Event Comment: Benefit for Johnstone. 1st piece [1st time; C 5, by William Macready, based on The Artful Husband, by William Taverner. Prologue by William Thomas Fitzgerald. Epilogue by Robert Houlton (see text)]. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, author unknown. Larpent MS 1076; not published]: The Music part new and part compiled by Shield. Morning Herald, 4 June 1795: This Day is published The Bank Note (2s.). Morning Chronicle, 18 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Johnstone, No. 19, Piazza, Covent-garden. Receipts: #434 19s. 6d. (168.1.0; 8.0.6; tickets: 258.18.0)

Event Comment: [Cooper, who was from the Stockport theatre, is identified in Genest, VII, 263.] Afterpiece: 1st Time at this Theatre [1st acted at cg, 23 Apr. 1783]. "We do not think Cooper's caution, on approaching the platform [in I. iv], either natural or characteristic...Of course he would not peep about, as if appalled at his own shadow...It has been usual with performers in this scene to walk to and fro, on the stage, and certainly the effect is improved by it" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1795, p. 48). Receipts: #221 9s. 6d. (220.14.6; 0.15.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Hannah Cowley. Not published. An alteration of her The World as it Goes, acted on 24 Feb. Prologue by B. Walwyn (London Chronicle, 28 Mar.)]: With New Scenes and Dresses. Receipts: #170 1s. (168.14.6; 1.6.6)

Event Comment: 2nd piece: The Overture, Chorusses, and new Musick by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Frederick Reynolds. Prologue by William Thomas Fitzgerald. Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (see text)]: With new Scenes and Dresses. The Scenes painted by Richards and Phillips. Oracle, 29 Nov. 1796: This Day is published Fortune's Fool (2s.). Receipts: #229 2s. 6d. (226.0.6; 3.2.0)

Event Comment: This Comedy was written by Mr Kelly as soon as the Curtain was drawn up they began to hiss--a party was made against it--because he was suspected of Writing for the Court party. Much hissing. Mr Garrick call'd for. No play &c. Cry'd out, at last the play was got thro' with much hissing and Groaning When the play was given out again One Party was for it no more and Kelly's party was for it again so that no play at all was given out (Hopkins Diary). [See Criticism in "British Theatre" article, London Magazine, March, also an extended account of the attack upon the piece. This occurs also in the Town and Country Magazine, which mentions that since the curtain was not drawn up for the farce the audience received a refund.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Joseph Richardson, based on The Coxcomb, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Prologue by Richard Tickell. Epilogue by John Burgoyne (see text)]: With new Dresses, Decorations, &c. Morning Herald, 1 May 1792: This Day is published The Fugitive (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #315 7s. 6d. (275.0.0; 39.2.0; 1.5.6)

Event Comment: By Their Majesties' Command. Afterpiece: a new Dramatic Masque. [By Roger.] The Habits, Scenes, Machines, and the other Decorations entirely new. King, Queen, Prince of Wales, Princess Amelia and Princess Mary present

Event Comment: The Rose is a New Musical performance of Two Acts by Dr Arne a very dull insipid piece. Mr G. protested against its being perform'd its being perform'd it was hiss'd from the beginning & wd not Suffer it to be given out again, therefore Mr King went on & told them it Should not be perform'd again until it be alter'd (Hopkins Diary). [Macmillan's note from Kemble differs slightly. See critical damnation of The Rose in British Theatre Article in The London Magazine, Dec. 1772.] Book of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre (playbill). Paid Mr Petit for men's cloaths, #8 8s. CTreasurer's Book). [Reviewer for Town and Country Magazine (Theatre, No. XLI) disappointed with the Rose: "We are told that this precious piece of stuff is the production of an Oxford student; it may be so, of this every auditor is certain, that the collegian who penned it was so entirely lost in the pursuit of some abstruse study, that he has totally forgot grammar, common sense, and even his mother tongue...it was unanimously damn'd."] Receipts: #172 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A Comedy [by William Kenrick] never performed before. [The play failed to succeed. Kenrick accounts for the failure in his Preface to the 1773 edition by reference to the Macklin affair (See 23 Oct., 30 Oct. and 18 Nov.) He quotes from the Public Advertiser (22 Nov.): "On Saturday last a new comedy called the Duellist was performed, for the first time, at Covent Garden Theatre. Previous to the curtain being drawn up, the following written handbill was dispersed about the house. 'Mr Macklin has been pursued by a malicious party to such a pitch of rancour, that at last they have succeeded so far in their cursed designs, as to get him discharged this theatre, and thereby have deprived him of the means of a livelihood; therefore if the public have any spirit, they will not suffer the new play to begin till Mr Colman promises that Mr Macklin shall be engaged again.' This handbill found its way into the green-room, and had a very visible effect on the performers, as was plainly evident from their confusion. The piece was received with great marks of approbation, and given out again for Monday, which was attended with some hissing, but that was greatly overpowered by the general applause of the audience. The overture to Thomas and Sally being attended to with silence, the greatest part of the author's friends quitted the theatre; which being taken advantage of by a party in the gallery, a riot ensued, and the entertainment was not suffered to go on till another play was given out for Monday." Kenrick agrees with this account, then analyses several other objections which he dismisses, to wit, in the play (a) too lengthy a satire on lawyers, (b) an indelicate passage in Latin (omitted from the printed version); in the audience, a conspiracy of Garrick and Bickerstaffe against him; and lack of a claque of his own friends to carry through their suport of him. Macklin's name appears on the playroll this night, but only for a accumulated 4 days of pay #8 16s. (Account Book).] Receipts: #221 3s. 6d. (Account Book)