Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb. Text 1st published (unauthorized), Dublin [1790]. Sga Storace had 1st appeared in concerts from 1774 to 1778, and at king's on 24 Apr. 1787 and thereafter]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The new Music composed by Storace, the rest compiled from Linley? Sen., Purcell, Sarti, Paisiello, Martin y Soler?, Pleyel, &c. The Scenes designed and executed by Greenwood. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "In her own particular line on the stage [Sga Storace] was unrivalled, being an excellent actress, as well as a masterly singer. She settled entirely in England, and after quitting the opera (to which she was frequently recalled in times of distress, as was too often the case), she engaged at Drury Lane, where the English opera was raised to an excellence not known before, by her singing, with that of Mrs Crouch, Mrs Bland, Kelly, and Bannister, and under the direction of her brother Stephen Storace, who composed, or rather compiled, several very pretty operas, of which the Haunted Tower, and the Siege of Belgrade still remain favorites, and are frequently performed" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 65). Account-Book, 4 Jan. 1790: Paid Cobb on Acct. of the Purchase of the Copyright of the Haunted Tower #157 10s.; 27 Feb. 1790: Paid Cobb in full for Copyright #52 10s. Receipts: #219 9s. 6d. (200.13.0; 17.14.6; 1.2.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull, Mrs Litchfield & Waddy. 1st piece [1st time; C 5, by Thomas Hull. Larpent MS 1215; not published]: Altered from [The Bashful Lover, by] Massinger. [In it the playbill assigns Hortensio to Pope, but he was ill, and in his "stead Johnston read the part of Hortensio" (European Magazine, June 1798, p. 396). Prologue by John Taylor Poems (I, 60).] Morning Herald, 29 May: Tickets to be had of Hull, Duke's Court, Dean's-yard, Westminster; of Mrs Litchfield, James-street, Covent-Garden; of Waddy, No. 214, opposite Southampton-street, High Holborn. Receipts: #261 2s. 6d. (53.9.6; 4.16.6; tickets: 202.16.6; of which Hull took #72 7s.; Mrs Litchfield #60 17s., Waddy #69 12s. 6d.)

Event Comment: The United Company. The date of the first performance is not known, but Luttrell dated his copy of the separately-printed Prologue and Epilogue 5 April 1684 (J. W. Dodds, Thomas Southerne, p. 48). Very probably the play first appeared during the week of 31 March-5 April, immediately following Easter. The Prologue and Epilogue are reprinted in Wiley, Rare Prologues and Epilogues, pp. 191-94. This may have been the last new role William Smith undertook for some years; see Cibber, Apology, ed. Lowe, 1, 78-79, for the incident which prompted Smith's leaving the stage for awhile. One song, I never saw a face till now, with music by Captain Pack, is in The Theater of Music, the First Book, 1685; and another, O why did e'er my thoughts aspire, the music by R. King, is in the same collection. A third song, See how fair Corinna lies, the music by Captain Pack, is in A Collection of Twenty-Four Songs, 1685

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Yates. Mainpiece: Altered from Corneille [by Colley Cibber?]. Never Performed There. Pit and Boxes laid together (playbill). Charges #66 7s. 6d. Profit to Mrs Yates #39 7s. 6d., plus #179 from tickets (Box and Pit 716). Paid Younger a Bill for writing parts #5 19s. 9d. Paid John Smith for a Blue cloth suit lac'd with gold #9 9s. (Account Book). Receipts: #105 15s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Colley Cibber; With Alterations. Not Acted these 12 years [acted 10 May 1784]. With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Receipts: #275 19s. 6d. (194.3.6; 78.19.0; 2.17.0)

Event Comment: The King's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@12, p. 17: King here. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 344. See Noyes, Ben Jonson on the English Stage, p. 307, for a letter to Lady Sunderland on this performance, and, p. 308, for an anecdote from The Life of the Late Famous Comedian, Jo. Haynes, concerning Haynes and Hart in a scene. For another allusion to the action, see Henri Ferneron, Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth (London, 1807), p. 179n. Pepys, Diary: 15 Jan. 1668@9: It is about my Lady Harvy's being offended at Doll Common's [Mrs Corey's] acting of Sempronia, to imitate her; for which she got my Lord Chamberlain, her kinsman, to imprison Doll: when my Lady Castlemayne made the King to release her. Mrs John Evelyn to Mr Terryll, 10 Feb. 1668@9: There has not been any new lately revived and reformed, as Catiline, well set out with clothes and scenes (Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn, ed. William Bray, IV, 14). See also 7 and 11 Dec. 1667

Event Comment: Benefit Dormer, Author of the Female Rake, &c. Afterpiece: a Ballad-Comedy of Two Acts never performed before. [By Joseph Dorman (?). Tickets at Mrs Talbot's Coffee House in the Passage in DL Playhouse and at the Author's House in Old Bailey.]

Event Comment: A Concert, &c. To be concluded by Mrs Mary Midnight and her Family. The Concert to begin at Twelve. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. [Repeated in subsequent bills.] Second time of performing

Event Comment: MMrs Cowper did Sylvia, for her first appearance here (she came from Bath, Richmond &c.)-Toll. Afterpiece as originally perform'd (Cross) [i.e., without the burlesque scenes of The Fair (see 6 Nov. 1752).] This piece [Harlequin Ranger] was now acted as originally written. It is surprising that Mr Garrick should be the first to introduce Pantomime Entertainments (this season) especially as his own universal talents are seconded by a good company of performers. We suppose he does it to gratify the taste of the town; but such Smithfield exhibitions should certainly be banish'd from all regular theatres; and as Mr Woodward is an excellent comedian, it would be more eligible in him if he chuses to wear the motley dress any more to appear in the character of a speaking Harlequin, after the manner of the Italian Comedy; and indeed it is not a little surprising that nothing of this kind has yet been admitted upon our stage (Gentleman's Magazine, Oct., p. 493, from Grays' Inn Journal, 13 Oct. 1753.). Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 30 April 1773. See, for afterpiece, the Regatta attached to Queen Mab, 11 Nov.] Mr Moody very bad in Maj. Oldfox , &c. Mrs Greville not much better in Olivia (Hopkins Diary). Rec'd from the late Mrs Johnston for Old Women's Cloaths #10 10s.; By ditto from Mr Garrick for wax candles #1 12s. Receipts: #150 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted here these 6 years. Afterpiece: Taken from [the same, by Henry? Fielding, and prepared for the stage by the Author of Midas, &c. [Kane O'Hara; 1st time; BURL 2. Text 1st published by J. Barker [1805]]. With a new Overture, Dresses, and Decorations. The Overture, Songs, Duets and Chorusses composed and compiled by J. Markordt. Books of the Burletta to be had at the Theatre (on playbill of 10 Nov.). Account-Book, 1 Feb. 1781: Paid Mackordt [sic] for music of Tom Thumb #20. [Mrs Inchbald was from the York theatre. Master Edwin had spoken a Prologue at cg on 22 Apr. 1780.] Receipts: #152 1s. 6d. (149.2.0; 2.19.6)