Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Barry. Part of pit laid into boxes. ["On 25 March Mrs Baddeley set off for Dublin, induced by her husband's behaviour" (Winston MS 10, from Dr Burney's News Clippings). But she was advertised as singing the part of Rhodope in the afterpiece the night of the twenty-sixth.

Event Comment: Mr Inchbald from the Norwich Compy. made his first appearance in Osmyn very bad Figure, Indifferent voice and a very bad Actor. a Small hiss at End of Play (Hopkins Diary). Osmyn, Young Gentleman (Cross Diary). This appears to be the last night of Miss Younge's performing in London this season--She left Drury Lane, and went ot Dublin. Mr Joseph Inchbald became an actor in the York Company of Comedians--He died at Leeds in Yorkshire, where he is buried--I knew him intimately--he was an excellent man, and an admirable actor of old comic characters, and of drunken men--He was at once-poor fellow-the greatest Sloven and in many Particulars of the nicest Delicacy too, that could be imagined (Hopkins Diary-MacMillan)

Event Comment: Several of the songs dew-set by Mr Fisher. [The Tete-a-Tete in the Town and Country Magazine for this month (pp. 569-70) tells of Miss Catley's affair with Col. Lascelles. Her father a hackney coachman, her mother a washerwoman. She met Lascelles in Dublin where she was playing in Mossop's theatre, and condescended to live with him.

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Farce [by a Gentleman from Dublin] never performed. [It was fitted to the stage as an afterpiece, and provided with a Prologue by Colman. Advertisement for the Edition of 1772 indicates that it was "attempted to be acted, "but was damned. Taken principally from Moliere's Marriage Force. See account of damning of Farce, in Town and Country Magazine (Theatre No. XXXIII), before last act was over by a candle being thrown on stage.] Paid one year's ground rent for theatre due Mich. last #100 minus land tax of #16 5s.: Total #83 15s.; Paid ditto for the New Building adjoining the theatre #30, minus Land Tax of #4 17s. 6d.: Total #25 2s. 6d. (Account Book). Receipts: #198 16s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Bulkley. Mainpiece: A New Comedy [by a Lady] never perform'd in this Kingdom. As performed with Universal Applause at the Theatre Royal in Dublin. [The Edition of 1774 lists the Irish Actors. The characters are: Mowbray, Sir Thomas O'Shaughnesy; Admiral Swivel; Leslie; Egerton; Capt. Egerton; Issacher; Donald M'Pherson; Strap; Elfrida Audley; Henrietta Egerton; Mrs Ornel; Mrs Issacher; Jenny, a Mantua Maker, a Maid; French servants and porters. Genest suggests a casting for ten of the characters.] Charges: #66 6s. 6d. Profit to Mrs Bulkley #33 17s., plus #93 13s. from tickets Box 232; Pit 177; Gallery 91). Paid Mrs Carne half year' salary due Lady day last #15. Paid half year's water rent due Xmas last #4. Receipts: #100 3s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [The Gentleman in the mainpiece under the pseudonym of Melmoth was the voluminous writer Samuel Jackson Pratt. Identification by Hopkins MS Notes. He had acted first in Dublin, 1772-73.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time in London; DR. POEM 5, by William Mason, 1st acted at Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, 30 Mar. 1764]: Written on the Model of the ancient Greek Tragedy. The Overture and all the Music composed New by Dr Arne. With a New Scene designed and executed by Dahl [recte Dall]. The Dresses, Decorations, &c. all entirely New. Books of the Lyrical Part of the Drama to be had at the Theatre. 'But I had rather talk of Caractacus; I agree that he will not suffer by not being sputtered by Barry, who has lost all his teeth. Covent Garden is rather above Drury Lane in actors, but both sets are exceedingly bad, so bad-that I almost wish Caractacus was not to appear. Very seldom do I go to the play, for there is no bearing such strollers" (Walpole [to the author, 8 Oct. 1776], IX, 419-20). "I attended Caractacus last winter, and was greatly interested, both from my friendship for Mr Mason and from the excellence of the poetry. I was out of all patience; for though a young Lewis played a subordinate part very well, and Mrs Hartley looked her part charmingly, the Druids were so massacred, and Caractacus so much worse, that I never saw a more barbarous exhibition" (Walpole [13 July 1777], X, 81-82). Public Advertiser, 7 Dec. 1776: This Day is published the Lyrical Part of Caractacus (6d.). [The publisher, J. Wilkie, states that he also has the "whole Drama, as altered by the Author, 18d." Ibid., 9 Dec., contains an advertisement from Mason stating that this version is unauthorized.] Ibid., 12 Dec.: This Day is published [by A. Ward of York] a new Edition of Caractacus, now altered for Representation at the Theatre-Royal in Covent Garden (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #163 10s. (163.6; 0.4)

Event Comment: "[Henderson] appears to have cultivated the gifts of nature, with great industry; he promises better to attain the character of a player of consummate judgment than a great player, properly so called. Edwin, in spite of his thin voice and disgusting articulation, is at least equal to half his London contemporaries; and exhibited proofs that neither his conception, nor style of playing, is limited to a particular cast of parts, or mode of acting" (London Magazine, June 1777, p. 288). [ Miss Barsanti was from the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin.