Event Comment: LLucio by Mr O'Brien, (The young gentleman who perform'd Capt Brazen). Receipts: #160 (Cross); #167 2s. (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: Benefit for Love. Mr Love Hiss'd in the Scotchman. Dumont by Mr Powell (Hopkins). Characters Dress'd in Habits of Times. Mr Love was hissed very much in the Scotchman, and the Farce hissed at the end (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan). No building on stage. On Saturday Othello with a New Burletta call'd Music A-La-Mode, or Bayes in Chromatics For the Benefit of Vernon. [The principal characters were to have been played by King, Vernon, Packer, Fox, Mrs Mrs Dorman, and Miss Young (Public Advertiser, 13 April). But it was deferred at the last minute and seems never to have been performed. Larpent MS 237 lists the parts: Dr Crochet, Player-Packer; Squire, Justice; Damon; Daphne, Chorus of Shepherds and Nymphs. $J. P. Kemble thought it a burlesque at the expense of Dr Arne (professor of nonharmonic music). The Player wants in it to banish all but four plays (Tamerlane, London Cuckolds, George Barnwell, and Twelfth Night) and fill stage performance with music.] Receipts: #208 14s. 6d. (MacMillan); charges: #64 4s. [Profit to Love: #144 10s. 6d.

Event Comment: CCymon deferred on account of Mrs Arne's hoarseness. Neville MS Diary: Saw the Provok'd Wife, Young Brute inimitably played by Garrick...The heat was very great. The tendency of the Provok'd Wife is very immoral, as it presents an intention to commit adultery in too agreeable a light. Receipts: #247 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. With the latest improvement by Mr Handel. Pit and boxes to be put together. Tickets will be deliver'd that day, at the Office in the theatre at Half a Guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at Half an Hour past Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To Begin at Half an Hour after Six (Public Advertiser, 4 March). [N.B. This is an Advance notice. No notice occurs on this day, but the following: This Day publish'd Esther: An Oratorio, with the last improvements by Mr Handel. To be performed, by Their Majesties Command at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. Price 1s.] Went into the First Gallery at Covent Garden to hear the Oraortio, Esther, composed by Handel. The Stage was formed into an orchestra, like one side of an amphitheatre divided by an organ, atop of which was a head of Handel in a radiated frame. In the front sat the vocal performers, Champney, Vernon, Mrs Arne, Mrs Pinto, Miss Young, and Mrs Frasi. Stanley played on the Organ but retired after the 1st or 2nd act. The house was not much crowded, tho the King and Queen, those idols of fools, were there (Neville MS Diary). Charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: At 6 took my place in ye Pit. I expected ye Taylors would have been damned; but with certain alterations and additions it went off better than it did last night. It is a sort of burlesque tragedy. If there is any wit in it, it is very low and unlike that in Mr Foote's other pieces. The Prologue, spoken by him, is more diverting than any part of ye play. Some Masters and leading Journeymen are taken off. [Cast listed.] The Citizen was vilely performed, except Old Philpot by Weston. Palmer is not equal to ye young one. They went off without concluding it. We had ye Builders Prologue before ye farce, by ye same means we had it last night. Foote wished for ye Builder, as ye person who supplied his place did his part vilely

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Read ye parts of Varanes and Athenais before I went into ye Pit to see ye Play of Theodosius. Barry and Mrs Dancer are excellent in Varanes and Athenais. Young Barry did Theodosius, and Sowdon Marcian, who, tho' ugly, has a pretty good person and is a tolerably good player. Liontine by Bannister

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Barry played Lear very well. His broken voice is appropriate in that character; tho' I am apt to imagine that certain nice inflections of voice in expressing ye language of passion, are mistaken for a failure of ye voice itself...[partial cast]. Young Barry was tolerable in some parts of Edgar, but very inanimate in ye last scenes...The House very full

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Went to ye Pit to see ye Beggar's Opera-oblig'd to stand till ye play was over-Read some parts of ye Opera which I borrowed at Davies's, before it began and between the acts. Barry is a good Macheath, but most persons who have seen him when young observe that he has not ye activity and fire he then had. He sings tolerably as does Mrs Dancer; but both are greatest in ye acting part. Mrs D. is ye best Polly I ever saw, having that sensibility which your mere singing Pollys generally want. Mrs Mahon did Lucy with great ease and propriety, and has a good deal of expression in her countenance. Thomson has a force and mellowness of voice very suitable to ye character of Lockit. I do not think Weston excels in Filch. Shuter raised vast applause by adding, after Trapes has said "done under the Surgeon's hand'--"Oh dreadful and in such weather too!" Bannister in Mat added--"Die hard"--and Palmer in Budge--"Die game--" Mrs Gardner's pretending to get drunk in Mrs Slam is new. We had at ye end of Act 2 the Fing., of Act 3 a New Hornpipe, and at ye end of ye Opera the H. Peasant by $Miss Froment, with Duke and No Duke-of which I am tired

Event Comment: Read the principal parts of Much Ado About Nothing. Dined at St Clements Chop House, entered into a political conversation with a young gentleman, which prevented me from getting into the Pit till 5 o'clock. Was so squeez'd I could scarcely use my glass. [Lists parts.] The play was concluded by Comic Dance by the characters. How well and with what Agility Garrick dances (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: At 5 went into the Pit at Covent Garden to see Mrs Yates do Lady Townly. Yates is an excellent Sir Francis, but Powell does not shine in Lord Townly....The Entertainment was the new comedy in two acts called the Oxonian in Town, with a prologue by Woodward in the character of a student....It being suspected that a number of sharpers whose characters and practices are laid open in this piece, would attempt to damn it tonight (the 3rd of its being Performed) under pretence of its casting odium on the Irish, bills were dispersed in the House during the play vindicating it from any such intention. Woodward was allowed to speak the prologue, but as soon as the curtain drew up catcalls began. When the performers retired, Powell spoke several times, but was not heard. I was told that the author (Mr Colman) desires to know whom he has offended. The Pros were a very great majority, and at last after a contest of better than 1!2 an hour, the victory was over and the piece was performed. I think it contains many good sentiments, and excellent instruction to young men and is not unworthy of Mr Colman. If vice must not be exposed to hatred and contempt, the usefulness of our theatres is at an end. Only I think the Covent Garden pleasures are represented in too favourable a light. When all was over Powell came on the stage and thanked the audience for their generous protection (Neville MS Diary). Receipts: #212 12s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Bensley. The Tragedy Altered by Dr Hawkesworth. Part of Pit will be Laid into the Boxes. [Winston MS 10, from O. Smith from the Town & Country Magazine, suggests Oroonoko--Fleetwood, son of the late manager, and brother to the gentleman who appeared about Nine years ago at dl.] Charges #66 19s. Balance to Bensley #51 15s. 6d. plus #113 15s. from tickets (Box 416; Pit 59; Gallery 9). Paid Younger for writing parts #6 3s. 4d. Receipts: #118 4s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Desire. The New Tragedy of Zobeide deferr'd on account of Indisposition of Mrs Yates. Zobeide publish'd at 1s. 6d. (Winston MS 10). Paid Younger #2 2s. for license for Zobeide. Advanc'd Cushing as per note #37 10s., and Gardner #30 (Account Book). Receipts: #148 10s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [Maria Macklin in a MS letter to her father this date (See dl 1 Feb. 73) complains that Elfrida alone drew houses at cg this season, and that even that play failed to fill the galleries; that Colman was difficult to see; that Younger carried on all the business of the theatre, everyone kowtowing to him: "Savigny has been discharged from the theatre; Ross has been laid up all the winter with the Gout, and has lately played Lear to a thin house. The Town is big with expectation of Foote's Puppet Show."] Receipts: #166 6s

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these years. [See 17 March 1772. Gentlewoman identified by Hopkins Manuscript Notes and by Winston MS 10. The Westminster Magazine for March (p. 111) gives out that "she was very lately a boarder with the celebrated Charlotte Hayes; a circumstance which will inform our readers that her figure is pleasing and also that she is young and hadsome. It is but justice, however, to add that she possesses the internal as well as external requisites of a good actress; for she discovers great feeling and sensibility; and indeed promises to be an ornament to the theatre."] Receipts: #192 6s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Aickin. The Tragedy of All for Love, which was to have been performed this evening, is oblig'd to be changed, on account of the indisposition of Mrs Barry and Miss Younge; therefore Mr Aickin humbly hopes that his friends will accept of the Tempest in its stead. Tickets deliver'd for All for Love will be taken. Paid extra flute and hautboy 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Aickin did not act (Winston MS 10). [This month published The Sentimental Spouter; or, Young Actor's Companion. The whole comprising the essence of theatrical delivery, and the beauties of dramatic poetry. Price 1s. 6d. Printed for Wheble (Gentleman's Magazine Register).] Receipts: #123 14s. 6d. Charges: #74 14s. Profit to F. Aickin: #49 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Wells. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by Edward Topham, with incidental music by Shield. MS not in Larpent; not published. Prologue by George Colman, the younger (European Magazine, May 1786, p. 370)]. "An old and established rule among the youth of Westminster [School will] not permit any exhibition on the stage reflecting upon their body ... In the second act Mrs Wells made her appearance in the dress of a Westminster scholar, when a general uproar [instigated by the scholars] took place, and the [rest of the] piece was prevented from being heard" (Town and Country Magazine, May 1786, p. 235). Public Advertiser, 8 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Wells, No. 188, Oxford-street. Receipts: #282 17s. (166/0/6; 21/19/6; tickets: 94/17/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for R. Palmer, Russell & Dowton. 1st piece [1st time; B 1, by Edward Henry Iliff. The title-page has "by Edmund Spenser, Ynger." On his copy, now in Huntington Library, J. P. Kemble has written, "Iliffe [sic] is the real Name of the Authour"; he has made a similar notation on the playbill]: Founded on the 17th Number of The Spectator. 3rd piece [1st time; MF 1. Larpent MS 1219; not published. The characters are all taken from previous plays by John O'Keeffe, as follows: Sadboy (The Young Quaker); Signor Arionelli and Bowkitt (The Son-in-Law); Motley (The Dead Alive); Tully (The London Hermit); Lingo and Cowslip (The Agreeable Surprise); Ephraim Smooth (Wild Oats); Nipperkin (Sprigs of Laurel); Jemmy Jumps and Betty Blackberry (The Farmer); Mrs Casey (Fontainbleau)]: Written by Mr O'Keeffe. Times, 4 June: Tickets to be had of R. Palmer, No. 2, Queen's-row, Pimlico; of Russell, No. 19, Martlet-court, Bow-street; of Dowton, No. 5, Strand-lane, Surry-street, Strand. Receipts: #413 11s. 6d. (76.17.6; 37.7.0; 1.0.0 tickets: 298.7.0) (charge: #215 10s. 5d.)