Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs DuBellamy. Tickets to be had of DuBellamy in Wild-Court, Great Wild-Street, at the Rainbow Coffee House, Cornhill and of Mr Sarjant at the stage door. Charges #64 10s. Deficit to the DuBellamy's #20 12s., cover'd by income from tickets #189 14s. (Box 449; Pit 475; Gallery 62) (Account Book). Receipts: #43 18s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: The Characters [of the mainpiece] New Dressed according to the habits of the times. [At foot of the bill first appears the customary notice: Places for the Boxes to be taken only of Mr Sarjant at the Stage Door. The Doors to be opened at 5 o'clock. To begin at 6 o'clock. Vivant Rex & Regina."] Paid Church & Militia tax for theatre #8 15s. and for House in Bow Passage 6s. 3d. (Account Book). Receipts: #232 14s. 6d

Event Comment: Paid Mrs Lessingham in full for salary to 1 June last, #300. Paid Whitefield [master of wardrobe] half a year's salary due Mich. Last, #50; Paid Sarjant ditto #20; Paid Mrs Carne ditto, #15. Receipts: #154 11s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Whitefield quarter year's salary due Xmas last #25, and Sarjant quarter year's salary due same time, #10. Advanc'd cash to Lee Lewes as per note #50 (Account Book). Receipts: #215 2s

Event Comment: Benefit for Dunstall. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [See 29 Nov. 1764.] Afterpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 2 Dec. 1769.] Charges: #64 5s. Profit to Dunstall #1 1s. 6d., plus #170 17s. from tickets (Box 433; Pit 410; Gallery 36). Paid Whitefield a quarter year's salary #25, and Sarjant ditto, #10. Paid Mrs Carne half year's salary #15 all due Lady Day last (Account Book). Receipts: #65 6s. 6d

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage-Door. [Customary footnote for subsequent bills. Only significant variations will be noted further. The Westminster Magazine this month (p. 557) remarked upon Woodward's Prologue, "in part a parody on the celebrated speech of Cato in Addison's Tragedy....He informed the audience that they had assembled their Theatrical troops against the approaching winter; and that their leaders had met in council to consider the best method of supporting their campaign; but as their forces were numerous and strong, he hoped the town would not refuse them sufficient subsidies especially...as their Gods must aat, and without money could not even raise a Devil."] Receipts: #184 4s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Both pieces By Command of their Majesties. Present Their Majestes. Gave Yeomen of Guards #2 2s.; Paid Whitefield half year's salary due Mich Last #50; Paid ditto to Sarjant #20, and Mrs Carne #15. Receipts: #220 2s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit towards the Establishment of a Fund for the Relief of Performers retiring from the stage. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. No person admitted behind the scenes. Charges #73 16s. Profit to Fund #89 4s. 6d.; plus (presumably) the income from 12 Box tickets, #3. Receipts: #163 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Catley, being the last time, but one, of her performing this season. Box, Pit and Gallery Tickets to be had of Mr Sarjant at the Stage Door. Charges #65 6s. Profit to Miss Catley #136 5s.; plus #67 11s. from tickets (Box 232; Pit 49; Gallery 22). Paid one year's Rector's Rate for theatre due Xmas last #8 15s., Watch rate #14 11s. 8d., and half year's paving rate due Mich. last #26 5s. Paid Recor's rate (one year's due Xmas last) for House in Bow Passage, 6s. 3d, and watch rate for ditto 10s. 8d. Receipts: #201 5s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Younger for writing parts a bill of #5 4s. 3d. Paid Whitefield for making cloaths #91 1s. 3d.; Paid Pattinson (tallow chandler) #31 15s. and Sarjant for incidentals #24 10s. Receipts: #189 1s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Sixth Night. For the Author. Afterpiece: By Desire. Charges: #67 15s. Profit to Hull #139 6s. 6d. Paid Whitefield one quarter year's salary due Xmas last #25, and Sarjant, ditto #10. Paid Bibb (sword cutler's) bill #14 13s. Receipts: #207 1s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Places for Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. Receipts: #106 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 31 Dec. 1772.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No Persons admitted behind the scenes, nor any money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. Places for Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. The Doors to be open'd at half an hour past 5 o'clock. To Begin half an Hour past 6. Vivant Rex & Regina. [Customary footnote for all succeeding bills this season, not to be repeated here. Woodward seems to have spoken an Occasional Prologue on the opening of the theatre. See request for its repetition on bill for 21 Sept. This Prologue is Larpent MS 377. It suggests the policy of offerings and competitions for the season--some old plays, some new, some foreign, some pantomimes, some Shakespeare, &c.

Event Comment: Benefit for Sarjant (Box-book and House-keeper). Doors open half past 5. To Begin at half past 6 o'clock

Event Comment: Benefit for Macklin. Last time of performing this season. Doors open half past 5. To Begin at half past 6 o'clock. Tickets to be had of Macklin, James St., Covent Garden, and of Mr Sarjant at the stage Door where places for the Boxes may be taken

Event Comment: The Two Misers is unavoidably oblig'd to be deferr'd. Books of the Entertainment [The Two Misers?] to be had at the theatre. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No persons admitted behind the scenes, nor any money returned after the curtain is up. Places for the Boxes to be taken, of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. The Doors to be opened at Half after Five o'clock. To Begin exactly at Half after Six. Vivant Rex and Regina. (Customary footnote for succeeding Playbills. It will not be repeated here. The Westminster Magazine, September, p. 459, indicates a Prelude was also given this opening night, consisting of several of the actors comparing notes on their various successes, casts of parts, droll accidents, which they had experienced during their different summer excursions. Mattocks, Dunstall, Lee Lewes, Miss Barsanti, and Hull participated. The reviewer reported the content of their reminiscences, but disliked the jumbled nature of the Prelude. Another account in the Morning Post, 21 September.] Note: For performance at hay 20 September, see Season of 1774-1775, p. 1905

Event Comment: Benefit for Sarjant (Box-keeper). Doors open half past 5. To begin half past 6 o'clock

Event Comment: Prelude [1st time; PREL 1, by Arthur Murphy]. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. Afterpiece: Not acted these 5 years [acted 21 Nov. 1772]. The Doors to be opened at 5:3O. To begin at 6:3O [see 11 Nov.]. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Sarjant (only) at the Stage-door. No persons admitted behind the Scenes, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. Receipts: #214 17s. 6d. (214.15.O; O.2.6.

Event Comment: Boxes 10s. 6d. Pit 5s. 1st Gallery 3s. 6d. 2nd Gallery 2s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. Books of the Oratorios to be had at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season. The date of Tenducci's re-appearance in London seems to have been a matter of some uncertainty (see dl, 10 Feb.)]

Event Comment: Benefit for Sarjant, box-book keeper. Tickets delivered for Monday the 12th will be received. Receipts: #253 17s. (67.16; tickets: 186.1) (charge: #84)

Event Comment: [Author of Prologue unknown. In afterpiece the playbill assigns Leander to Mahon, but "after the play Hull made a genteel apology for the non-attendance of Mahon...who, by some unaccountable accident, was not arrived in town, at the same time begging their acceptance of a young Gentleman' (Morning Post, 23 Sept.). For Bowles as Leander see 10 Oct.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Sarjant (only) at the Stage-Door. No Persons admitted behind the Scenes, nor any Money returned after the Curtain is drawn up. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 13 Oct.]. Receipts: #187 13s. (186.4; 1.9)

Event Comment: Boxes 10s. 6d. Pit 4s. 1st Gallery 3s. 2nd Gallery 2s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Sarjant (only) at the Stage Door. Books of the Oratorio to be had at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season. The Account-Book notes that the director of the oratorios this season was James Hook.

Event Comment: Benefit for Sarjant, box-book and house-keeper. Mainpiece: Procession as 11 May. Tickets delivered for Amphitryon will be taken. Receipts: #243 1s. (69.14; tickets: 173.7) (charge: #84)

Event Comment: Benefit for T. Ansell, Pilford, Marks & Furkins. Tickets delivered by Clarridge, Doe, Wells, Roberts, Walker, Whittington, Abbot, Sarjant, R. Ledger and Seymour will be admitted this Evening. Receipts: #248 9s. 6d. (22.9.0; 1.3.6; tickets: 224.17.0)

Event Comment: Among the Instrumental Performers are G. Ashley (leader of the Band), Sperati, Sarjant, Patria, Reinagle, C. Ashley, Boyce, Mahon, Mountain, Holmes, Lyon, Schram, Kaye, the Leanders, &c. Double Drums by J. Ashley. The Organ on Fridays by Knyvett, and on Wednesdays by Greatorex. The whole conducted by Harrison and Ashley. The Band will consist of 150 Performers. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon, at the Stage Door. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. No Money to be returned. Places may be taken in the Theatrical Orchestra at 5s. each [i.e. at the oratorios the instrumentalists sat on the stage]. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same throughout oratorio season]. Books of the Performances, with the names of the performers to their respective songs, to be had at the Theatre. And to prevent imposition in the Streets, the Managers have directed that they should be sold in the Theatre, at 6d. each