Event Comment: Benefit for Younger (prompter). Tickets delivered by Mrs Stephens, Miss Helme, Miss Twist, and Murden will be taken

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Lessingham. Mainpiece: Alter'd from Shakespeare and Thompson, not acted these 4 years. Afterpiece: For last time this season (playbill of 19 April 1768). [See 18 Feb. 1765. This Coriolanus is possibly the Tragedy by Thomas Sheridan, 8vo, 1755.] @Receipts #85 10s. 6d.@House charge #63@Candles #1 5s.@Extras: Kettle Drum 5s.@2 Side Drums 4s.@4 Fifes 8s.@2 Trumpets 10s.@Chorus Singers #1 10s.@Wardrobe #5 19s.@Total #73 1s. 6d.@Balance due Mrs Lessingham #12 9s.@Tickets 197 137 89 #78 14s.@Money #85 10s. 6d.@Total value of House #164 4s. 6d. (Account Book).@ Mr Clarke being suddenly taken ill in the afternoon [yesterday] his part in the tragedy was oblig'd to be supplied by Mr Younger. And Mr Clarke still continuing ill the Tragedy of King Lear, with the Musical entertainment Amelia is oblig'd to be deferred till further notice (Public Advertiser, 21 April)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs DuBellamy. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 2 May 1767.] Charges #64 5s. Deficit to the DuBellamy's #2 4s. covered by #142 7s. from tickets (Box 314; Pit 393; Gallery 49) (Account Book). Receipts: #62 1s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not Acted these 2 Years. [See 6 May 1771.] Paid Mrs Yates, the Balance of the Author's 3 Nights of Zobeide #237 19s. Paid one year's Rector's Rate for theatre due Xmas last #8 15s.; and Watch rate #17 10s. Paid one year's Rector's rate for House in Bow Passage 6s. 3d.; and watch for same 12s. 6d. Paid Mrs Keys for a gold and silver sack coat #14 14s. (Account Book). Receipts: #148 19s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Mrs Rich andCo. one year's rent for House in Bow Passage due Mich. last #40. Receipts: #140 11s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitefield and Mrs Pitt

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jackson. Mainpiece [a tragedy by John Jackson]: Never perform'd there. Doors open half past 5. To begin at half past 6 o'clock

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With a New Scene and New Dresses. Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Charles Dibdin and Edward Thompson. Thompson's name does not appear on the title-page of the text; it has been added by J. P. Kemble on the half-title of his copy now in the Huntington Library]: The Music chiefly composed by Dibdin [Public Advertiser, 15 Nov.: Three of the airs and the finale were composed by Samuel Arnold; one air by John Abraham Fisher]. With New Scenes [ibid: by Dall, Richards, and Carver], Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Account-Book, 7 Feb. 1777: Paid Dibdin in full for copyright of the Seraglio #20; ibid, 2 June 1777: Received of Cooper for Songs & Books sold of The Seraglio #19 10s. 9d. [Mrs Ward was from the Birmingham theatre]. Receipts: #221 11s. 6d. (219.7.0; 2.4.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Crawford. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. Public Advertiser, 9 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Crawford, No.3, Adam-street, Adelphi

Event Comment: Benefit for Mattocks. [Mrs Sage is identified in Morning Chronicle, 27 Apr.] On account of Miss Catley's Indisposition Comus [announced on playbill of 26 Apr.] is obliged to be deferred. Paid Atkins, coal merchant, #33 12s. 6d. Public Advertiser, 7 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mattocks, Great Russel Street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #193 5s. 6d. (153.13.6; tickets: 39.12.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pope. Mainpiece: Not acted these 20 years [not acted since 12 Mar. 1771]. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Andrew Franklin]. Morning Chronicle, 5 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house, Half-Moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #272 14s. (151.14; 5.3; tickets: 115.17) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [As Miss P. Farren Mrs Knight had 1st appaared in London on 15 May 1777 at the hay.] "[Knight's] simplicity is the type of nature, untainted With buffoonery; and what we very rarely meet with, his attention was so wholly engrossed by the business of the scene as to make him appear unconscious of being before an audience" (Morning Chronicle, 26 Sept.). Receipts: #248 3s. 6d. (240.2.6; 8.1.0)

Event Comment: Lewis having a severe Hoarseness, Fortune's Fool [advertised on playbill of 4 Nov.] is deferred till Monday. Afterpiece [1st time: BURL 2. by John O'Keeffe. MS: Larpent MS 1141; not published, except for Airs (T. N. Longman, 1796)]: Partly new, and partly taken from The Golden Pippin [by Kane O'Hara]. The Overture and new Music by Reeve. The Selections from Pergolesi, Rousseau, Mornington, Fisher, Carolan, Rizzio, &c. With new Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations. The Scenery by Phillips, Blackmore, Hollogan, and assistants. The Dragon, the Car and the Machinery designed and executed by Cresswell. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. "The beauty of the scenery is only to be equalled by the ingenuity of the machinery. The descents and ascents of the Deities were managed with astonishing regularity and adroitness; and the Flying Cupids hovered in the air in very pleasing attitudes...The Pas de Russe, danced by Delpini, a-la-Parisot [see dl. 1 Oct.], in the character of a fine Lady, with Munden, was irresistibly comic" (Morning Herald, 7 Nov.). Receipts: #191 2s. 6d. (185.10.6; 5.12.0)

Event Comment: [Murray's 1st appearance as King Lear was at Bath, 21 Feb. 1788; when Miss Campion, Mrs Spencer's as Cordelia was at Dublin, 23 Mar. 1790] Receipts: #192 16s. (190.10; 2.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Stoppelaer. No charges. House received the ready money receipts of #35 1s. plus 1!2 of the #109 19s. which Stoppelaer deliver'd in tickets (Box 104; Pit 431; Gallery 193). Paid Mrs Marg. Lamb in full for a Bond due 8 March last #315. plus interest for 51 days from 8 March last #2 1s. 10d. (Account Book). Receipts: #35 1s. plus 1!2 value of tickets: #54 19s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Afterpiece: By Particular Desire of several persons of Distinction, to be added for that night only. Neville MS Diary: Covent Garden Theatre after being shut up for the season was open'd tonight as a high favour to Shuter...Before [the farce] the Gods having call'd for the Music to play Roast Beef, would not suffer the play to begin till their request was complied with. They pelted Davies and Hull, who appeared first, with orange skins, crying Off, Off'...Glad Shuter had a good house. He is an excellent comedian and is said to have a good heart. [The income for this night not listed in the Account Books. On 10 June however, the treasurer received from Shuter #10 'for the renters for the night of his benefit," and #1 13s. 9d. for oyl that night. On 20 July the treasurer received from Shuter #43 15s. for tickets for his first benefit, and #1 4s. 1 1!2d. in money, along with #20 for his second benefit." On July 22, the treasurer paid "to sundry Creditors of Mr Shuter as per Receipt Books #245 4s. 1 1!2d., and to Mr Wilford by order of Shuter #60, and to Beard #26 16s." N.B. On Wednesday 1 July The sum of #60,000 was this day paid down for the purchase of the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, pursuant to agreement. The patentees are Messieurs Colman, Harris, Rutherford and Powell"--Gentleman's Magazine, p. 379.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Baker. Charges #65 18s. Balance to Mrs Baker #38 6d. plus #49 8s. in Tickets (Box 82; Pit 140; Gallery 79). Receipts: #103 18s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Kniveton. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years (playbill). [See 30 April 1770]. Charges #66 12s. Profit to the Kniveton's #14 17s., plus #68 19s. from tickets (Box 86; Pit 209; Gallery 161) (Account Book). Receipts: #81 9s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 11 April 1771.] Paid Mrs Rich the balance of the Benefit for the Dispensary #36 11s. 6d., and paid Garton the balance due the Theatrical Fund #143 3s. (Account Book). [The Westminster Magazine this month comments upon the revival of the pantomime and the new scene of the Pantheonv: "This thought evidently was borrowed from the ludicrous situations of the Macaroni in the pantomime of the Pigmy Revels at the other theatre; but no one in the world borrows with less ceremony than Mr Colman, especially from Mr Garrick."] Receipts: #126 2s. 6d

Event Comment: Paid Cooper (printer) #42 8s., and Mrs Lynn for a Lady's white and gold Flower'd suit of Cloaths #12 12s. (Account Book). Receipts: #141 16s

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Barsanti. The Long Continuance of Miss Barsanti's illness, together with a very recent affliction which has fallen the family, having rendered it impossible for her to appear on the stage, Mrs Bulkley has kindly undertaken to perform's for her; which Miss Barsanti humbly hopes will be agreeable to her friends, and that any little apparent Omission, under such peculiar circumstances, will not be construed into want of respect, but that she shall nevertheless obtain the favour of their accustomed patronage

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee Lewes. Mrs Barry's Indisposition prevents her appearance on the stage this night. Doors opened half past 5. To begin at half past 6

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Barry. By Particular Desire. Mainpiece: A Tragedy by the author of Douglas [John Home], never acted there. Part of Pit laid into boxes. Ladies send servants by 4 o'clock, and come as early as possible to avoid Confusion and Trouble

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Never acted there. With Alterations and Additions by the Author [Arthur Murphy. London Chronicle, 7 Nov., prints a detailed synopsis of the alterations.]. The Characters entirely new dressed; with New Scenery and Decorations. [Morning Chronicle, 7 Nov.: Mrs Barry entered into the character of Mandane with all that strength of conception which characterizes her acting in general. Many of the passages received additional force from the judicious breaks and sudden transitions in her manner of giving them.] Receipts: #200 3s. (199.6; 0.17)

Event Comment: The Poor Soldier [announced on playbill of 10 Dec] is deferred till to-morrow, by the Indisposition of Mrs Bannister. Receipts: #193 5s. (187/11/6; 5/13/6)