Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. By reason of the badness of the Weather, we shall defer Acting in Dorset Garden for some time

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A Pantomime Entertainment not acted these eight years. [See 20 Oct. 1768.] New Scenes, Dresses and other Decorations. Doors open at 5 o'clock. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. Theatrical intelligence, Covent Garden: Mrs Hunter, lately returned from Ireland was very well receiv'd in Mrs Oakly, and to do her justice she played the part throughout better than it has been performed for some time at either house. The labourings of Mr Wroughton's jealousy in Oakly reminded us of the progressive workings of a fatt of small beer, when inflated with powerful yeast....Orpheus and Eurydice was reviv'd after the play-the dullest of all dull Pantomimes (Harlequin's Jacket excepted). The two additional scenes we were summoned by the bills to behold, are two of the late memorable regatta:-The first is a perspective of Ranelagh Gardensv to the water, illuminated with party-coloured lamps, which terminates with the temporary obelisk erected on that occasion:-Behind this we just catch the streamers of the barges and etc., supposed to be rowing up to the stairs, and landing their company, to martial music and under the discharge of cannon, imitated by the unnatural slamming of one of the Green Room doors. This scene, however, had a tolerable appearance, but being on too confined a scale, its intended effect must have been lost. The other represented the inside of as much of the Temple of Neptunev as was possible to give the spectators in a theatre:-we cannot extol it by any means as a perfect representation:-and to prevent it coming too near the original, Harlequin, Perot, Pantaloon, and etc. were made to lounge in the orchestra instead of its being occupied by a good band of music:-in short the whole pantomime went off rather flat. It is recommended to the managers here never to suffer the scene shifters to appear again in such garb as they did; old greasy plush waistcoats, with red-stocking sleeves!-such a habit may be in keeping with a blacksmaith's forge, but not for a theatre royal in the metropolis of a polished country (Folger News Clipping)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for Harwood, late prompter of the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane. Harwood's respectful compliments to his Friends in particular, and the publick in general, and assures them every effort in his power shall be exerted to render the Evening's Entertainment agreeable, and humbly hopes for their well-known candour and protection on the above occasion. Tickets and Places to be had of Harwood, next door to Drury-Lane Theatre, Little Russel-street, Covent Garden. [Harwood was prompter at dl from 1780 to 1786. Hooke was from cg.] Afterpiece: Written by the late Samuel Foote, Esq

Event Comment: Benefit for Sga Storace. Mainpiece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Never [previously] acted at this theatre. Tickets delivered for the 11th Instant will be `dmitted. Morning Chronicle, 24 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Sga Storace [for 11 May], No. 26, Howland-street, Fitzroy-square. Receipts: #443 12s. (193.6; 75.4; 5.11; tickets: 169.11) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy. Tickets and Places of Mrs Elmy at the corner of Tavistock St. next Southampton St., Covent Garden; and of Hobson at the stage door. Being the last time of acting till the Holidays. Cash, #92 12s.; tickets, #56 8s.; total, #149 (Clay MS page reproduced in Oct. 1926 issue of Connoisseur, p. 93). A few days ago arriv'd in Town Mr Sheridan, Manager of the Theatre Royal in Dublin, and we hear as his stay is to be but short, he intends to perform only once, for the benefit of the poor sufferers by the late Fire (General Advertiser). [The fire happened the 25th in "Exchange alley (London) and in the space of 10 hours consumed a great number of houses occupied by persons in middling circumstances and with large families." Subscriptions were raised and distributed by a committee of ten bankers. See General Advertiser.] Receipts: #160 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Shuter and Miss Haughton. Tickets at stage door. [For criticism of Shuter and Miss Haughton, see Genest, IV, p. 363, from The Present State of the Stage in Great Britain and Ireland, 1753. Nineteen of the Fifty-five pages of this pamphlet defend the stage on classicial authority and moral grounds from attacks by the religious bigots, and present an ideal picture of a manager, laying under some contribution, it would seem, the character of a manager presented ten years earlier (1743) in Queries to be Answered. The author especially likes the moral of Tate's alteration of Lear. The remaining pages give a paragraph or two of criticism to the leading actors and actresses in some of their most affecting parts (sixteen pages to Drury Lane Performers, all of whom appear in the author's eye to be either "Excellent" or "Very Good.") The remaining space is devoted to the performers at Covent Garden and at the Theatre Royal in Dublin. All those spoken of fare well in the hands of this bound-to-be pleased critic. Shuter is here commended for ability to play an Old Man convincingly though he was but 22 years old, and to play at all considering his lack of education. He possesses a great fund of drollery, and bids fair to be as great in low comedy as it is possible for man to conceive.' Miss Haughton described as an actress of promise. Seems never to have got the better of a lisp, and a Newcastle manner of pronouncing the letter 'r.'] Receipts: #290 (Cross)

Event Comment: For one night only, being desired by several Persons of Quality. Benefit for Mr Arne. Done in the manner of an Oratorio. To begin at 6.30 p.m. Boxes half a guinea. Pit 5s. Gallery 3s. Upper Gallery 2s. Tickets to be had of Mr Arne near the Roe Buck in Bow St., Covent Garden, and of Mr Varney at the Stage Door where Places may be taken for the Boxes only. Published for 1s. this day Alfred the Great, a Drama for Music, as it is to be performed this evening at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Printed for A. Miller in the Strand

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. The Burletta, with the Addition of a new Act and a new Character, as originally performed at the Theatre Royal in Naples. At the Great Room in Marybone Gardens properly and elegantly fitted up for that purpose. 7:30 p.m. Admittance 3s. N.B. Mr Trotter's dauthter continues to make the rich seed and plumb cake, so much admired by the Nobility and Gentry at 2s. 6d. each, and likewise makes almond cheesecakes in a small size at 2s. per dozen. Six or eight make a Dish, and are hot every day one o'clock

Event Comment: Benefit towards the Increase of a Fund, established by the Performers of the Theatre Royal Covent Garden for the Support of Decayed Actors and their Families. This Fund having been begun by voluntary contributions among the performers, improved by a proportionable Weekly Deduction on their salaries, and intended as a reciprocal Provision for them their widows and children, in sickness and infirmity, it is humbly hoped and appeal to the Generosity of the Public will not be taken amiss. Such of the Nobility, Gentry, &c. who are pleas'd to favour this Undertaking, are desired to send for places, Box or Pit tickets, to Mr Sarjant, at the Stage Door. Mainpiece [by John Banks]: Not acted these 20 years. Occasional Prologue, written by Hull [printed in the Jester's Magazine, May 1766, p. 241]

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted this season. Benefit for the Increase of a Fund Establish'd by the Performers at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden, for the support of such actors, and their families, who from age or infirmities shall be incapable of their business. Such of the Nobility, Gentry, &c., who are pleased to favour this undertaking, are desir'd to send for places, Box or Pit tickets to Mr Sarjant at the Stage-Door. Charges #65. Profits to the Fund #13617s., plus #22 6s. from tickets (Box 82, Pit 12). Paid Mr Weller as per bills for property and machinery in Faustus #14 13s. (Account Book). Receipts: #201 17s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: G[arrick] This Night was advertis'd for Mr Barry's Benefit but he being ill his Benefit was deferr'd (Hopkins Diary). Garrick is removed from Southampton St. to Adelphi Terrace (Winston MS 10). This day is publish'd Theatrical Biography; or, Memoirs of the principal performers of the three Theatres Royal. Drury Lane: Garrick, Barry, Reddish, Aickin, King, Moody, Dodd, Love, Vernon, Parsons, Baddeley, Mrs Barry, Mrs Abington, Miss Younger, Miss Hayward, Mrs Baddeley, Miss Pope, Mrs Egerton, Mrs W. Barry and Mrs Jefferson. Covent Garden: Ross, Smith, Savigny, Woodward, Yates, Shuter, Bensley, Dyer, Mattocks, Clark, Mrs Yates, Mrs Mattocks, Miss Macklin, Mrs Bulkley, Mrs Green, and Mrs Thompson. Haymarket: Foote, Weston, Aikin, Didier, Davies, Mrs Gardner, Mrs Jewell, and Mrs Didier. Together with critical and impartial remarks on their respective professional merits. Printed for S. Bladon. Receipts: #265 18s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Phillips. Tickets to be had of Miss Phillips, at the West-End of Dorville's-Row. Afterpiece: Written by O'KeefFe, set to music by Shield, and performed with greatest applause at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Chambers and Mrs Clarke. Mainpiece: Written by Mrs Cowley, and performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden with universal Applause. Never Acted there

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. [This was the version, altered probably by Joseph George Holman, in which he appeared in Dublin on 29 July 1794, on which occasion the playbill reads, "Dressed in the Habits of the Times, and with other Alterations, adopted in its Representations 19 [recte 11] Nights last Winter, at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden." It further states that the part of Ophelia would be performed "without the Airs, and with a considerable Restoration of the Text." No record of what these alterations consisted of has come to light. In III.iv Hamlet's father was represented by a life-sized portrait that hung over the chimney, and the Queen wore a large miniature of Claudius on her arm as a bracelet (London Chronicle, 10 Oct.). The words of the Dirge are printed in European Magazine, Nov. 1793, p. 393; they are stanza X of Shakespeare's Passionate Pilgrim. Miss Poole had appeared as a singer at king's and at Vauxhall in 1787 and at the cg oratories in 1791.] Afterpiece: Not acted these 2 years [and in place of The Prisoner at Large, advertised on playbill of 8 Oct.]. Receipts: #332 4s. (330.3; 2.1)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mountain. 1st piece: By Permission of the Proprietors of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Morning Herald, 21 May: Tickets to be had of Mrs Mountain at Mr Greak's, No. 3 3 , Tavistock-street, Covent-Garden. Receipts: #274 3s. (109/7/6; 9/19/6; tickets: 154/16/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Jordan. 2nd piece: Not acted these 20 years [not acted since 20 Dec. 1773]. 3rd piece: By permission of the proprietor of the Theatre Royal Covent Garden. Morning Chronicle, 20 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Jordan, No. 14, Somerset-street, Portman-square. Receipts: #667 3s. (344.8.0; 22.7.6; 21.8.6; tickets: 278.19.0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wathen. 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. True Briton, 2 June: Tickets to be had of Wathen, No. 2, Frith-street. Receipts: #358 1s. (54.12.0; 61.13.6; 3.14.0; tickets: 238.1.6) (charge: #212 5s. 6d.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden. [Philipps was from cg.

Event Comment: 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre-Royal Covent-Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Gibbs. 3rd piece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre-Royal Covent-Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss DeCamp. Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre-Royal Covent-Garden. Times, 17 Aug.: Tickets to be had of Miss DeCamp, No. 14, Tottenham-court-road, near Bedford-square