Event Comment: Never acted here before. There will be a Fire in the Pit to make the House warm. [Prices as 14 Jan. in both Daily Advertiser and General Advertiser.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 5, by Richard Cumberland. Larpent MS 508, which also lists the following parts: Marsyas, Gumias, Chloris. Text not published; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 2 Feb. Songs published, without listings parts (G. Kearsley, 1780)]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The Songs set to music and a new Overture by Butler. Book of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 1 Feb. 1780: This Afternoon is published the Songs in The Widow of Delphi (6d.). Receipts: #228 4s. 6d. (227.4.6; 1.0.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Altered from Massinger. Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Charles Dibdin]: Taken from The Islanders [1st acted at CG, 25 Nov. 1780]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon (only) at the Stage-Door. No Persons admitted behind the Scenes, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 15 Oct.]. Receipts: #185 17s. 6d. (183/11/0; 2/6/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [Prologue by Nicholas Rowe.] Afterpiece [1st time; co 2, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Shamrock (see CG, 7 Apr. 1783); published (1st authorized) as noted above]: The selected Music by the Author of the Piece. The Overture, new Airs and Accompaniments by Shield. With New Dresses, Scenery, &c. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 30 June 1784: Paid O'Keeffe for Copyright, &c. of The Poor Soldier #315. Receipts: #218 14s. (215/7; 3/7)

Event Comment: Artaxerxes [announced on playbill of 5 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred on account of Mrs Billington's Hoarseness. Receipts: #127 6s. (125.15; 1.11)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: With a Procession of the Inhabitants of Otaheite, New Zealand, Tanna, Marquesas, the Friendly, Sandwich, and Easter Islands, Tschutzki, Siberia, Kamtschatka, Nootka Sound, Onalashka, Prince William's Sound, and the other Countries visited by Captain Cook, exactly representing their Dresses and Weapons. Receipts: #237 19s. (231/16; 6/3)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Edward Neville]: The Overture and Music composed by Dibdin. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 20 Oct.: This Afternon at Three is published Plymouth In An Uproar (1s.). Receipts: #242 16s. 6d. (241.5.0; 1.11.6)

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time; past 2, by Matthew Feilde. MS: Larpent 585; not published; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 22 Feb.]: With New Overture and Music, composed by [Michael] Arne. New Dresses, Scenes and Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #247 12s. (243/19/6; 3/12/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by John O'Keeffe, altered from his The Banditti (see 28 Nov. 1781). Text in his Dramatic Works, Vol. 1 (T. Woodfall, 1798)]: With new Scenes [by Carver (O'Keeffe, u, 38)], Dresses, and a new Overture. The Selected Airs by Handel, Vento, Giordani, Giardini, Bertoni, Dr Arne, and Carolan, the Irish Bard. The Overture and New Airs composed by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [This was Sga Sestini's 1st appearance on the English-speaking stage. For several preceding seasons she had been a member of the Italian opera company performing at the King's.] "Sestini . . . was handsome, sprightly, and a good actress, if great exuberance of gesticulation, activity of motion, and affected Italian smorfie could make her one; but her voice was gritty and sharp (something like singing through a comb), and she was nothing of a singer, except for lively comic airs. Yet she was . . . long a favourite with the mass of the public, though not with the connoisseurs" (Mount-Edgcumbe, p. 33). Account-Book, 30 June 1783: Paid O'Keeffe in full for The Castle of Andalusia #368 18s. 6d. Receipts: #166 2s. 6d. (165/9/0; 0/13/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Mrs Wells, but she "was so ill last night that she could not perform the part of Jane Shore. It was undertaken by Mrs T. Kennedy" (Public Advertiser, 21 Dec.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe]: The Pantomime, and the whole of the Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, &c. designed and invented by Loutherbourg, and executed under his superintendance and direction by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, Catton Jun., Turner, assisted by two other celebrated artists [all subsequent playbills have "a celebrated artist"; he was the Rev. Matthew William Peters (Public Advertiser, 16 Dec.)]. The Music entirely new, composed by Shield. Books containing a short account of the Pantomime, as well as the Recitatives, Airs, Duets, Trios and Chorusses, and a Description of the Procession, to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. [This was the last theatrical piece for which De Loutherbourg designed the scenery. For a detailed account of it see "De Loutherbourg and Captain Cook", by Ralph G. Allen, Theatre Research, IV, 195-211.] Account-Book, 17 Oct.: Paid De Loutherbourg on acct. #120; 20 Dec.: Paid Goodwin for copying Music #10 14s.; 14 Feb. 1786: Paid O'Keeffe in full for Omai #40. Receipts: #309 19s. (302/7; 7/12)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: 51st [recte 50th] Time [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. With a Processionv exactly representing the Dresses, Weapons, and Manners of the Inhabitants of Otaheite, New Zealand, Tanna, Marquesas, the Friendly Islands, Sandwich Islands, and Easter Islands, Tschutzki, Siberia, Kamtschatka, Nootka Sound, Onalashka, Prince William's Sound, and the other Countries visited by Captain Cook. Receipts: #263 15s. 6d. (260.5.0; 3.10.6)

Event Comment: [The Farce A Fairy Tale in 2 acts by Dr Hawkesworth never acted before. Epilogue by Garrick. Spoken by Mrs Yates. The Fairy announced as Miss Marten in advance bills (Winston MS 9).

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.)