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: [Mainpiece in place of The Force of Ridicule; afterpiece of Richard Coeur de Lion, both advertised on playbill of 28 Nov.] "The new Comedy last night was deferred upon the pretext of Miss Farren's illness...The Manager sent after Mrs Siddons, who was found at Covent-Garden Theatre, seeing Abroad and at Home. Brandon, however, ordered her a chair, and she kindly performed Isabella. Wroughton read the Father" (Oracle, 30 Nov.). "For near an hour the audience waited patiently...At half past seven Palmer addressed the audience" He said that Miss Farren was ill, that to those who preferred to leave the theatre their money would be returned, and that instead of the new play Mrs Siddons would act Isabella, "as soon as the dresses could be prepared for that purpose. This address was by no means favourably received, and hundreds of persons immediately left the house. A few minutes after eight, the Curtain drew up to the tragedy, which was well performed, and much applauded by the few who remained to witness it" (Morning Herald, 30 Nov.). "November 30. Miss Farren last night refused to appear in a new Play at Drury Lane which made much confusion in the House. The cause assigned was indisposition but that was not believed by the audience; and the fact Lysons says is, that as she cannot obtain payment from the Theatre, she resolutely told them she wd. not appear unless her demands were paid...Such is the unprincipled conduct of Sheridan" (Diary of Joseph Farington, 1922, I, 174). [On 1 Dec. Morning Herald prints a letter from Miss Farren, from Green-street, Grosvenor-square. saying that she really was ill. The editor of the paper adds a note in which he affirms his positive knowledge that rumours about a dispute as to Miss Farren's unpaid salary were without foundation.] Receipts: #134 2s. (82.2; 50.18; 1.2)

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: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Widow of a Baronet [Sir Richard Perrott], and a large Infant Family. Tickets to be had of Lady Perrott, No. 28, Spring-street, Portman-square

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 27 Nov.: At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Last Night there was a great Number of Persons of Quality and Distinction at the Theatre in Goodman's Fields, to see the Play of Richard the Third, who all express'd the highest Satisfaction at the whole Performance, several hundred Persons were obliged to return for want of room, the House being full soon after Five o'clock

Event Comment: Last night Mr Goodfellow played the part of King Richard the Third, at the tr/dl with uncommon applause. It is remarkable that this is the second King Richard that has greatly suceeded from Goodman's Fields

Event Comment: Benefit Turbutt and Leviez. N.B. There having been a Parcel of Tickets lost or Mislaid, to prevent Impositions on the Publick, notice is hereby given, that proper persons are appointed to attend the Passages of the Theatre, and stop the Admission of Tickets sold by Orange Woman, and others. Tickets deliver'd out by a Gentleman will be taken. Tickets and places to be had of Bradshaw, &c; and at Ben Johnson's Head, in Little Britain; and of Leviez at the Blue Door in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields. Receipts: #150

Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Duke, and the Princesses Amelia, Caroline, and Louisa. Rylands MS.: Garrick Play'd, Duke Attended. Died 31 July, aged 77, Ben Johnson (Winston MS. from Burney's Actors MSS). [See benefit for his daughter 15 Dec.] Receipts: #171

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time, i.e. as an alteration of Richard Savage's play; T 5, by William Woodfall. Prologue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Epilogue by Richard Cumberland (see text)]: with New Scenes and Dresses. Public Advertiser, 13 Feb. 1777: Sir Thomas Overbury (the Publication of which was unavoidably postponed) will be ready this Morning, at Ten o'Clock (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #212 4s. 6d. (210.7.6; 1.17.0)

Event Comment: "The Greybeards have certainly been chastised, for we did not find them at all gross. The piece is farcical and improbable, but has some good things, and is admirably acted. Coeur de Lion did not answer; nor was I much charmed with the music; but my ear is too bad to judge at first hearing. The scenes are excellent; Mrs Jordan is quite out of her character, and makes nothing of the part; and the turning the ferocious Richard into a tender husband is intolerable...It only makes a confusion in one's ideas, to maim a known story" (Walpole [15 Dec. 1786], XIII, 429)

Event Comment: [The playbill retains Mrs Jordan as Matilda and Mrs Crouch as Laurette, but Mrs Jordan "sent word she was too ill to perform this Evening. The audience called for Crouch to act Matilda" (Kemble Mem.). "She instantly complied...and was received with the most marked respect" (Morning Chronicle, 28 Nov.). The audience refused to believe that Mrs Jordan's illness was genuine, and for several days she was treated harshly by letters to and paragraphs in the newspapers. For her letter explaining her "real inability from illness to sustain her part in the entertainment" see Oulton, 1796, II, 103-6; see also 10 Dec. "Richard Coeur de Lion was advertised as the afterpiece; but on account of the sudden illness of Mrs Jordan, High Life below Stairs was proposed to be substituted; the house, however, seeming to disapprove of this change, Mrs Crouch kindly undertook the part of Matilda; Miss Hagley took hers of Laurette" (Public Advertiser, 28 Nov.).] Receipts: #285 10s. (220.3; 64.10; 0.17)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Richard Tickell, some of the songs attributed to Richard Brinsley Sheridan; synopsis of plot in Public Advertiser, 18 Dec. Songs (no pub., 1781) omits several [i.e. all the non-singing] characters. MS not in Larpent; not published]: With entirely new Music and a new Overture [by Thomas Linley Sen.]. To conclude with a View of St. Mark's Place, and a grand Representation of the Carnival. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations, designed by De Loutherbourg, and executed under his Direction. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 19 Dec. 1781: This Day are published the Songs in The Carnival of Venice (6d.). Account-Book, 11 Jan. 1782: Received from Miss Giles for 1,550 Books of the Songs in the Carnival #31. Receipts: #225 18s. 6d. (216/4/0; 9/14/6; 0/0/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; c 5,by Richard Griffith. Prologue by Richard Tickell (see text). Author of Epilogue unknown]: With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. Public Advertiser, 27 Mar. 1782: This Day is published Variety (1s 6d.). Receipts: #226 9s. 6d. (218/5/0; 7/14/6; 0/10/0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 4, but published in 5, by Richard Bentley. The assignments of Fearon, Booth, Mahon (who are not listed in the text) are my own conjecture. Prologue and Epilogue by Richard Bentley Jun. (Public Advertiser, 18 Dec.)]: New Dresses, &c. Words of the Epithalamium will be given at the Box Doors. Public Advertiser, 11 Jan. 1783: This Day is published Philodamus (1s. 6d.). Afterpiece: Never performed at this Theatre. Receipts: #203 2s. (198/16/6; 4/5/6)