Event Comment: Benefit for Henderson. Ode: With the Songs, Chorusses, &c. The Music by Dr Arne. "When I recited Mr Garrick's Ode in a private room, I felt what I said, and I believe gave it some effect. Very different was it upon the stage. My feelings were weakened and confounded by the band, my voice lost its scale, and was overpowered by the music in the orchestra" (Ireland, p. 47). Public Advertiser, 26 Feb.: Tickets to be had of Henderson at his house, Great Buckingham-street, York Buildings. [His 1st appearance as Sir John Brute was at Bath, 1 Jan. 1774.] Receipts: #234 13s. 6d. (charge:#105). Account-Book notes that Henderson sold 319 tickets for the boxes and 85 for the pit, together worth #92 10s., and that tickets sold at the doors were worth #142 3s. 6d

Event Comment: "The great powers of Mrs Jordan cannot be better displayed than in the wonderful contrast of her Country Girl and Viola. In one all archness and vivacity; in the other serious, gentle, tender and sentimental" (Public Advertiser, 16 Nov.). [In afterpiece the playbill retains Parsons as Sir Anthony Halfwit, but on the Kemble playbill his name is deleted and a MS annotation substitutes Wilson's. "Parsons was taken suddenly ill & J. Wilson read his part" (MS annotation on British Museum playbill, in Harris, 11).] Receipts: #108 12s. (79/11/0; 28/13/6; 0/7/6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Burton, Miss Heard, Miss Tidswell, & Mrs Bramwell. [2nd piece: With alterations by John Philip Kemble.] 3rd piece: Not acted these 6 years. "Of [Wroughton's] comedy something favourably must be said. His personations are usually natural, easy, and spirited; he is perhaps too locomotive: he cannot bear to stand still...To this peculiar bustle of his motion may be attributed much of his success in Sir John Restless [in All in the Wrong]...For the same reason, no man can play Ford with half the effect Wroughton does" (Monthly Mirror, Mar. 1796, p. 304). Morning Herald, 30 May: Tickets to be had of Miss Heard, No. 43, Haymarket [others not listed]. Receipts: #337 6s. 6d. (30.13.0; 40.16.6; 3.4.6; tickets: 260.10.0; odd money: 2.2.6) (charge: #202 11s.)

Event Comment: [Miss Humphries, who was from the Private Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, is identified by MS annotation on Kemble playbill. In afterpiece the playbill retains Barrymore as Sir Rowland, and Bannister Jun. as Walter, but "The Public are respectfully informed that Bannister being suddenly afflicted with a Hoarseness, and Barrymore having met with an unfortunate Accident, are both rendered incapable of the honour of appearing before them this Evening. To prevent a disappointment of The Children in the Wood Dowton will perform...Walter, and C. Kemble Sir Rowland, presuming humbly upon the usual kind indulgence experienced upon such emergencies" (printed slip attached to Kemble playbill).] Receipts: #259 18s. (160.0.6; 98.12.6; 1.5.0)

Event Comment: At Mr Penkethman's and Mr Miller's Booth, at the Horns-Inn at Pye Corner, entering into Smithfield. A Celebrated Droll, Shewing the Pomp and Grandeur she lived in King Edward the IVth's Time, and the Misery she fell into upon Richard Duke of Gloucester's being made Protector. How she was oblig'd to do Penance in a white Sheet, carrying a lighted Torch bare Foot thro' the City, and then turn'd out to Starve; as also how she wandering met with her Husband, and the Tragick End of them Both. With the comical and diverting Humours of Sir Anthony Noodle, a foolish Courtier, and his Man Weezel

Event Comment: DDaily Journal, 22 Dec,: As the Author, in Compliment to that excellent Comedian Mr Wilks, had declared, that whenever he should leave off playing the Character of Sir Harry Wildair, the Comedy might e'en trip to the Jubilee; so the Curiosity of the better Sort was a good deal raised, to see how it would fare in the Hands of a new Company, and were as agreeably surprized to see it play'd to a fine Audience, with universal Applause; and particularly to the Parts of Wildair and Lurewell

Event Comment: Written by the late Sir Richard Steele

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir Richard Steele

Event Comment: The extravagant Attempt of Sir F. Wronghead gives me painful Apprehensions; but as the Town has given me repeated Instances of their Indulgence. [Prologue is in London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 17 July.]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Sir John Vanbrugh

Event Comment: To the Author of the General Advertiser: Sir: Several Parodies on the favourite Soliloquy in Hamlet having appear'd lately, and all of the serious and grave Kind; the following Attempt in Burlesque, if you think it will be agreeable to the Publick, is at their and your Service: Yours, Rigdum Funnidos. @To drink, or not to Drink? that is the Question--@Whether 'tis easier for a Man, to suffer@The Pangs and Horrors of Outrageous Thirst;@Or boldly venture on a Sea of Liquor.... Receipts: #140 (Cross); #111 19s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Macklin. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 27 Jan. 1770.] Afterpiece: For this night only this season (playbill). Charges #64 5s. Profit to Miss Macklin #19 4s., plus #43 from 172 Box tickets. Paid Whitefield one fourth year's salary due Lady Day last #25. Paid Mr Barber for a suit of regimentals embroider'd with gold, #12 12s. Paid Lowe and Lucas (linnen drapers) #13 19s.; Paid Evans for Spermecita candles as per bill #12. Paid Barrett (wax chandler) #3 4s. (Account Book). [Miss Macklin considered this a poor benefit, and on 6 May 1772 wrote to her father about the troubles she met in getting it underway. Woodward would not play in the farce since it did not belong to the theatre and since he had not be asked before she put his name in the bills. Kniveton labored hard and did quite well as Sir Archy. Ann Pitt so ill she could not do Lady Wrangle, but Mrs Hull sat up two nights, learned the part and acted it creditably (Harvard, Memoirs of Charles Macklin, Vol. II, pt. 2, after p. 55).] Receipts: #83 9s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Waldron and Mrs Greville. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. [See 23 April 1772.] Mrs Greville Sir Harry Wildair very bad (Hopkins Diary). Receipts: #58 4s. Charges: #65 19s. Deficit to Waldron and Mrs Greville: #7 15s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Authority of the Lord Chamberlain. Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence. Benefit for the Unfortunate Sufferers in the Glorious Action between Sir John Jervis, and the Spanish Fleet, off Cape St. Vincent [on 14 Feb. 1797]

Event Comment: "The only fault we observed was [Miss Biggs's] mode of turning away at the close of every speech, and retiring towards the back of the stage, as if the character was of no consequence when the speech was ended" (True Briton, 18 Oct.). MS annotation on Kemble playbill: Rehearsals--Cheap Living at 10; Sir Benjamin Backbite's scenes at 11; Irish Widow at 12; Adela'rs scenes, Haunted Tower at 1. Receipts: #247 16s. 6d. (162.0.0; 82.12.6; 3.4.0)

Event Comment: [Mrs Johnson was from the Park Theatre NewYork.] Afterpiece: Compressed into Two Acts. "Munden's Sir Francis Wronghead was a very pleasing display of comicality; but he should have contented himself with what was set down by the author, without introducing his own common place allusions to the fashions of the present day" (Morning Herald, 29 Sept.). Receipts: #200 17s. 6d. (195.19.6; 4.18.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece written by the late Sir Richard Steele

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A new Farce [By T. Cooke]

Event Comment: Benefit for Roberts. Charges #80. Deficit to Roberts #49 8s., covered by income from tickets of #116. Receipts: #30 12s

Event Comment: Benefit Roberts and Mrs Stevens

Event Comment: Afterpiece With the Scene of the Drawing. [William Hint in a Letter on Managers (Daily Gazetteer 26 Oct.) laments that Dunstall was cast as Sir William Belfond in the mainpiece and that Hippisley was cast in an inferior part. He thought Hippisley would have done better as Sir William.

Event Comment: CCross: (Pam: publish'd). Play dislik'd. Hiss'd much. [The pamphlet referred to was "Mr Garrick's Conduct as Manager of TRDL considered in a Letter Addressed to him," by E. F. 18 Oct.: As a manager, Sir, it is your business not only to prepare the Evening's Entertainment, but to prepare it in the best manner you are able; and the manager who does otherwise uses his customers ill." The burden of the author's complaints was: (1) the theatre has been operating for a month yet Garrick has appeared in only one character; (2) that he should buy himself off with speaking a prologue only, then sell that to the public at 6d. shows vanity, avarice, and lack of managerial responsibility; (3) that plays such as Albumazar (simple and poorly cast) and Scornful Lady, (with irreligious and atheistical parts) should not have been passed off on the public, whose expectations were raised high at the thought of Garrick's management. Macklin even had to apologize to the audience as he played the part of Sir Roger in the latter play. E. F. closed by urging: "Get up the best of our English Tragedies and Comedies; encourage the rising Wits and be under no apprehesion of the want of success." If you use common sense in casting your actors, as your former managers did (with all their other faults) in casting you, you will not yourself have to play every night. Above all remember your responsibility to the public.] Receipts: #100 (Cross); #127 4s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit Cooke. Mainpiece: At the Particular Desire of Several Ladies of Quality. Amphitheatre on Stage. Ladies send servants by 3 o'clock. Tickets and places to be had at Cooke's in Great Ormond St., near Queen's Square

Event Comment: Benefit Cooke. Mainpiece: At the Particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Tickets of Page at the stage door of the theatre in Bow St.