Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; past 2, by Richard Tickell]: Altered from [the same, by] Allan Ramsay. [MS not in Larpent; not published.] With the original Airs, new Accompaniments, and a new Overture [by Thomas Linley, Sen.]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "The above Opera, written by Allen Ramsay, has been long and justly admired, but by those only whose knowledge of the Scottish dialect has enabled them to judge of its excellencies. That an English audience might become partakers of this entertainment seems to have been the laudable design of the Dramatist, Mr Tickel, in now divesting it of its numerous provincialities, grown almost obsolete, even in Scotland, at this distant period . . . The characters were drest with a rustic simplicity, which, tho' not exactly characteristic of the Highland manner, were perfectly Pastoral" (Universal Magazine, Nov. 1781, p. 237). Receipts: #202 9s. 6d. (167/18/0; 33/3/0; 1/8/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe; MS: Larpent 577; not published. The following season this was altered, and acted successfully as The Castle of Andalusia]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. A new Overture, and the whole of the Music under the Direction of Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 29 Nov.: The admirable first scene, the subterraneous Receptacle of the Banditti, is the production of the ingenious Mr Richards. Receipts: #182 10s. (180/12/6; 1/17/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns the 1st Gravedigger to Parsons, but "an Apology was made for Parsons, and Suett went through his Part" (Public Advertiser, 2 Oct.). In afterpiece the playbill retains Parsons as Solomon; for Fawcett see 26 Nov.] "We have for so many years been accustomed to see Hamlet dressed in the Vandyke costume, that it may be material to state that Mr Kemble played the part in a modern court dress of rich black velvet, with a star on the breast, the garter and pendant ribbon of an order-the mourning sword and buckles, with deep ruffles: the hair in powder; which, in the scenes of feigned distraction, flowed dishevelled in front and over the shoulders" (Boaden, Kemble, I, 104). Receipts: #285 16s1. (265/14/0; 19/19/6; 0/2/6)

Event Comment: RosiNA [announced on playbill of 2 Oct.] is obliged to be deferred on account of Mrs Martyr's Indisposition. "There are many of Mr Garrick's most favourite characters which [Henderson] appears in with great credit to himself, and applause from the audience; that in which he has been thought to approach the nearest to his predecessor is Hamlet; and, if we oppose the declamatory skill of Henderson-a quality indispensably necessary to the performance of this most difficult character-to the pathos and phrenzy (whether it be assumed or real madness in Hamlet is not here the question) of Garrick; I think it must be allowed that however short of him he may fall in some particulars, in the one I have mentioned, at least, he exceeds him" Qonson, The sad shepherd, ed. Waldron, p. 174). Receipts: #199 4s. 6d. (197/19/0; 1/5/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Ward. Receipts: #135 2s. (23/6; 13/18; 0/5; tickets: 97/13) (charge: #107 12s. 11d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Widow and Children of the unfortunate Mr Linton, late of this Theatre. [Linton, a musician belonging to the CG band, had been attacked and killed by footpads on 8 July.] "The band were all dressed in mourning, suited to the occasion, and are entitled to their share of applause" (Public Advertiser, 30 Sept.). Afterpiece: Not acted these 4 years

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. The Music by Purcel and Dr Arne, with the additional Airs and Chorusses by the late [Thomas] Linley Jun. [Gazetteer, 9 Nov., notes that the music for the Chorus of Spirits was composed by Purcell, for Ariel's song by Dr Arne, for the storm scene by Linley Jun.] Receipts: #162 11s. (126/10/0; 35/19/6; 0/1/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Booth. Mr Booth respectfully hopes his close Attention to the several Departments he occupies in the Theatre will be a sufficient Excuse for his not personally waiting on his Friends. [Public Advertiser, 22 Mar., notes that since Wild's accident [see 11 May] Booth had been acting as prompter.] Public Advertiser, 14 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Booth at his house in Great Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT I, compiler unknown]: The Music compiled from the most eminent Masters