Event Comment: Mainpiece: 32nd Night [i.e. in continuation, erroneously, of the reckoning for the preceding season, when it was acted 28 times]. With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Music (with a few Exceptions) composed entirely new by Shield. And new Scenery designed and chiefly executed by Richards. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "Covent-garden is the National Theatre. I was there on 10th Dec. and saw an opera called The Woodman. It was the very day on which the life story of Madam Billington, both from the good as well as from the bad sides was announced [i.e. Memoirs of Mrs Billington, and An Answer to the Memoirs of Mrs Billington, both anonymous, both predated 1792]...She sang rather timidly this evening, but very well all the same. The first tenor [Incledon] has a good voice and quite a good style, but he uses the falsetto to excess. He sang a trill on high C and ran up to G. The 2nd tenor [Johnstone] tries to imitate him, but could not make the change from the falsetto to the natural voice, and apart from that is most unmusical...But the cast is entirely used to him. The leader is Herr Baumgartner [sic], a German who, however, has almost forgotten his mother-tongue. The Theatre is very dark and dirty, and is almost as large as the Vienna Court Theatre. The common people in the galleries of all the theatres are very impertinent; they set the fashion with all their unrestrained impetuosity, and whether something is repeated or not is determined by their yells. The parterre and all the boxes sometimes have to applaud a great deal to have something good repeated. That was just what happened this evening, with the Duet in the 3rd Act, which was very beautiful; and the pro's and contra's went on for nearly a quarter of an hour, till finally the parterre and the boxes won, and they repeated the Duet. Both the performers stood on the stage quite terrified, first retiring, then again coming forward. The orchestra is sleepy" (Haydn, 273-74). Receipts: #194 11s. (191.8; 3.3)

Event Comment: Pepys, Diary: Though nine o'clock at night, carried them [Mary Joyce, Anthony Joyce and Kate Joyce] into a puppet play in Lincolnes Inn Fields, where there was the story of Holofernes, and other clockwork, well done

Event Comment: Benefit Wood. At the particular Desire of several Persons of Quality. Weekly Pocket, 14 May: There has been a great Disturbance at...Lincoln's-Inn-Fields this Week, by the Means of some Gentlemen, who were in the Interest of the other House, and made Use of Catcalls to interrupt and ridicule their Theatrical Entertainments; but the Disturbers of the Peace were soon silenc'd. Receipts: #125 16s. 6d

Event Comment: It seems a very scandalous Interlude, or Play, has been prepar'd for Action at...Lincoln's Inn Fields notwithstanding the Discouragement that was given but a little while since to one of the same Kind; but a proper Authority has put a Stop to such Outrages against Common Decency and Manners.-Weekly Packet, 4-11 July

Event Comment: Receipts: #32 0s. 6d. Daily Journal, 18 Feb.: On Saturday Night a Disturbance happen'd at...Lincoln's Inn-Fields, occasion'd by a Body of Bailiffs and their Followers investing the House, in order to carry off a Gentleman who was upon Duty in the Play; but, we hear, their Design miscarried

Event Comment: Receipts: #140 13s. Probable attendance: boxes and pit, 308 paid and 73 orders; stage, 1 paid; slips, 27 paid and 7 orders; first gallery, 304 paid and 1 orders; second gallery, 172 paid. Daily Journal, 25 May: We hear that this Evening the famous Captain Lemuel Gulliver is to be at...Lincoln's Inn Fields, very handsomely attended and dress'd in a rich Habit, the like of which was never seen in England before. The two Stage Boxes are kept for him and his Company....The Master of the House has promised the Captain that neither during the Play or Entertainment, any Person shall be admitted behind the Scenes, that the Captain may bot be too much press'd with the Crowd

Event Comment: Benefit Chapman. Receipts: money #39 12s.; tickets #89 19s. Daily Post, 24 April: We hear that on Monday next the Hon. and Antient Company of Lumber Troopers will perform a fine Exercise in New-street Square, and from thence proceed in a Body...to...Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, to see...the Busy Body, with the Opera of Flora...for the Benefit of Mr Chapman, belonging to the said Troop

Event Comment: 1 At the New Theatre. Benefit Paget. 7 p.m

Event Comment: "This may be called the Coalition Season, the Actors of both Theatres playing at either house indiscriminately" (MS annotation by J. P. Kemble on Kemble playbill). Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had 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 Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 16 Oct.]. Receipts: #226 8s. 6d. (193.9.0; 32.12.0; 0.7.6)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With alterations [by David Garrick]. "The managers, to our astonishment, continue to play with Garrick's alterations. [The original play] is materially injured by those which Garrick adopted in compliance to the French criticks" (Morning Chronicle, 20 Sept.). [For a summary of these alterations see my Shakespeare in the Theatre, II, 188-89.] Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Ist Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had 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 Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 30 Oct.]. Receipts: #174 6s. 6d. (135.1.0; 38.17.6; 0.8.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. [In mainpiece the playbill does not list the Child; for the assignment see Morning Post, 10 Oct., and edition of 1787 (Rachael Randall).] "[Mrs Siddons's] merit in the character was infinite, and the applause she received unbounded. In various of her scenes the plaudits were repeated . . . During the fourth and fifth acts there was almost an incessant clapping, and when Isabella expired her death was rendered glorious by the theatre's resounding with thundering applause for more than a minute" (Morning Chronicle, 11 Oct.). "L'actrice la plus noble dans ses manieres, madame Siddons, ne perd rien de sa dignite quand elle se prosterne contre terre . . . Enfin, il arriva ce moment terrible ou Isabelle, s'etant echappee des mains des femmes qui veulent l'empechcr de se tuer, rit, en se donnant un coup de poignard, de l'inutilite de leurs efforts. Ce rire du desespoir est l'effet le plus difficile et le plus remarquable que le jeu dramatique puisse produire; il emeut bien plus que les larmes: cette amere ironie du malheur est son expression la plus dechirante. Qu'elle est terrible la souffrance du coeur, quand elle inspire une si barbare joie, quand elle donne, a l'aspect de son propre sang, le contentement feroce d'un sauvage ennemi qui se serait venge!" (Mme de Stael: Corinne, livre XVII, chapitre iv). Receipts: #181 11s. (147/0; 34/6; 0/5)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [Kemble's 1st appearance as King John was at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 18 Apr. 1782; Mrs Siddons's 1st appearance as Constance was at Bath on, by coincidence, the same day.] Receipts: #300 9s. (289/8/0; 10/3/6; 0/5/0; tickets not come in: 0/12/6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Mark Londsale. Prologue by the author {London Chronicle, 10 Nov.)]: The Overture, new Airs and Accompaniments composed by [Thomas] Linley [Sen.]. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 18 Nov. 1784: This Day is published The Spanish Rivals (1s.). Receipts: #160 2s. 6d. (104/12/0; 54/18/0; 0/12/6)

Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Fosbrook at the Theatre. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 16 Nov.] . Orders and Free #24 11s. Receipts : #280 16s. 6d. (257/11/0 ; 23/0/6 ; 0/5/0)

Event Comment: By Authority of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Mitchell and Sinclair. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:00 precisely. Tickets to be had of Mitchell at the Old Castle Tavern, near Gray's Inn Gate, Holborn; of Sinclair, Church-Lane, near St. Martin's Church, Strand

Event Comment: By Authority. At 6 P.M. Boxes 3s. Pit 2s. Gallery 1s. [The opening night of the new theatre in Goodman's Fields. The Prologue and Epilogue were printed in Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, 8 Nov.

Event Comment: L. C. 5@140, p. 263: It is his Mates pleasure that there shall not bee acted any playes at the Theatre in Lincolnes Inn ffeilds after Midsummer day next ensuring untill further order (see Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 322). The cause of this order is not known

Event Comment: At the Greyhound Inn, West Smithfield. N.B. The Gentry and others are desired to take notice, that there is a most commodious Way to the Boxes and Pit next the sheep pens, where they may pass without the least Crowd, and Coaches may draw up close to the Door