795: This Day is published England Preserved (2s.). Receipts: #209 0s. 6d. (199.13.0; 9.7.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Fawcett. 1st piece: Never [previously] acted here (by Permission of George Colman, Esq., for that night only). 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1]. Morning Chronicle, 30 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Fawcett at his house, No. 9, Tottenham-court-road. Receipts: #447 14s. (158.4.6; 10.10.0; tickets: 278.19.6)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; PREL 1, by George Colman, ynger. In 1796 the 1st scene was acted as Sylvester Daggerwood]. Morning Chronicle, 3 July 1795: This Day is published New Hay at the Old Market (1s.). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be had of Rice at the Theatre

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by George Colman, ynger]: The Scenery and Dresses are entirely new. The Musick composed by Storace.The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood and Capon [the Gothic library was painted by Capon (Oracle, 21 Mar. 1796)]. The Dresses by Johnston, Gay and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. [When Colman published his play he prefaced it with an acrimonious attack on Kemble, in which he accused him of deliberately trying to make the play a failure. But almost without exception the contemporary reviews excused Kemble's performance on the grounds of his obvious indisposition, and agreed that the play itself was unsatisfactory. "The play failed, and we are sorry to say did not merit to succeed...Kemble, who was tormented With an incessant cough, said he could not but be sensible that much of the displeasure of the house proceeded from his deficiency in a principal character...The whole audience with one voice cried out, 'No, no, Kemble-it is not your fault'" (Oracle, 14 Mar.). "The dialogue is extremely heavy, and there is little or no incident to relieve the tedium of more than four hours representation...Sir Edward Mortimer is a being distracted, with no adequate cause; a prey to remorse, which he of all men was the last to feel from the principles that make up his being. This therefore is the radical moral defect of the piece. But there is another which, though not equally strong, is equally fatal: there is no progression of interest, there is no involution of plot, there is no development of character" (Star, 14 Mar.). Other notices of the opening night were much in the same vein. Subsequently Colman revised the play, and it held the stage for many years. "The curtailments which have been made shorten the representation near an hour and a half, and the alterations are many and judicious" (Morning Herald, 21 Mar. 1796). Morning Herald, 23 July 1796: This Day is published The Iron Chest (2s.). Receipts: #471 9s. (468.13; 2.16)

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time; MF 2, by George Brewer]: The Musick by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Herald; 6 July 1796: This Day is published Bannian Day (1s.). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be had of Rice, at the Theatre. [On this evening the following performers appeared both at dl and at the hay: Suett, Caulfield, Trueman, R. Palmer, Burton, Miss Leak, Miss Heard

Event Comment: Benefit for Portal, Gibson, Percey, George, Bowley, Stevenson, Hicks, J. Shade [box-keepers]. Receipts: #523 2s. (22.9; 23.15; 8.8; tickets: 457.7; odd money: 11.3) (charge: #211 16s. 11d.)

Event Comment: 3rd piece: Taken from New Hay at the Old Market [by George Colman, ynger; i.e. its 1st scene, with alterations]. "Caulfield's imitations of Aickin, Suett, King and Dignum are exact even to astonishment -of the rest we do not think much" (Monthly Mirror, July 1796, p. 185)