Event Comment: Lyric Ode (never performed) "On the Witches, Fairies, and Aerial Beings in Shakespeare. The Music entirely New." [The Westminster Magazine for March commented: "This poem is said to be written by a young gentleman of Oxford, and has many strokes of genius and inagination in it. The music, we hear, is composed by Mr Linley Jr, who has (since his return from Italy) been a student under that most excellent musician Dr Boyce. This composition must be allowed to be an extraordinary effort of genius in so young a man. The Fugue of the overture is masterly. The song of 'There in old Arden's inmost shade,' is well suited to the scene described by the poet....But what we think most deserving of praise is the power our young composer has shown in the chorusses....From the general and sincere applause with which the Ode was received, we may venture to pronounce, that if Mr Linley Jr pursues his studies, he will one day stand foremost in the list of modern composers."

Event Comment: Benefit for Lee. Mainpiece: With the characters for the time in old English Dresses, By Desire

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs West. Tickets to be had of West, at the Ship, near the Seven Houses, Rotherhithe. Mainpiece: In Act II the triumphal entry of Alexander into Babylonv; In Act IV the grand Banquet where Alexander kills his faithful soldier, old Clytus. [The playbill contains a lengthy synopsis of the plot of the mainpiece; it concludes by noting that "the many flowery passages with which this tragedy abounds does honour to the pen of its author, N. Lee, Esqr., and we may justly say with Mr Pope, 'Such plays alone shou'd please a British ear, as Cato's self had not disdain'd to hear.'"]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With a Medley Overture of favourite Sea Tunes. Old City Manners [announced on playbill of 8 Nov.] is obliged to be deferred on account of Palmer's Illness. Receipts: #146 1s

Event Comment: The Old Batchelor [and A Christmas Tale, both announced on playbill of 29 Nov. are] obliged to be deferred. [Public Advertiser assigns Lucianus to Parsons.] Receipts: #106 11s

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [Mainpiece in place of The Old Batchelor; afterpiece of Selima and Azor, both announced on playbill of 3 Dec.] Receipts: #253 3s. 6d

Event Comment: Mrs Green being taken ill, The Old Maid [announced on playbill of 29 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred. Receipts: #233 11s. (232.2.6; 1.8.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by William Shirley. Not in Larpent MS; not published; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 19 Dec. Prologue by the author (London Chronicle, 23 Dec.). Epilogue by Richard Cumberland (Collection...of English Prologues and Epilogues, IV, 194]: With New Scenes and Dresses. "I have been at another new play, The Roman Sacrifice. It is the old story of Junius Brutus, without a tolerable line. I went to see it, as I had never seen Henderson, and thought I could Judge him better in a new part; but either the part was so bad, or he wants to copy, that I should not have found out he was at all superior to all other actors" (Walpole [23 Dec. 1777], X 170). Receipts: #2223s. 6d. (207.8.0; 13.13.6; 1.2.0)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Old Batchelor, announced on playbill of 19 Nov.] Receipts: #127 8s. (102.11; 24.13; 0.4)

Event Comment: Benefit for the City of London Lying-in Hospital. [Author of Prologue unknown.] Paid Heele for Insurance #125 4s. Public Advertiser, 5 Dec.: Tickets to be had at the Hospital, Old Street Road. Receipts: #281 16s. (91.10; 9.9; 0.1; tickets: 180.16) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [Henry is identified in playbill of 15 Nov. He had been acting in America since 1767 (Dictionary of American Biography); and see 18 Apr. 1780.] "We cannot but object to [his] calling handkerchief hand-kercher, according to the old Saxon termination. Perhaps he may be justifiable [sic] on the strict rules of etymology, but singularity always looks like affectation" (Morning Chronicle, 18 Oct.). Receipts: #109 2s. 6d. (91.15.0; 17.2.0; 0.5.6)

Event Comment: The Old Batchelor [announced on playbill of 17 Feb.] is obliged to be deferr'd on account of King's illness. Receipts: #161 7s. (107.3; 53.9; 0.15)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Old Batchelor, announced on playbill of 24 Feb.] Paid the Guardians of the Duke of Bedford rent to Michaelmas 1778, land tax deducted, #160 16s. 4d. Receipts: #128 16s. 6d. (88.5.0; 38.11.0; 2.0.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Jerrold. Afterpiece: Containing the Life and Death of King Chrononhotonthologos, the valiant Exploits of Bombardimian, his general, the unsuccessful Love of Fadladinada, Queen of Queerumania, to the Antipodean King, concluding with the marriage of the aforesaid Queen to her two fortunate Lovers, Aldiborrontiphoscophornio and Rigdum Funnidos. Mr and Mrs Jerrold present their humble respects to the Ladies and Gentlemen, and as through the badness of the weather, and being Assembly-Night on their former Benefit, there was not the Expenses in the House; therefore solicit the Favour of their Company, and Interest in this their second Attempt. To begin precisely at 6:30. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had at the Crown, and at the Cock, Well's row

Event Comment: "I have been for two days in town, and seen Mrs Siddons . . . She is a good figure, handsome enough, though neither nose nor chin according to the Greek standard, beyond which both advance a good deal. Her hair is either red, or she has no objection to its being thought so, and had used red powder. Her voice is clear and good; but I thought she did not vary its modulations enough, nor ever approach enough to the familiar--but this may come when more habituated to the awe of the audience of the capital. Her action is proper, but with little variety; when without motion, her arms are not genteel ... I treated my eyes, not only with Mrs Siddons but a harlequin farce. But there again my ancient prejudices operated: how unlike the pantomimes of Rich, which were full of wit, and coherent, and carried on a story! What I now saw was Robinson Crusoe: how Aristotle and Bossu, had they ever written on pantomimes, would swear! It was a heap of contradictions and violations of the costume. Friday is turned into Harlequin, and falls down at an old man's feet that I took for Pantaloon, but they told me it was Friday's father. I said, 'Then it must be Thursday'" (Walpole [3 Nov. 1782], XII, 356-57, 359). Receipts: #241 6s. (222/4/0; 18/15/6; 0/6/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for the City of London Lying-in Hospital [in Old-Street, City Road. Author of Epilogue unknown]. Receipts: #270 8s. 6d. (62/14/0; 13/4/6; 0/14/0; tickets: 193/16/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: "The after-piece-that old obsolete Trash, the Country Madcap, by the aid of Quick and Mrs Mattocks' good Acting, was endured. Reinhold's imitation of Italian Singing . . . got three Peals of Applause" (Public Advertiser, 13 Oct.). Receipts: #150 4s. 6d. (147/1/6; 3/3/0)

Event Comment: Grimaldi being extremely ill, and it being uncertain when he may be able to perform, Wright has undertaken to supply his Character of the Clown, and Hamoir that of the Old Harlequin, and hope the Public will accept them with their usual kind Indulgence. In afterpiece: Repulse of the Spaniards, as 7 Jan. Receipts: #219 16s. (213/17; 5/4; tickets not come in: 0/15)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. By Desire of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, who on this occasion will attend in proper cloathing, and the different Regalias of their Order. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, author unknown. MS: Larpent 685; not published. Author of Prologue unknown]. The Doors to be opened at 5:00. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had at the Globe in Pall-mall; the Black Horse, Coventry-street; the Castle, in Castle-Court, Cornhill; the Rose Coffee-house in the Old Bailey; the Half Moon Tavern, Cheapside; and at the Theatre, where places for the boxes may be taken. Great care will be taken to have the House well aired

Event Comment: Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years [not acted since 17 May 1774]. "Bensley, whose Sense and Sensibility are always apparent, though not perhaps always successful, fell far short of Henderson in Old Norval" (Public Advertiser, 13 Feb.). Receipts: #274 15s. (258/5/0; 15/8/6; 1/1/6)

Event Comment: "[Mrs Siddons's] Impatience, her impassioned Gestures, during the Narrative of Old Norval--the Towering of her Transports after it--the Transports of Tenderness maternal... were given with an enthusiastic Grace of Truth" (Public Advertiser, 7 May). Receipts: #242 17s. (225/5; 16/13; 0/9; tickets not come in: 0/10)

Event Comment: Benefit for Staunton and Mrs Hedges. Gazetteer, 8 May: Tickets to be had of Staunton, No. 9, St. Martin's-street, Leicester-fields; of Mrs Hedges, opposite Old Bond-street, Piccadilly. Receipts: #208 1s. 6d. (15/13/0; 19/15/6; 0/16/0; tickets: 171/17/0) (charge: #106 0s. 11d

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; co 3, by George Colman, the younger. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (Colman, Prose, III, 252)]: The new Airs, and a New Overture by Dr Arnold. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [One of the songs, beginning "Adzooks, old Crusty," sung by Edwin, is set to the tune of Yankee Doodle, and in the musical score (Harrison, 1784) it is so entitled. This is believed to be the first time this song, as it is now sung, appeared in print.]

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2 (?), author unknown. MS not in Larpent; not published]: The Scenery, &c., partly new and partly selected from old and approved Pantomimes. Receipts: #205 7s. (156/6/0; 46/16/6; 2/4/6)