Event Comment: Benefit for Bensley. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their Servants at half past Four o'Clock. The Romp [announced on playbill of 16 Apr.] cannot be performed on Account of the Indisposition of Mrs Jordan. Public Advertiser, 31 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Bensley at his house, No. 21, Charlotte-street, Bedford-square. Receipts: #285 12s. (126.18.0; 13.17.6; 2.16.6; ticket2: 140.0.0;) (charge: #107 8s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Comedy of 3 Acts [by George Colman] never performed. [In the Shakespearean Pageant, with figures from seventeen of his plays, the chief effectiveness lay with the Musicians who ushered in each group with appropriate music: Martial Music-The Roman Characters of Coriolanus and Julius Caesar; Soft Music-Antony and Cleopatra; Grand Music, Old English Characters-King John, Richard III, Henry VIII: Magical Music, "above, about, underneath" for Prospero; Macbeth's Music; Fairy Music-Oberon and Titania; Solemn Music for Tragic Muse accompanied by Othello, Hamlet, the Ghost, Mad Ophelia and Lear with Cordelia; Dead March in Saul-Juliet's Bier with attendants; Allegro for the Comic Muse-Falstaff, Touchstone, Launcelot, Malvolio; Andante-Florizel and Perdita, Portia Antonio and Bassanio; Flourish-for Car drawn by the muses carrying Shakespeare's Bust; Final Song by Mrs Mattocks, "Sweetest Bard that Ever Sung, Nature's glory, Fancy's Child--." The Prelude is, in print, entirely favorable to Garrick's effort at Stratford. But it could be rendered in a mercilessly ironical manner if the three participating actors so chose. Mainpiece reviewed in the Freeholder's Magazine, Oct.] Receipts: #224 10s

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Mills. At the particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. [Part of the Stage will be formed into Side-Boxes.

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; C 4, by Francis Godolphin Waldron, altered by the author from his IMITATION, 1st acted at DL, 1 2 May 1783. Prologue by the author. Epilogue by George Colman, the younger (see text). Mrs Harlowe was from CG.]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mattocks. Tickets delivered for the 24th of April will be taken. Public Advertiser, 16 Apr.: Tickets [for 24 Apr.] to be had of Mrs Mattocks, No. 7, King-street, Covent Garden. Mainpiece: Written by Richard Steele. 3rd piece [1st time; ENT I, author unknown. Larpent MS 830; not published]. Receipts: #253 17s. 6d. (159.12.0; 8.9.6; tickets: 85.16.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. 1st piece: Never acted in this Theatre. [Prologue by George Colman, elder. Monologue by Hester Lynch Piozzi (European Magazine, May 1797, p. 343).] True Briton, 12 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, No. 49, Great Marlborough-street. "The scenery destroyed much of the effect of the tragedy; for the characters are supposed to be 'steeped in poverty to the very lips;' and yet their apartments would have become a family in the meridian of wealth and prosperity. Mrs Siddons was also too well dressed for Mrs Wilmot" (Monthly Mirror, May 1797, p. 308). "In the scene in which [Mrs Siddons's] son having put into her hands a casket to keep, and she having touched a spring it opens and she sees jewels, her husband (Kemble) enters, and in despair exclaims, 'Where shall we get bread?' With her eyes fixed on the jewels, she runs to him, knocks the casket against her breast and exclaims, 'Here! Here!' In Mrs Siddons's tone and in her look there was an anticipation of the murder which was to take place" (Robinson, I, 39). Receipts: #618 2s. (386.8.6; 43.19.0; 2.4.0; tickets: 185.10.6) (charge: #211 1s.)

Event Comment: By Desire of his Excellency the Turkish Ambassador [see 9 May]. Benefit for Mrs Mountain. 1st piece: In Act II a Grand Procession representing the ceremonies attending the Sacrifice of an Indian Woman on the Funeral Pile of her deceased Husband. 2nd piece [1st time; CO 2, by Henry Heartwell]: The Overture and Music composed by Attwood. Monologue: The whole of the apparatus painted and designed by Cresswell. Morning Herald, 8 Oct. 1798: This Day is published Reformed in Time (1s.). Ibid, 16 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Mountain, No. 28, Maiden-lane, Covent-garden. Receipts: #370 18s. (90.17; 4.3; tickets: 275.18)

Event Comment: Louisa Dudley first time Miss Hopkins very well receiv'd (Hopkins Diary). Mrs Smith being hoarse, the Wedding Ring deferr'd. Paid Miss Berkley on note 25 Aug. #2 2s.; Mrs Sykes for women's Cloaths #21. Receipts: #163 16s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The Duenna [advertised on playbill of 10 Oct.] is obliged to be deferred on Account of Mrs Billington's Indisposition. Receipts: #126 16s. 6d. (124.8.6; 2.8.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Abington. 1st piece: By Permission of the Author. 2nd piece [1st time; C 1, attributed to Frances Abington. Larpent MS 1209; not published]: From La? Somnambule; or, Sleep Walker [by Antoine deFeriol, comte de Pont-de-Veyle]. Receipts: #303 12s. (176.1.6; 4.1.0; tickets: 123.9.6)

Event Comment: WWinston MS: Mrs Green married during June 1747. She play'd as Miss Hippisley at Covent Garden 29 May 1747. Receipts: #140 (Cross); #121 8s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wignell and Mrs Lee. No building on Stage. Receipts: #38 10s. plus #134 17s. from tickets: Wignell #90 14s. (Box 52; Pit 324; Gallery 291); Mrs Lee #44 3s. (Box 94; Pit 107; Gallery 46) (Account Book). Charges: #63 10s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [Last time of performing till the Holidays. Miss Brown identifield by Winston MS 10 and playbill for 29 Oct. 1772 as the young lady, although Miss Potts and Mrs Woodman would seem likely candidates too.] Paid Dunstall the Balance of Theatrical Fund profit #68 1s. 6d. (Account Book). Receipts: #209 17s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitfield and Mrs Morton. Morning Chronicle, 2 May: Tickets to be had of Whitfield at his house, Crown-Court, Bow-street; of Mrs Morton, No. 15, Crown-Court, Covent Garden. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Receipts: #186 7s. 6d. (87.3.6; tickets: 99.4.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Stockwell to Aickin, but "Fearon, in consequence of Aickin's illness, took the part of Stockwell at a short notice and upon the whole acquitted himself respectably" (Morning Chronicle, 6 Oct.).] "There is an infinite combination in Mrs Abington, a power of making everything new yet conformable to the character (Public Advertiser, 14 Oct.). Receipts: #328 11s. 6d. (326/11/0; 2/0/6)

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: The Public is most respectfully informed that in consequence of the sudden Indisposition of Mrs Jordan the New Comedy is unavoidably deferred. [The original playbill and Public Advertiser both announce the 6th night of Better Late than Never (see 29 Dec.). The above is from a second playbill for this night in BM (Burney 937.c.7). "Mrs Jordan's Illness defers...Better Late than Never" (Kemble Mem., which lists the substitutes play).] Receipts: #123 5s. (83.19.0; 33.4.6; 6.1.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Part of the Pit [9 rows (London Chronicle, 5 Apr.)] will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four. Morning Chronicle, 4 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, No 49, Marlborough-street. Receipts: #412 11s. (212.2.0; 10.18.6; 0.0.6; tickets: 189.10.0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: The Public is most respectfully informed that in consequence of the sudden Indisposition of Mrs Jordan the New Comedy is unavoidably deferred. [The original playbill and Public Advertiser both announce the 6th night of Better Late than Never (see 29 Dec.). The above is from a second playbill for this night in BM (Burney 937.c.7). "Mrs Jordan's Illness defers...Better Late than Never" (Kemble Mem., which lists the substitutes play).] Receipts: #123 5s. (83.19.0; 33.4.6; 6.1.6)

Event Comment: Benefit Mullart, Mrs Mullart, Stopler

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy

Event Comment: Miss Rusport by Miss Young So-So (Hopkins Diary). Paid salary list #502 3s. 6d.; Mrs Abington's cloaths acct #2; Mr S. French 6 days #1 10s.; Rec'd stopages #11 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #208 1s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dunstall. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [See 29 Nov. 1764.] Afterpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 2 Dec. 1769.] Charges: #64 5s. Profit to Dunstall #1 1s. 6d., plus #170 17s. from tickets (Box 433; Pit 410; Gallery 36). Paid Whitefield a quarter year's salary #25, and Sarjant ditto, #10. Paid Mrs Carne half year's salary #15 all due Lady Day last (Account Book). Receipts: #65 6s. 6d

Event Comment: By Permission of the Right Honourable the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Mrs Lefevre. Mainpiece: Acted but once these 60 years [on 15 Mar. 1779]. Tickets to be had of Mrs Lefevre, No. 25, Frith-street. tickets delivered by Mrs Robinson will be taken

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Lillo, Author of George Barnwell. [Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, in, 233). Mrs Bates was from CG.]