Event Comment: Hamlet [announced on playbill of 18 Feb.] is obliged to be deferred on account of the Indisposition of a principal Performer. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Abraham Portal. Larpent MS 445; not published]: The Overture and Music [by Thomas Linley Jun.] entirely new. With New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Words of the Songs, Chorusses, &c. to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 19 Feb. 1778: This Day at Three will be published the Songs in The Cady of Bagdad (6d.). Receipts: #180 0s. 6d. (130.9.0; 49.7.6; 0.4.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; D 5, by Elizabeth Inchbald. Prologue by Thomas Vaughan. Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (see text). Public Advertiser, 14 Feb: Part of Andrews's Epilogue to Eloisa [see 20 Dec. 1786]...was blended with Epilogue spoken on first representation of Such Things Are]: With new Scenes, Dresses, &c. Public Advertiser, 1 Dec. 1787: This Day is published Such Things Are (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #214 10s. (212.10; 2.0)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; C 3, by Elizabeth Inchbald, based on L'Indigent, by Louis Sebastien Mercier, and on Le Dissipateur; ou, L'Honnete Friponne, by Philippe Nericault, dit Destouches. Prologue and Epilogue by Thomas Vaughan (see text)]. Morning Chronicle, 21 July 1791: This Day is published Next Door Neighbours (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Johnstone. 1st piece [1st time; C 5, by William Macready, based on The Artful Husband, by William Taverner. Prologue by William Thomas Fitzgerald. Epilogue by Robert Houlton (see text)]. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, author unknown. Larpent MS 1076; not published]: The Music part new and part compiled by Shield. Morning Herald, 4 June 1795: This Day is published The Bank Note (2s.). Morning Chronicle, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Johnstone, No. 19, Piazza, Covent-garden. Receipts: #434 19s. 6d. (168.1.0; 8.0.6; tickets: 258.18.0)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but Luttrell's copy of the separately printed Prologue and Epilogue bears the date 12 Nov. 1683 (item 87, Sotheby's sale, 12 June 1939), and the premiere probably occurred shortly before that date. A revised version of the Epilogue, correcting errors, appeared almost immediately after the one first published; it bears Luttrell's date of 14 Nov. 1683. The Epilogue, in the revised version, bears the note: Written by Mr Dryden. The Prologue and both versions of the Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 183-87. In addition, a song, Awake O Constantine awake, with music by Thomas Farmer, is in The Theater of Music, 1865; it also appeared in A Collection of the Newest and Choicest Songs, 1864 (which bears Luttrell's date, 10 March 1683@4, Bindley Collection, William Andrews Clark@Jr@Library)

Event Comment: [The following letter appeared in the General Advertiser]: To Mr Ryan, Sir: As the Author whom you have judiciously, I think, call'd in to your Assistance on your Benefit Night is little known; his Name not having appeared upon the Stage in our Days; and from whence some may be apt to think it scarce worth while to produce him now;--it was thought advisable by many of your Friends, of which Number I profess myself, to draw up the following Account of him and his Dramatic Works, that such as are Strangers to him may have some further Inducement to favour you with their Company. Mr Thomas Randolph lived in the Reign of King Charles I, was Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge; but died young. He was a Man of pregnant Wit, gay Humour and of excellent Learning; which gain'd him the Esteem of the Polite Part of the Town, and particularly recommended him to the Favour of Ben Johnson, who adopted him one of his Sons, and held him in equal Esteem with the ingenious Mr Cartwright, another of the Laureat's adopted Sons:--The Plays he wrote were: [he lists 5 plays, commenting from Cokayne and Rich of Christ's Church College, Oxon, and West on the ethical quality of the last one, The Muses' Looking Glass]. In short, Sir, I doubt not but his old nervous Wit will still please, and join'd with the New Masque you have added, excite Curiousity enough to answer your Design; since by your Steadiness it was absoluteley necessary you should hava Novelty, as well as Interest, to procure half so good a House, as we all wish you, and especially, Your Humble Servant, I. M. [See 14 March afterpiece.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Holcroft, based on DER DEUTSCHE HAUSVATER, by Otto Heinrich Freiherr von Gemmingen. Prologue by the author and John Thelwall (Boaden, Kemble, II, 114). Epilogue by the author (Knapp, p. 263)]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Morning Chronicle, 18 Feb. 1794: This Day is published LOVE'S FRAILTIES (2s.). Oulton, 1796, II, 154: It was the first play published at the advanced price of 2s. [i.e. hitherto (since, at least, 1776) the price of full-length plays had been 1s. 6d.]. Receipts: #308 17s. 6d. (296/8/6; 12/9/0)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Elizabeth Inchbald. Prologue by Thomas Vaughan (see text)]: The Dresses and Scenery are new. Morning Chronicle, 26 Nov. 1794: This Day is published The Wedding Day (1s.). Powell: Wedding Day rehearsed at 10; Siege of Belgrade at 11. Receipts: #295 2s. 6d. (207.7.6; 76.7.0; 11.8.0)

Event Comment: Never acted before. [By Thomas Baker.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Palmer (the Lady who perform'd Calista). [Mainpiece: Prologue by Thomas Baker.] No Person to be admitted without a ticket, which may be had of Mrs Palmer, No. 13 Pierpont-Row; at the King's Head Tavern in the upper-Street; and at the place of Performance. [The date of the performance of The Fair Penitent, of which play Calista is the heroine, has not as yet come to light.

Event Comment: Benefit for Miles, Mrs Baker, Miss Young. Receipts: #47 0s. 6d. Charges: #63. Deficiency of #5 6s. 6d. apiece covered by income from tickets: Miles #51 3s. (boxes 79; pit 161; gallery 71); Mrs Baker, #36 16s. (boxes 60; pit 99; gallery 62); Miss Younger, #28 19s. (boxes 17; pit 112; gallery 79). Rec'd #16 8s. 3d. being overcharge for Taxes, &c. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miles, Mrs Baker, Miss Young. Tickets delivered out by Miss Ferguson will be taken. Receipts: #7 15s. 4d. covered by income from tickets. @Tickets Miles Box 15@Pit 178@Gallery 62@Value #36 13s.@Tickets Mrs Baker Box 86@Pit 124@Gallery 67@Value #46 16s.@Tickets Miss Young Box 18@Pit 75@Gallery 80@Value #23 15s.@Tickets Miss Ferguson Box 9@Pit 57@Gallery 39@Value #14 14s.@Total Box 128@Pit 434@Gallery 248@Value #121 12s.@ Paid Rich on account #21. Paid Meares 3s. [The house is now running a deficit of #371.

Event Comment: Benefit for Baker, Miles, Miss Young. Tickets deliver'd out by Mrs Ferguson will be taken. No building on Stage. Receipts: #36 17s. plus income from tickets: Miles, #60 13s. (Box 103; pit 182; Gallery 76); Baker, #41 6s. (Box 69; Pit 125; Gallery 53); Miss Young #32 10s. (Box 28; Pit 98; Gallery 108). [All shared equally in the charges.] Mrs Ferguson's income of #18 16s. from tickets was clear (Box 9; Pit 61; Gallery 74) (Account Book). Charges: #64 8s. (Account Book)