Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Text (which assigns no parts) 1st published in his Posthumus Dramatic Works, I, 1813. Epilogue by the author (Public Advertiser, 24 Apr. 1782). Prologue probably by same; speakers unknown]: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. Receipts: #171 14s. (166/6; 5/8)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Richard Cumberland. Author of Prologue unknown. Epilogue by the author (Public Advertiser, 30 Jan. In 1796 this was acted at CG altered by the author in 4 acts]: With new Dresses, &c. Public Advertiser, 10 Feb. 1783: This Day at Noon will be published The Mysterious Husband (18d.). [Afterpiece in place of Barnaby Brittle, announced on playbill of 27 Jan.] Receipts: #275 9s. (269/14/6; 5/14/6)

Event Comment: [As mainpiece the playbill announces The Mysterious Husband, but its "being, on account of Miss Younge's sudden Illness, set aside, it was very proper to substitute another Piece of Cumberland's, The Walloons" (Public Advertiser, 10 Feb.).] Receipts: #150 6s. (142/7/6; 7/18/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5, by Richard Cumberland. Prologue and Epilogue by the author (see text)]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 14 Dec. 1784: This Day is published The Carmelite (1s. 6d.). "We never saw [Kemble] wandering to the audience; he never turned his eye around for applause when he had closed an animated period, nor ever entertained his intervals of silence with glances at the side-boxes, like some of his contemporaries, not to mention the great Palmer, nor Davies, &c." This behavior "he has so happily caught from Mrs Siddons" (Public Advertiser, 22 Dec.). Receipts: #233 17s. (216/15/0; 16/10/6; 0/11/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Prologue by the author. Epilogue by Edward Topham (see text). In 1794 this was altered by the author, and reduced to 4 acts]: With new Scenes and Dresses. Public Advertiser, 25 Jan. 1785: This Day is published The Natural Son (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #175 19s. 6d. (154/12/0; 21/0/0; 0/7/6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland, based on The Beaux Stratagem, by George Farquhar. Prologue by the author (World, 27 Jan.). Epilogue by the same (Knapp, 150)]. Public Advertiser, 14 Feb. 1789: This Day is published The Impostors (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #254 (235.16; 17.9; 0.15)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Richard Cumberland; music ascribed to Capt. Warner. Larpent MS 976; not published]: With entire new Music, new Scenes and Dresses. Books of the Songs [C. Dilly,1793] to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #224 0s. 6d

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Prologue by the Hon. Francis North. Epilogue by George Colman, the younger (see text)]. Morning Chronicle, 20 Mar. 1794: This Day is published THE BOX-LOBBY CHALLENGE (1s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Revised and Altered [reduced from 5 acts to 4] by the Author [Richard Cumberland; MS of this version: Larpent 1026]. [In afterpiece the playbill retains Bannister Jun. as Robin, but he "being ill, Benson play'd Robin" (Powell).] Powell: Natural Son rehearsed at 11 (Miss Farren absent, Miss Tidswell one scene). Receipts: #149 9s. 6d. (106/6/6; 34/13/0; 8/10/ 0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Authors of Prologue and Epilogue unknown. MS: Larpent MS 1096; not published]. Receipts: #358 12s. 6d. (280.6.6; 76.10.6; 1.15.6)

Event Comment: 2nd piece: Not acted these 12 years. Compressed into 4 acts by the Author [Richard Cumberland]. "This play has been compressed into unintelligibility. We defy the most ingenious analyser to connect the incidents in any way so as to be understood" (Monthly Mirror, Jan. 1796, p. 188). Receipts: #146 5s. 6d. (141.13.6; 4.12.0)

Event Comment: 1st piece: In one Act [i.e. reduced from the original two]. 2nd piece [1st time; MD 3, by Richard Cumberland. Author of Prologue unknown]. Receipts: #235 13s. 6d. (232.9.6; 3.4.0)

Event Comment: Account-Book: Tickets delivered by Ledger, Claremont, Goostree. Mrs Dick, Mrs Egan will be admitted. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, by Richard Cumberland. Larpent MS 1111; not published]: To conclude with an Illumination, Transparency, and a Rural Procession. The Music partly selected, and partly composed, by Shield. The Harp by Weippert. The Bells by Lawrence. With appropriate Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations. [Written in honour of the Royal Marriage" [see dl, 13 May] (Morning Herald, 19 May). "If we are to have these repeated Congratulations, let them be written by men of spirit and invention. The public are miserably placed, in cases like the present: between a respect for their King and a respect for their own understandings, they know not how to act" (Monthly Visitor, May 1797, pp. 454-55, which also includes a brief synopsis of the plot). Receipts: #254 9s. 6d. (84.0.0; 11.2.6; tickets: 159.7.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 5, by Richard Cumberland. Author of Prologue unknown. Epilogue by the author (Knapp, p. 302)]. [Afterpiece in place of Netley Abbey, advertised on playbill of 22 Nov.] Morning Herald, 6 Dec. 1797: To-morrow will be published False Impressions (2s.). Receipts: #165 16s. (161.13; 4.3)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Miss Biggs, but "Biggs, of Drury-lane Theatre, died yesterday [actually not until 9 Dec.]. The grief of his sister on the occasion prevented her performing in Cumberland's new comedy last night; in consequence of which the part of Matilda was read by Miss Heard" (Morning Herald, 8 Dec.).] Receipts: #158 0s. 6d.(98.0.0; 56.11.6; 3.9.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 5, by Richard Cumberland. Author of Prologue unknown]: A Romance of the Fourteenth Century, Formed upon the Plan of an unpublished Drama [Johanna von Montfaucon], written and transmitted by Augustus von Kotzebue, The Overture, Songs, Chorusses, Marches and Finale, with appropriate Symphonies between the Acts, by Busby. The Scenery, Dresses, Machinery & Decorations entirely New. The Scenery by Richards, Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, &c. The arrangement of the Marches, Chorusses & Military Movements incidental to the Piece, under the direction of Farley. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. The Words of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. "The appropriate beauty of the scenery, in which the rules of perspective are critically observed, the splendour of the decorations and the richness of the dresses, have been rarely equalled" (Universal Magazine, Jan. 1800, p. 75). Receipts: #318 6d. (316.2; 2.4)

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in 3 acts, altered from Garrick's original 5 acts by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.] The Music composed by Dibdin. With New Dresses. The Scenes, Machines, &c. invented by DeLoutherbourg. The Christmas Tale reduced to three Acts (by R. B. Sheridan esq.) was performed for the first time as a Farce--was received with very great Applause--it is too long, and must be shortened (Hopkins Diary). Public Advertiser, 22 Oct. 1776: This Day at Four o'Clock will be published A Christmas Tale (1s.) [For Baker see 28 Sept.] Receipts: #241 14s

Event Comment: Benefit for R. Palmer. 1st, 2nd and 3rd pieces: Never performed there. By Permission of G. Colman, Esq. [owner of the copyrights]. Public Advertiser, 30 Apr.: Tickets to be had of R. Palmer, No. 14, East Place, Lambeth. Receipts: #144 17s. (43.5; 18.13; 0.14; tickets: 82.5) (charge: #105 9s. 8d.)

Event Comment: Prelude [1st time: PREL 1, by George Colman elder; incidental music by Thomas Linley Sen. and Nicola Piccinni. Prologue by David Garrick (Poetical Works, II, 327)]. The Words of the Songs in [the] Prelude will be given at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:3O. To begin at 6:30 [see 11 Nov.]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook at the Stage Door. No Money to be taken at the Stage Door, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. The TR opened this Season under the Management of Messrs Lacy, Sheridan, Ford and Linley. This Summer the Flys has been raised considerably--the Stage widened and heitened--the orchestra enlarged, and Iron ornaments at the Top. New Brooms written by G. Colman Esq. went off with tolerable Applause--is much too long (Hopkins Diary). Public Advertiser, 3 Oct. 1776: This Day at Noon will be published New Brooms! (1s.). [Yates had last acted Malvolio at dl on 6 Jan. 1764 and at cg on 5 May 1772.] Receipts: #269 19s. 6d

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, ascribed variously to John O'Keeffe and to James Foord; adapted from La Gageure Imprevue, by Michel Jean Sedaine. Text prints a Prologue "Supposed to be written by G. Colman, Esq., and intended to be spoken by Bannister Jun.," but "it arrived, by accident, too late at the theatre to be studied and recited" (London Chronicle, 25 Aug.)]. "A new afterpiece was...attempted to be represented, [but] it was not heard out" (Public Advertiser, 19 Aug.). Public Advertiser, 8 Oct. 1788: This Day is published A Key to the Lock (1s.)