Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. Afterpiece: One of the [new Scenes] will conclude the Entertainment, and the Intervals between the three Acts being found tedious, alterations have been made in order to make it practicable to comprize the whole in two Acts

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; T 5]: Written by the Author of Percy [Hannah More. Prologue by the author; Epilogue by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (see text)]. Public Advertiser, 1 Dec. 1779: This Day is published The Fatal Falsehood [sic] (1s. 6d.). Afterpiece [1st time; CO 2, by Charles Dibdin]: The Overture and all the Music composed by Dibdin. With new Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations to both Pieces. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 6 May 1779: This Afternoon at three is published The Chelsea Pensioner (1s.). The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [same for rest of season]

Event Comment: [The playbill of 23 July announces for performance on this night the 1st night of A Tour in Wales, "a New Dramatic Piece of Three Acts, interspersed with Songs." It appears never to have been acted. Larpent MS 484; the author is unknown.

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; C 4, by George Colman elder. Prologue by the author (Morning Chronicle, 13 Oct.). Scenery by Rooker (ibid. 1 Sept.). Larpent MS 490; not published; synopsis of plot in London Magazine, Sept. 1779, pp. 405-7]. "The first three acts want business, and the denouement is rather suddenly brought about...The greatness of the task of performing a character of which Mrs Abington had been announced as the intended representative seemed to inspire [Miss Farren] with additional zeal, and helped her to gain additional credit" (Morning Chronicle, 1 Sept.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MF 2, by Edward Neville]: The Overture and Music composed by Dibdin. Books of the Entertainment to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 20 Oct.: This Afternon at Three is published Plymouth In An Uproar (1s.). Receipts: #242 16s. 6d. (241.5.0; 1.11.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wild, prompter. 2nd piece: With Alterations, and three Pantomimical Scenes. Public Advertiser, 28 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Wild, No. 145, Drury-lane. Receipts: #268 14s. (178.13; tickets: 90.1) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [This was Vestris Jun.'s 1st appearance in England.] "Young Vestris astonished John Bull more by his agility than his grace, and some have been known to count the number of times he turned round like a tee-totum. This may be called les tours des jambes-not dancing' (Angelo, II, 320). "The theatre was brimful in expectation of Vestris. At the end of the second act he appeared; but with so much grace, agility, and strength, that the whole audience fell into convulsions of applause: the men thundered; the ladies, forgetting their delicacy and weakness, clapped with such vehemence, that seventeen broke their arms, sixty-nine sprained their wrists, and three cried bravo! bravissimo! so rashly, that they have not been able to utter so much as 'no' since, any more than both Houses of Parliament' (Walpole [17 Dec. 1780], XI, 340-41)

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of Three Weeks after Marriage, announced on playbill of 19 Dec.] Receipts: #101 7s. 6d. (97.10.0; 3.17.6)

Event Comment: [On this night Sg and Sga Zuchelli, Henry and Sga Crespi also danced in 3 ballets at king's. A probable explanation is that the play at dl began three-quarters of an hour earlier than did the opera.] Receipts: #103 4s. (69.16; 31.18; 1.10)

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; PREL I, by George Colman elder; also ascribed to George Keate. Larpent MS 565; not published]: In Three Scenes of Dialogue. 2nd piece: The Music compiled by Dr Pepusch. 3rd piece [1st time; B. BALL I (see king's, 29 Mar.)]: Ballet Tragi-Comique by Signior Novestris [i.e. George Colman, the elder]. The Music by Signior Gluck. With New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Machinist and Painter-Signior Rookereschi. Tailor-Signior Walkerino. Morning Chronicle, 9 Aug.: Bannister with great good sense played chastely, and suffered the burlesque to arise out of his serious performance of Polly, not attempting to render the character ridiculous by making it more outre than it was rendered by his voice and figure

Event Comment: In order to prevent Confusion among the Carriages, Ladies and Gentlemen are humbly requested to order their Servants to set down and take up with their Horses' Heads towards Pali-Mall. Servants are particularly desired not to croud the Doors, or to come up till called for. 1st piece: In three Scenes of Dialogue

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The Suicide; afterpiece of Seeing is Believing and The Son-in-Law, all three announced on playbill of 2 Sept.]

Event Comment: "The after-piece-that old obsolete Trash, the Country Madcap, by the aid of Quick and Mrs Mattocks' good Acting, was endured. Reinhold's imitation of Italian Singing . . . got three Peals of Applause" (Public Advertiser, 13 Oct.). Receipts: #150 4s. 6d. (147/1/6; 3/3/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Pacchierotti. Opera: A Serious Opera; the Music by several eminent Masters. Pit tickets will admit two persons to the 1st, and three to the 2nd Gallery; but no money to be returned. Tickets to be had of Pacchierotti, No. 7, Great Marylebone-street, near Cavendish-square

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Author. Play [1st time; T 5]: Written by the Rev. [Thomas] Stratford. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had of Dr Stratford, No. 5, Cecil-street, Strand, and of Fosbrook at the Theatre. Dr Stratford, in the overflowing of a grateful heart, is happy indeed in returning thanks to the Ladies and Gentlemen who, with equal benignity and humanity, have so generously exerted themselves in bringing forward his tragedy of Russel. Above the mean manoeuvres that have been practised by persons he had the least reason to expect such a conduct from, and which have detained him almost three years in London, at a ruinous expense, he went with a party of his friends, on Wednesday last, to the Hay-market, in support of the other Lord Russel, penned by superior genius. As he never injured an individual, he trusts every intention to defeat the success of his play will be disappointed by a generous London audience who, he still presumes to hope, will be actuated by the same noble spirit and principle that first induced the Lady and Gentleman to undertake so arduous a task as appearing on a public theatre. As many parts of the play will be expunged and altered, he begs leave to mention that it cannot be again represented till Wednesday next, when the characters of Lord Howard and Hubert will be performed by two other Gentlemen, who have generously undertaken their parts, and an entire new address will be spoken by the Gentleman who performs Lord Russel, wrote by himself. "The performers ... rendered the Doctor's Tragedy one of the most laughable farces at which we were ever present. [It] has much Calimanco in it, and where we could hear a sentence compleat (which was seldom indeed) it abounded with Fustian" (Public Advertiser, 21 Aug.)

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. [1st and 2nd pieces in place of Lord Russel, the Manager in Distress and The Son-in-Law, all three announced on playbill of 31 May.]

Event Comment: "So much has been curtailed of [The Heiress] that the time of the representation is now three quarters of an hour less than it was on Saturday" (Morning Chronicle, 17 Jan.). Receipts: #250 4s. (227/6/0; 21/6/6; 1/1/6; tickets not come in: 0/10/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author [of mainpiece, who is named in the Account-Book, but not on the playbill]. "The Captives were set at liberty last night, amidst roars of laughter. I see the doctor [i.e. the author] publishes it this week . . . Cadell bought this sublime piece before it appeared, for fifty pounds, agreeing to make it a hundred on its third representation. It has been played three times, and I dare say old Sanctimony will have no remorse in taking the other fifty." J. P. Kemble to Edmond Malone (Life of Edmond Malone, by Sir James Prior, i860, p. 126). Receipts: #138 13s. 6d. (91/19/0; 40/18/0; 5/16/6; tickets: none listed) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wroughton. Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years [not acted since 17 Feb. 1772]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [Miss Brunton's 1st appearance as Palmira was at Bath, 24 May 1785.] "By the inattention of those behind the scenes, the interest of the play was three or four times injured and interrupted by persons crossing the stage in sight of the audience" (Public Advertiser, 5 Apr.). Receipts: #228 12s. (164/2; 6/8; tickets: 58/2) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [A detailed account of all three pieces appears in Sophie v. la Roche, Sophie in London, 1933, pp. 93-95. The theatre is described as seeming "exceptionally small, but it is very prettily painted in blue and white; the boxes, as in Paris, are open and everything is well lit." In 3rd piece "A twelve-year-old girl dressed as a poor boy who walks around with a bundle of rushes, straw and reeds to patch up old chairs, then really sits down to work on one, sang and played unusually well; indeed, was obliged to give two encores; the third time, however, announced with dignity and candour that it would not be possible, and that she feared she might be unable to take her part the next day; which would grieve her excessively, as she liked having her modest talents appreciated and applauded. Everyone clapped and praised her aloud. She is beuatiful, and deserves to be the nation's darling, and will certainly become a great actress, competent to keep her voice, gesture and features in complete control, never using her talents wrongly or producing exaggerated effects."]