Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Sestini. Opera: Not acted these 3 years [acted 26 June 1788]. A Comic Opera; the Music by Paisiello. Under the direction of Federici. Tickets, 10s. 6d. each, to be had of Sga Sestini, No. 17, Mount-street, Berkley-square

Event Comment: The Manager most respectfully informs the Subscribers and the Public that the Operas end this evening at this Theatre, and will open on Tuesday next the 15th at Covent-Garden Theatre, to perform the remainder of the Subscription Nights. At which Theatre the Manager has carefully arranged every Box to accomodate the Subscribers according to the plan of the present Opera season

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A Grand Serious Opera (1st time in this country [1st performed at Vienna, 1767]), accompanied with Chorusses and Dances. The music entirely by Gluck. With entirely new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Opera now to be had at the Office of the Theatre, and at Beckett, Bookseller, Pall Mall. Morning Chronicle, 28 Apr.: To be performed exactly in the same manner as it was represented at Paris, under the direction of Gluck himself. Tickets to be had of Mme Banti, No. 3, Hay-market. Bartolozzi having presented Mme Banti, for her night, with a Ticket designed on purpose and engraved by himself, she proposes to give one of the engravings along with each Box and Pit Tickets, separately from the Ticket which will be admitted at the door. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:15 [see 20 June]

Event Comment: A Serious Opera (1st time at this Theatre [1st performed at Venice, 1783]); the Music by Bianchi. "The splendour of the Opera this year in point of crowd and fashion surpasses every thing within our memory. It used to be only full on the Saturday evening...Mlle Parisot, a new dancer from Paris, is a most beautiful figure, about 18 years of age...Her balance is postively magical, for her person was almost horizontal while turning as on a pivot on her toe" (Morning Chronicle, 10 Feb.). "[Mlle Parisot's] acting proves what art may effect by beautiful simplicity. She never makes use of those tours de force with which the best female dancers at Paris still endeavour to shine. Every step of Mlle Parisot is marked by the greatest truth and dignity of nature. Every one of her movements is expressive, spirited and harmonious" (Goede, pp. 264-65)

Event Comment: A New, Grand, Serious Opera, with Chorusses (1st time [in London; 1st performed at Paris, 1788, as Arvire et Evelina]). The Music by Sacchini (being his last Work). With entirely new Scenes (painted by Greenwood), Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Opera may be had at the Office of the Theatre

Event Comment: Rich's Company. There is no certainly as to whether this performance is the premiere. Because the play was not published until 1715, the cast for the first performance is not known. Lady Morley attended this performance. Hotson, Commonwealth and Restoration Stage, p. 377: Lady Morley and one in the Box att Country House 8s

Event Comment: Benefit Stephens. Tickets at Stephen's House, Paternoster Row

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 16 Years. [See 27 Dec. 1746.] Benefit for Shuter. Receipts: #173 16s. 6d. Tickets #150 13s. (boxes 272; pit 551). Charges: #63 (Account Book), [#325 9s. 6d. marks the largest house in money value this season. Shuter advertised his benefit early, then on 28 March inserted this puff in the Public Advertiser: [Mrs Centlivre's Comedies have a vein of pleasantry in them that will always be relish'd. She knew the Genius of this nation, and she wrote up to the spirit of it; her Bold Stroke for a Wife, was a masterpiece that much increased her reputation: it establish'd that of Kit Bullock, a smart sprightly actor. His performance of Col. Feignwell was greatly applauded. Shuter has judiciously chosen to play to at his own benefit, and everyone that knows his powers, knows he will play it at least with drollery and justice equal to him."

Event Comment: Not acted in 5 years. [See 4 Feb. 1758.] The Drummer was revived at this period at both theatres...to take advantage of the reigning weakness of the people, who went in crowds many days and nights to an Haunted House, by what was called the Cock-Lane Ghost-a delusion set on foot, and very ingeniously carried on by a girl of 12 years of age, daughter of a clerk of St Sepulchre's Church, who resided in Cock Lane near Smithfield. [The Ghost was supposed to be that of one Fanny, a gentleman's mistress buried in the church. By knockings and scratchings she supposedly haunted the girl intimating foul practices concerning her death.] It would be incredible to relate the numbers of persons of distinction that attended this delusion! many of whom treated it as a serious and most important affair...at last the girl's father and three or four others were tried in the King's Bench, found guilty' Pillioried and imprisoned. This most effectively laid the Ghost; and is the best and properest cure for every ghost that may arise hereafter. (Victor, History of the Theatres, III, 18 ff). [The theme exploited again by Garrick in The Farmer's Return from London, dl 20 March.

Event Comment: Paid half year's Land Tax for theatre due Mich. last: #61 5s.; half year's window lights for ditto: #6 10s. 6d.; half year's land tax for House in Bow Passage: #2 3s. 9d., and window lights for same 15s.; Paid Stubbs (timber merchant) as per bill #50; Paid Evans (sawyer) #9 5s. (Account Book). Receipts: #240 9s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Messrs. Raban & Kime (coal merchants) #56 15s.; Paid Sarjant half aear's rent for the House in Bow Passage due Mich. last #20 (Account Book). Receipts: #195 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Miss Farren, "but on account of the sudden indisposition of Miss Farren her part in the play was read by Mrs Ward, who gave it with great effect, and having studied Miss Farren's manner, was a very tolerable substitute" (Diary, 2 May).] Afterpiece [1st time; C 3, by John Philip Kemble]: Taken from [The Country Lasses; or] The Custom of the Manor [by Charles Johnson]. Diary, 6 May 1789: This Day is published The Farm House (1s.). And see 6 May. Receipts: #165 3s. (125.12.0; 34.18.6; 4.12.6)

Event Comment: An accurate Edition of The Farm House to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #98 16s. (55.4.0; 39.19.6; 3.12.6)

Event Comment: After the Italian manner, All sung, being set to Musick by Master Clayton. No Person to be admitted into the Boxes or Pit but by the Subscriber's Tickets. The Boxes on the Stage and the Galleries are for the Benefit of the Actors. [Premiere of the opera.

Event Comment: A Practice of the new Opera in Form; to begin exactly at Six a Clock. [See also 2 March.

Event Comment: In which there will be seen (for once only) the New Scene design'd for a New Opera. Admission as 26 Oct

Event Comment: Receipts. #170 5s. 6d. Probable attendance: boxes, 306 paid and 2 orders; staoe, 46 paid; balcony, 4 paid; pit, 263 paid and 2 orders; slips, 59 paid and 5 orders; first gallery, 417 paid; second gallery, 180 paid. Daily Journal, 12 Feb.: The Beggar's Opera is continued acting...with the greatest Applause, and to an Audience as numerous as ever. And we are informed, That most of the Boxes are taken to the 25th Night. [See also Gay to the Earl of Oxford, 12 Feb., in Correspondence of Pope, II, 473.

Event Comment: Receipts: #163 18s. 6d. Probable attendance: boxes, 230 paid and 3 orders; stage, 28 paid; balcony, 4 paid; pit, 273 paid and 3 orders; slips, 57 paid; first gallery, 420 paid and 4 orders; second gallery, 195 paid. Daily Journal, 28 Feb.: Whereas Mrs Barbier has advertized that the Beggar's Opera is to be performed, for her Benefit, on the 16th of March next; This is to inform the Publick, That such Advertisement was published without Consent of Mr Rich, and that the same will not be allow'd of

Event Comment: Receipts: #183 4s. Probable attendance: boxes, 240 paid and 4 orders; stage, 79 paid; pit, 292 paid and 4 orders; slips, 64 paid and 1 order; first gallery, 433 paid; second gallery, 204 paid. Daily Journal, 5 March: Mrs Barbier, in Compliance to the Town, has wav'd her right to the Beggar's Opera and the Tickets delivered out for Saturday the 16th, will be taken on Monday the 18th to Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, for her Benefit

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Younger. [There is some confusion concerning this performance. Daily Journal advertises The Fortune Hunters for its second performance, but Rich's Register gives The Beggar's Opera, 33d time; this numbering is recongnized in the bills by 16 March.] Receipts: money #35 2s.; tickets #115 17s. Probable attendance: boxes, 41 by money and 247 by tickets; stage, 12 by money; pit, 59 by money and 203 by tickets; slips, 6 by money; first gallery, 66 by money and 203 by tickets; second gallery, 74 by money. Tickets for Volpone will be taken

Event Comment: [The Bill calls this the 33d performance; Rich's Register labels it the 34th. See 11 March.] Receipts: #183 3s. Probable attendance: boxes, 246 paid and 5 orders; stage, 73 paid; pit, 292 paid and 4 orders; slips, 65 paid; first gallery, 435 paid and 2 orders; second gallery, 192 paid. Daily Journal, 12 March: N.B. During the Course of the Benefits, this Opera will be performed every Tuesday and Saturday

Event Comment: (D+Delany, Autobiography, I, 162): An opera is to be rehearsed; I have not heard the fame of it, its name nor author

Event Comment: Receipts: #80 2s. Probable attendance: boxes 70 paid and 12 orders; stage, 2 paid; pit, 227 paid and 20 orders; slips, 19 paid and 3 orders; first gallery, 183 paid and 10 orders; second gallery, 152 paid and 1 order. [For a performance of The Beggar's Opera at sf, with Polly by Miss Ward, see season of 1727-28, under 6 Sept. 1728.

Event Comment: [By Charles Johnson.] Never Perform'd before. Applebee's, 15 Feb.: The Village Opera was perform'd...with such Hissing and Clapping that the like was never known; for great Numbers of prejudic'd and partial People got together, and fell a Hissing before the Performers utter'd a Word