Event Comment: "When [Mrs Siddons's] approach was known from the words of the play, and almost before she was within view of the audience, the applause commenced on all sides, and continued for some minutes" (London Chronicle, 23 Jan.). "The same bold, nervous articulation, with the same violent bursts of passion--bursts that confound criticism, though they harrow up the soul...There is a dignified deportment even in her shocks of surprise--her starts of horror--her agonies of death. She never descends to a superfluous motion" (Morning Chronicle, 23 Jan.). Receipts: #432 8s. 6d. (393.12.6; 35.8.0; 3.8.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Esten. Morning Herald, 26 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Esten, No. 5, Nassau-street, Soho. Receipts: #311 3s. (155.14.6; 5.5.6; tickets: 150.3.0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Goodall. [In mainpiece the playbill retains King as Trappanti, but "King being indisposed, Trappanti...was represented by Benson" (unidentified clipping on playbill of 27 Apr., BM: Harris, Vol. III).] Morning Herald, 9 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Goodall, No. 13, Great Russell-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #364 8s. 6d. (125.13.6; 36.15.0; 4.7.0; tickets: 197.13.0) (charge: #157 11s. 2d.)

Event Comment: [The playbill retains Mrs Crouch, but "The indisposition of Mrs Crouch was an abatement, for which, though an apology was made, nothing could atone. Miss Dall was her substitute. Captivity was sung by Incledon, 'being his first appearance in the character of Marie? Antoinette'" (Thespian Magazine, Apr. 1793, p. 247).] MS annotation on BM playbill (cg, Vol. VIII), 2 Mar.: "Rec'd 5 nights Oratorio Rent #262 10s. [i.e. #52 12s. a night].

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. 2nd piece: Written by Edward Jerningham, Esq., with Alterations and Additions (interspersed with Music, after the manner of Rousseau's Pygmalion). The Music composed by Hook. The subject of the above Performance is taken from a remarkable incident in the Life of Margaret . Morning Herald, 2 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Pope at her house, No. 5, Half-moon-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #368 15s

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bateman. Morning Herald, 20 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Bateman at her house, the corner of Carlisle-street, Soho-square. Receipts: #397 1s. 6d. (161.18.6; 47.4.0; 1.3.0; tickets: 186.16.0) (charge: #157 8s. 8d.)

Event Comment: [In 2nd piece the playbill retains Mrs Goodall, but she "being indisposed, her part was read by Miss Heard" (Thespian Magazine, Dec. 1793 , p.363).]

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of THE DUENNA; afterpiece of THE IRISH MAN IN LONDON, both advertised on playbill of 13 Dec. In mainpiece "Mrs Follett was the Lucinda of the third act, in the room of Mrs Mountain, who was suddenly taken ill towards the close of the second" (Public Advertiser, 16 Dec.).) Receipts: #230 6s. (225/9/6; 4/16/6)

Event Comment: On account of the Indisposition of Parsons, HEIGHO FOR A HUSBAND! [advertised on playbill of 6 Jan.] is obliged to be postponed till Saturday next. [In 1st piece the playbill retains Mrs Bland, but she "being indisposed her part in The Mariners was given to Miss De Camp" (Thespian Magazine, Jan. 1794, p. 30). It is not stated who took Miss De Camp's place.]

Event Comment: Powell: [In mainpiece] Jones the Doctor, Packer [retained in playbill] ill. The Jew rehearsed at 10 (for Bannister Jun.; Mrs Hopkins ill); Siege of Belgrade at 12 . Receipts: #461 15s. 6d. (390/0/0; 69/18/6; 1/5/0; tickets not come in: 0/12/0)

Event Comment: Paid for Beer for the Men removing Music Books #2 19s. 6d. [In mainpiece the playbill assigns First Constantia to Mrs Powell, but she "having sprain'd her Ancle [sic] Miss Collins play'd 1st Constantia" (Powell)]. Powell: Chances rehearsed at 10 (Barrymore absent; Caulfield, Cooke, Welsh each two scenes; Trueman one scene). Receipts: #139 6s. 6d. (78/10/6; 57/16/6; 2/19/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Gibbs. 3rd piece [1st time; M. ENT 2, by James Roberts]: End of Act I A Grand View of the British Fleet and the French Prizes entering Portsmouth, and an appropriate Procession. The Piece to conclude with a representation of the Town, &c. of Portsmouth, as illuminated on the glorious occasion. With a Transparency of Earl Howe. [These were included in all subsequent performances.] The selected Musick by Mornington, Handel, Dr Arne, Boyce, Pleyel, &c. A Naval Overture, and the new Musick, by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 24 Oct. 1794: This Day is published RULE BRITANNIA! (1s.)

Event Comment: [The playbill assigns Jessica to Mrs Bland, but "Jessica Miss Collins. Miss Bland Ill, Leonardo [omitted from playbill] Evans, Cooke Ill" (Powell).] Powell: Edwy and Elgiva rehearsed at 11. Receipts: #285 7s. 6d. (236.16.6; 43.14.6; 4.16.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Munden. [Mrs Townsend was from the Norwich theatre.] 3rd piece: Never [previously] acted at this Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 22 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Munden, No. 12, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #388 7s. (111.9.6; 6.12.0; tickets: 270.5.6)

Event Comment: Tickets delivered for this Evening [Account-Book: by Cooke, Evans, Jones, Kelly Jun.,Maddocks, Webb, Rhodes, Whitmell, Pilsbury, W. Banks, Chippendale, Humphries, Beaufort, Miss Butler, Miss Beaufort, Mrs and Miss Smith] will be admitted. Receipts: #83 1s. (47.16.0; 20.6.6; 14.18.6; tickets: none listed)

Event Comment: Benefit for Townsend and Follett. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, author unknown]: The Music entirely new, composed by Reeve. Morning Chronicle, 11 June: Tickets to be had of Townsend, No. 153, Drury-lane; of Jack Follett, at Mrs Chapman's, No. 46, Drury-lane. Receipts: #436 19s. (93.17.6; 4.6.0 Tickets: 338.15.6)

Event Comment: Oracle, 2 Feb.: Mrs Siddons wore a dress "wholly composed of white muslin, with a zone of jewels." Account-Book:Paid Barratt, Sperm Oil and Candles to 25th Inst. #125 5s. Receipts: #302 19s. 6d. (296.9.6; 6.10.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mattocks. Oracle, 25 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Mattocks, No. 8, Great Russell-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #296 1s. (156.18.6; 14.15.0; tickets: 124.7.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons, and the Last Night of her Engagement [see 6 and 16 May]. Mainpiece: Never acted here [1st acted at Bath, 1 Jan. 1788, as Such Things Were. Prologue by Richard Graves (Public Advertiser, 28 Jan. 1788)]. Oracle, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Siddons, No. 49, Great Marlborough-street. Receipts: #590 14s. (292.16.0; 51.13.0; 4.10.0; tickets: 235.6.6; odd money: 6.8.6) (charge: #213 17s. 4d.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Gibbs. Afterpiece: Not acted these 6 years

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kemble. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1]. 3rd piece: Not acted these 2 years. Morning Herald, 20 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Kemble, No. 11, Haymarket

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years [not acted since 4 Nov. 1780]. "Mrs Siddons's manner of receiving the death ofMoneses, and the struggle that ended in her own, was one of the best efforts of the art we ever beheld. This effort, however, was too much for her powers; for after her fall, her groans were so audible that the curtain was properly dropped [in the middle of Act V], and it was some moments before she could be removed from the stage. [The curtain was raised again, and] on the conclusion of the tragedy the audience would not suffer the farce to begin until Whitfield came forward, and assured them that she was perfectly recovered" (True Briton, 4 Feb.). Receipts: #257 13s. 6d. (181.18.0; 73.5.6; 2.10.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Powell. Lodoiska [advertised on playbill of 24 May] is obliged to be deferred on account of the Indisposition of Suett. True Briton, 16 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Powell, No. 22, Henrietta-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #287 2s. 6d. (91.14.6; 49.7.6; 2.3.6; tickets: 143.17.0) (charge: #220 0s. 8d.)

Event Comment: "It was with extreme regret that we perceived the ravages of time in the person of [Mrs Crawford, who had not acted in London since 12 Apr. 1785], tho' we were much consoled in observing that his influence is not equally apparent in her abilities...The blaze is gone, but there is a richness in the setting lustre...Kemble is evidently [Johnston's] model, and he followed him so closely, as even to the crossing of the legs in dying; so that where he was best, his efforts seemed to be the effect of imitation" (True Briton, 24 Oct.). "Mrs Crawford has had her day; but the sun of her genius has long sunk beneath the horizon...Many parts of her performance, we were sorry to observe, evinced the most evident decline of powers, and her tremulous accents, the debility of which was rendered the more striking from the want of several teeth, proclaimed that her days of play and action were nearly brought to a close...She was received with reiterated plaudits throughout...Nature has been very bountiful in supplying [Johnston] with a voice of much compass and melody, but he does not appear to have paid much attention to the cultivation of her favours. His transitions are often abrupt, and sometimes discordant; and the management of his tones is of so strange a nature that it appears more like two distinct voices than a judicious modulation of his natural accents" (Morning Herald, 24 Oct.). Receipts: #260 9s. (253.4.6; 7.4.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 11 years. III the Procession and Ceremony at the Tomb of Cresphontes. "Since Mrs Crawford's meridian another species of acting has arisen, that adds the graces of demeanour to the ebullitions of passion" (True Briton, 30 Nov.). Receipts: #175 5s. (164.19; 10.6)