Event Comment: At the New Wells, Shepherd's Market. Boxes 3s. Pit 2s. First Gallery 6d. Upper Gallery 3d. (Daily Advertiser)

Event Comment: At the Lecture Room, Robin Hood, near Temple Bar. By particular Desire

Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter. No persons admitted behind the scenes

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Her confusion was so great, that seeing her gave me pain. On this occasion Foote gave us a stroke of humour; When the Blackamoor Lady had retired, he asked Snarl what character he thought she should play first. Snarl said in Imoinda. Foote replied "Don't you think Callista would do better? for it would have a good effect in the Bills--The Fair Penitent by a Black Lady.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr and Mrs Kniveton. Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years (playbill). [See 30 April 1770]. Charges #66 12s. Profit to the Kniveton's #14 17s., plus #68 19s. from tickets (Box 86; Pit 209; Gallery 161) (Account Book). Receipts: #81 9s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Charles Stuart and John O'Keene. Text 1st published, unauthorized, Dublin: For the Booksellers [1783]. Prologue by George Colman, the elder (O'Keeffe, I, 140)]: With a new Overture by Dr Arnold. With Italian, French, Irish, Scotch, Welsh and English

Event Comment: A Comic Opera (1st time [in London; 1st performed at Rome, 1777]); the Music entirely new, by Anfossi. With new Scenes, painted by Novosielski; new Dresses and Decorations by Sestini, both for the Opera and Dances. By their Majesties Command No Person can be admitted behind the Scenes. Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. 2nd Gallery 3s. The Doors to be opened at 6:00, and begin exactly at 7:00 [see 7 June 1785]. Subscriptions are received at Messrs Ransom, Moreland and Hammersley's, bankers, No. 57, Pall-mall; who will deliver the Subscription Tickets. The Nobility and Gentry, Subscribers to the Opera-House, are respectfully intreated to send for them, as, in order to prevent future mistakes, no body can be admitted without producing a Ticket

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. [In 1st piece the cast is not listed; for Decastro's performance in it see his Memoirs, 1824, p. 38.] 3rd piece [1st time; INT 1, author unknown. MS: Larpent 690; not published]: A Commutation Act

Event Comment: Benefit for Brother Wright. By Particular Desire of the Caveac Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Under the Patronage of several Persons of Distinction. Beneath the immediate Direction of a Venerable Veteran of the Stage. Afterpiece [1st time; C 2, author unknown. Not in Larpent MS; not published]: Reduced into Two Acts, from The Provok'd Wife

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Way to Keep Him; afterpiece of Hartford Bridge, both advertised on playbill of 14 Oct.] Receipts: #198 3s. (190.10; 7.13)

Event Comment: Benefit for Townsend and Follett. 2nd piece [1st time; M. INT 1, author unknown]: The Music entirely new, composed by Reeve. Morning Chronicle, 11 June: Tickets to be had of Townsend, No. 153, Drury-lane; of Jack Follett, at Mrs Chapman's, No. 46, Drury-lane. Receipts: #436 19s. (93.17.6; 4.6.0 Tickets: 338.15.6)

Event Comment: At the Request of many Friends to Worth and Genius, and in Commemoration of the late Mr Storace [who died 19 Mar.], Benefit for his Widow and Orphan. Receipts: #657 12s. (352.18.6; 32.4.0; 2.2.0; tickets: 270.6.0; odd money: 0.1.6) (charge: #244 13s. 9d.)

Event Comment: A Tragedy for Warm Weather. Written after the manner of the Worst, as well as the Best of the English Poets, containing amongst a Variety of Particulars, curious, entertaining, and pathetic, the Rebellion of the Journeymen Taylors on the Score of Wages, etc. Neville MS Diary: Half past Six went to ye Haymarket Theatre but could not get into ye Pit or first Gallery, so stood on ye last row of the shilling Gallery, tho' I could see little, to see how ye Taylors, a new tragedy for warm weather, would go off, being the first night of its performance. 3rd Act hiss'd-ye Gods in ye shilling Gallery called for ye Builder's Prologue-hissed off ye part of ye Old Maid twice and Davies who came to make an excuse. The Gentlemen, many of whom were there, cried No Prologue" but to no purpose. At last Foote said if he knew their demands he would be ready to comply with them. The noise ceasing, after some time he was told the Builder's Prologue was desired. He said he had done all in his power to get the performers, having seen them. After some time he came and informed them he had got the performers together, and if the House would be pleased to accept of ye Prologue in our dresses as we are you shall have it." This was followed by great clapping which shows the Genius of our English mobility ever generous after victory. Left ye House after ye Farce began. [Flints were journeymen tailors who refused to comply with the masters' terms and the regulations of the magistrate, in contradistinction to those who submitted and were in derision stiled Dungs. The term dates from 1764-OED. An extract from the Occasional Prologue (the Builder's Prologue) in prose on the opening of the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket, by Foote published in the London Magazine July 1767, p. 351. Foote, Scaffold, and Prompter are the three participants. Foote tells Scaffold he will be paid by the audience. Scaffold notes that the audience must in that case be pleased at all times. Foote promises no long processions [will] crowd my narrow scenes." He assumes that any of the reforms he plans will but echo the public voice. The Prompter then calls the actors on.

Event Comment: [This is the only occasion in the 18th century when a play was acted in London on this date. "The performance at the Haymarket on the 30th of January has been noticed by his Majesty in a manner which is still a topic of conversation in the higher circles...There will be no more theatrical performances on the 30th of January" (London Chronicle, 28 Feb.). On 3 Feb. the Lord Chamberlain wrote to Sheridan as follows: "Sir--Information has been received at this Office that Theatrical Entertainments were exhibited at the Theatre, under your direction, in St. James's Haymarket on the 30th of Last Month, contrary to all precedent, and repugnant to Decency, being the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First. I do not know by what Authority such a Step was taken but, as Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household, think it my Duty to desire that you will be pleased to Cause the Practice to be discontinued in future. I am, Sir, Your Obedient, Humble Servant, Salisbury" (MS Letters to Sheridan from Various Correspondents,II, 64, in Harvard Theatre Collection). The Morning Chronicle on 31 Jan. offered another opinion: "It gave us infinite pleasure that last night we happily broke through one of the most absurd fasts in the calendar. The Managers of Drury Lane, with proper regard to the public, rescued them from the common dullness of a 30th of January." But the absurd fast remained in force until 1843.] Receipts: #339 18s. (291.4; 40.0; 8.11; ticket not come in: 0.3)

Event Comment: Ever studious for Public Amusement, I...strayed last Week, to a place near the Haymarket in Westminster, and Temple Bar in Middlesex, call'd James's St., where at the New Theatre, a Play called the Miser, with an Entertainment called the Old Man Bit, or Harlequin Skeleton, I saw rehears'd. J. W. Gray's Inn 12 Oct.-Theatrical Clippings, Folger Library. Benefit Julian Late of Goodman's Fields Theatre. At the New Theatre in James St., near Haymarket...a Concert. Boxes 2s. 6d. Pit 1s. 6d. Gallery 1s. 6 p.m. Note, Mr Julian taken this Opportunity to acquaint his Friends, that these Performances will be done with the utmost Regularity and Decoration, most of the Performers having belong'd to the Theatres. [This customary notice about the concert, time and prices will not be included unless changed.

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera. The music entirely new by Sacchini. With entire new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations both for the Opera and Dances. Pit 10s. 6d. 1st Gallery 5s. 2nd Gallery 3s. By Their Majesties' Command, no person can be admitted behind the Scenes. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [see 5 June 1779]. To prevent Inconvenience to the Nobility and Gentry in getting to their Carriages they are respectfully intreated to give positive orders to their Servants to set down and take up with their Horses Heads towards Pall-mall. The door in Market Lane for Chairs only. Public Advertiser, 31 Oct.: To prevent mistakes Ladies who have not honoured the Director with the names of the Subscribers to their Boxes are particularly requested to send them as early as possible to Johnson, at the Office of the Theatre, in order to [permit] their Tickets being engraved. The Renters' Shares proposed to be granted on this Theatre are now made out, and particulars prepared, at Messrs Wallis and Parker's, Norfolk-street, Strand, who are impowered by the Proprietors to dispose in single Shares of those which remain unsubscribed for. The annual Subscriptions are receiving by Johnson at the Office of the Theatre in Union-court, Haymarket