Event Comment: House Mr Baddeley's Night Bought by Managers (Hopkins Diary). Treasurer paid Mr Baddeley in lieu of Benefit #60. Rec'd Baddeley on acct #20. Paid salary list #621 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). On Monday Cymbeline. Before the Play the Musical Prelude call'd The Theatrical Candidates; to which will be added The Rival Candidates. Receipts: #297 6s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jackson. Mainpiece [a tragedy by John Jackson]: Never perform'd there. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Abington. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Garrick's last time of performing Archer . Pit and Boxes will be laid together. Ladies and Gentlemen most earnestly requested to come early (playbill). Mrs Abington having wrote to Mr Garrick that she intended to quit the Stage at the End of the Season never to return to it again, he very kindly play'd for her Benefit (Hopkins Diary). Tickets deliver'd for Much Ado will be taken. Attempted to get into Drury Lane Theatre to see Mr Garrick in the character of Archer, but the crowd was so great that after suffering thumps, squeezes and almost suffocation for two hours, I was oblig'd to retire without effecting it (Hampden, Journal). Receipts: #129 19s. 6d. Charges: #65 7s. 6d. Profits to Mrs Abington: #64 12s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Desire. Benefit for Fawcett, Mr Legg, and Mr Kear. Rec'd Stopages #12 14s.; From Sinking Fund #496. Paid Building and Watch rate for Covent Garden Parish #2 11s. 8d. Receipts: #30 15s. Charges: #67 9s. 6d. Deficit to Fawcett, Legg, and Kear: #36 14s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The People flock'd about the doors by Two o'clock. there never was a greater Overflow-Mr G. was never happier in Lear -the Applause was beyond description 3 or 4 loud Claps Succeeding one another at all his exits and many Cry'd out Garrick for Ever &c., &c. House (Hopkins Diary). [Kemble's note differs slightly.] Paid Mr Short, Chorus Singer #1 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Hannah More wrote to Mrs Gwatkin: The eagerness of the people to see Garrick is beyond anything you can have an idea of. You will see half a dozen duchesses and countesses a night in the upper boxes: for the fear of not seeing him at all, has humbled those who used to go, not for the purpose of seeing but being seen; and they now courtsy to the ground for the worst places in the house" (Hampden, Journal). [Letter to David Garrick, Esq on his appearance in Lear last night 13 May: The correspondent who signs himself Stock Fish and who claims to have been one of the survivors of the Black Hole of Calcutta, and who took a young lady from the country to see Garrick's last performance, blames him for endangering the lives of his majesties subjects for not providing proper bars, lanes, and queue lines to handle the crowds: "I went with intention to get into the Pit as the most eligible Part of the House (for your Boxes are always engag'd) and we got to the Door in Vinegaryard about five o'clock. Here the Passage to the first Door was too full for me to entertain any Hopes of getting in that Way, we therefore made for Catharine-street but the Multitudes of People waiting for the Opening of the Gallery-doors, rendered it impossible for us to get along through the Court; we therefore made a Circuit, and at length arrived opposite the Door in Catharine-street, where it was with Difficulty we could keep our Stands on a Foot Pavement....You will be absolutely inexcusable, if after this Warning you neglect to adopt some Method for the Security of the Lives of his Majesties Subjects on similar Occasions.--What think you of the following Scheme, viz. To keep the outer Doors next the Street shut, till the inner ones are opened ; and then, by a Proper bar, to prevent more than one at a Time entering, who shall there pay Entrance-money, and receive the Tickets of Admission through the inner Doors' (Public Advertiser 18 May).] Receipts: #308 1s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mortimer, Tomlinson, Carlton, Sen, and Mr Walton. Rec'd Stopages #11 13s. 6d. Paid salary list #621 16s. 6d.; Extra trumpet, flute and hautboy #1 7s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book).Tickets deliver'd by Page and Silvester will be taken. Receipts: #4314s. 6d. Charges: #84. Deficit to Mortimer, Tomilson, Carlton senr, and Mr Walton: #40 5s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mrs Abington's First appearance in Clarinda . She was very easy and like the Character. Mr G. as Usual play'd finely (Hopkins Diary). Rec'd of Mr Parker in full of note #30. Receipts: #279 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Ladies send servants by 5 to keep Places and prevent Confusion. Doors will be opened at half after five o'clock. To begin at half after 6 o'clock (playbill). Mr G. Voice and Spirits was never finer he never wanted Spirit or Voice thro' the whole part and Convinced the Audience that those Amazing powers he has always possess'd are now as brilliant as ever. Never was a part play'd with greater Propriety nor an Audience more lavish of their Applause (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly.] [A full column letter for the Morning Chronicle this date from Theatricus to Garrick protested the fact that his announced benefit for the Theatrical Fund on the 30th of May would be all sold out to the highest bidders for tickets; that a nobleman offering ten Guineas for four box seats would get them in preference to the tradesmen who offered only a pound, the stated price of the tickets. Since charity was the cause this writer suggested that Garrick give a second benefit night to the Fund, with the hopes (1) that the Fund would be thereby vastly increased, and (2) that opportunity might be given for twice as many People to see a Garrick final performance. It was, perhaps, in response to this public request that Garrick gave a second Benefit night for the Fund on 10 June. The Morning Post, 29 May, noted: "The concourse of servants assembled yesterday morning at seven o'clock, at Drury Lane Stage Door, to take places for the approaching benefit, in which it is said Mr Garrick will again play Richard III , was astonishing, amounting to many hundreds, three fourths of which were not able to Succeed in their embassies' (Hampden, Journal).] Receipts: #307 3s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: House (Hopkins Diary). Last time of Garrick's performing Richard . Ladies desired to send their Servants a little after Five to keep places, to prevent Confuson. It is Vanity to endeavor to describe Mr G. Merits they beggar all Descripiton, suffice it to Say he was what he represented (Hopkins Diary). [MacMillan's note from Kemble conservatively toned down.] Paid Sg Como and Crispi in full #3 8s. 3d. Mr Hurd ditto 7s. 6d. Receipts: #284 10s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid Lampmen #3 18s.; Tailors #11 2s. 10d.; Mantua Makers #3 14s. 6d.; Carpenters #16 15s. 6d.; Printer [of playbills] #19 5s. 6d. The Hypocrite and Christmas Tale in three Acts was advertised for to-morrow. This Morning at Rehearsal Lacy came and told Sheridan that he could not be off from his Agreement with Mr Langford and Captain Thomson. Sheridan told him, if he did agree, that he would withdraw himself from the Management of the Theatre--accordingly at eight this Evening he sent me with a Letter to Lacy confirming what he told him, and ordered me to receive my orders from Mr L and that he withdrew the Christmas Tale, as he had altered, for a Farce, it was his Property. This put us all into confusion--Sent to Mrs Abington to know if she would play in the Hypocrite, as it was advertised--Her answer was, that she had made her Agreement with Sheridan only, and would play under no other Manager. About twelve at night we got Richard the third settled, and sent Bills accordingly (Hopkins Diary). [For further remarks concerning this situation see 15 Oct.] Receipts: #173 6s

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [For Fanny Burney's pen and ink sketch of the royal box and her written description o it, as it appeared on this evening, see List of illustrations these volumes. Receipts: #261 14s. 6d. (260.14.0; 1.0.6)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Orphan, announced on playbill of 31 Dec. 1776. Public Advertiser assigns the Ghost to Farren.] Afterpiece: With Additions and Alterations, New Music, Scenes [by Greenwood, Leroy and French Jun. (Morning Post, 4 Jan.)], Dresses, and Decorations. Receipts: #175 1s. 6d. (137.1.0; 34.17.0; 3.3.6)

Event Comment: Selima and Azor [announced on playbill of 13 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred on Account of Dodd's Illness. Paid Prompter's Bill #23 17s. 6d. Receipts: #233 13s. (210.2; 22.8; 1.3)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Ward. The Country Mad-Cap [announced on playbill of 5 May] is obliged to be set aside on account of Mrs Pitt's indisposition. Tickets delivered for Alexander the Great, for Saturday, May 3, will be admitted. Public Advertiser, 22 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mr and Mrs Ward at Stacy's, No. 76, the Corner of Long-acre, Drury-lane. Receipts: #197 18s. (82.10; tickets: 115.8) (charge: #66 1s.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitefield and Wewitzer. Mainpiece: Written by the late Hugh Kelly, Esq., Never acted there. Public Advertiser, 26 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Whitefield, Crown-court, Bow-street; of Wewitzer. Great Hart-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #137 4s. 6d. (55.14.6; tickets: 81.10.0) (charge: #85 12s. 6d.)