Event Comment: Benefit R. Williams. Mainpiece: Not Acted these Twenty Years. On this day the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen of the City presented a petition to the King seeking the suppression of the theatre in Goodman's Fields. Thomas Odell, Master of the Theatre, also appeared before His Majesty and sought royal leave to continue acting.--See Grub St. Journal, 7 May, for a summary of the events, but see also Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer and London Journal, 2 May

Event Comment: The playbill concludes with the following note: The frequenters of the Royalty Theatre, from the west end of the town, are hereby informed that there is an excellent access for carriages, from Whitechapel, through Red-Lion Street. [Future performances at this theatre will not be recorded.

Event Comment: Tickets to be had, and Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook, at the Stage Door of the Theatre. Books of the Performance to be had at the Theatre. Boxes 10s. 6d. Pit 5s. 1st Gallery 3s. 6d. 2nd Gallery 2s. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Warrell and Darley. 1st piece: Not acted these 10 years [never previously acted at this theatre. Warrell was from the Bath theatre]. Receipts: #216 12s. (76.18; 4.15; tickets: 134.19)

Event Comment: Other Decorations entirely new. A new Comic Opera [by Ciampi]. The New Comic Opera, entitled Le Tre Cicisbei Ridicoli, was perform'd last Tuesday at the King's Theatre in the Hay Market; though large Bills were stuck up in various Parts of the Town and Hand Bills dispers'd insinuating the Contrary (General Advertiser, 18 March)

Event Comment: The Dances, Music, Dresses, Scenes and other Decorations entirely new. The House to be illuminated with Wax candles, and particular care taken to keep it cool. The Performance by Particular Desire. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. To begin at 7:00 p.m. Places for Boxes will be taken at the Theatre. [Prices, places, and opening time repeated.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comic Opera [by R. B. Sheridan] never perform'd. The Music partly New and partly selected from the most eminent composers. With a New Overture, Scenes, Dresses, and Other Decorations. Books of the songs in the Opera to be had at the Theatre. [This note repeated on subsequent bills.] Afterpiece: Not acted these 10 years. [See 19 May 1767.] [Reviewed in the Westminster Magazine for Nov. which commented on the witty dialogue and effectiveness of the music. It was "puffed" gently in the Public Advertiser 22 Nov.: "Receiv'd with every mark of approbation that could be given. It will be repeated tomorrow evening with the Farce of the Apprentice."

Event Comment: By Authority of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Stewart and M'Donald. Mainpiece: With new Dresses and Decorations. Afterpiece: With several new additions and two new characters. [Authors of Prologues unknown.] The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:00. No Person whatever to be admitted behind the Scenes, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. Books of the Farce to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Prelude [1st time;PREL I, probably by Richard Cumberland. Larpent MS 472; not published]. Mainpiece [1st time; M 3, by Richard Cumberland, based on Calypso and Telemachus, by John Hughes]: The Overture and all the Music entirely new, and composed by Butler. With new Scenery painted by Richards and Carver, and new Dresses. Books of the Masque to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 27 Mar. 1779: This Day is published Calypso (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Books of the new Dance to be had at the Theatre. "Nothing could equal the manner in which the whole was conducted: the wrestling, the gladiators; the defeat of the Sabines; the besieging of Rome by the latter; their reconciliation with the Romans, &c." (Morning Herald, 13 Dec)

Event Comment: Books of the new Dance to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Theodore D'Auberval. Tickets to be had of Mme Theodore D'Auberval, No. 52, Poland-street, Oxford-road. 2nd ballet: With new Decorations painted by Munich [recte Moench], late painter to the Theatre in the Haymarket, and new Machinery by Bernard. The Dresses entirely new, invented and executed by Lupino

Event Comment: The Company will be apprised at the doors as soon as the audience part of the Theatre is full. "When the curtain drew up for the new ballet, ladies [were] at the wings sitting...[and] several hundred gentlemen occupied the back of the stage, so that the beautiful scenery which had been prepared for the ballet lost all its effect" (Oracle, 22 Feb., which also states that the part of Roxalana was danced by Mme Hilligsberg). [Didelot and 1st appeared at the former king's theatre on 8 Dec. 1787.

Event Comment: Benefit for a Gentlewoman, who hath a large Family in great Distress, being kept out of a good Fortune (Cross). Tickets to be had at Mrs Brown's, Milliner, in Martin's-Church-Yard; Mr Leeson, Haberdasher, near the New Church in the Strand; Mrs Kelly's, the Rainbow Coffee House, Ludgate Hill; Mr Walker's, an Oilman in Catherine St., and of Varney at the Stage Door (playbill). Receipts: #30 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for King. Tickets to be had of Mr King, at his lodgings in Broad Court, Bow Street; and of Mr Varney, at the Stage Door. The New Hippocrates, wrote by Dr Hiffernan--wretched, but went off quietly (Hopkins MS Notes)

Event Comment: Benefit for Weston and Miss Ogilvie. By Authority. Being the Last Night. [Many advance bills noted the continuous deferment of this on account of Weston's bad state of health.] Mr Weston's late and precarious State of Health making it extremely doubtful whether he could go through so long and laborious part as Richard, he humbly recommends to the Public Mr Gentleman's friendly intention of undertaking the Character for that Night, and will for the Capital Entertainment of his Friends, speak a new Occasional Prologue, and appear in the Farce, that the strength he has gained for some Days past may not be impaired by Fatigue

Event Comment: Lyric Ode (never performed) "On the Witches, Fairies, and Aerial Beings in Shakespeare. The Music entirely New." [The Westminster Magazine for March commented: "This poem is said to be written by a young gentleman of Oxford, and has many strokes of genius and inagination in it. The music, we hear, is composed by Mr Linley Jr, who has (since his return from Italy) been a student under that most excellent musician Dr Boyce. This composition must be allowed to be an extraordinary effort of genius in so young a man. The Fugue of the overture is masterly. The song of 'There in old Arden's inmost shade,' is well suited to the scene described by the poet....But what we think most deserving of praise is the power our young composer has shown in the chorusses....From the general and sincere applause with which the Ode was received, we may venture to pronounce, that if Mr Linley Jr pursues his studies, he will one day stand foremost in the list of modern composers."

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Duke, and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, and Louisa. Daily Advertiser: This evening their Royal Highnesses...will go to the theatre...to see the Comedy of the Committee, or the Faithful Irishman, and Dancing by Signior Brunoro, &c, being the first time of his appearing at that theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Leveridge. Tickets to be had at his lodgings in Hanover Street, the third door on the right hand from Long Acre, and of Page at the stage door of the theatre. The Man in the Moon, about nine at night Will wait you all home, with his fullness of light