Event Comment: Benefit Penkethman. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality

Event Comment: This Farce was wrote on purpose to Shew Mrs Barry in an Irish part. She did not succeed so well in it as was expected but upon the Whole the Farce was well perform'd & met with great Applause (Hopkins Diary). [Macmillan note from Kemble differs slightly. See Account of the Irish Widow" in British Theatre article, London Magazine, Oct. 1772.] Paid Mr Rochfort for men's cloaths #7 7s. (Treasurer's Book). [The account in Town and Country Magazine of the afterpiece: "Upon the whole it is very indifferent production and as it did not meet with the applause that was expected, no one has adopted the bantling. The many are of opinion that Garrick had a hand in it, as it is got up to the best advantage, and a new dance is introduc'd between the acts to put the audience in a good humour for the succeeding scenes. Mrs Sutton is the principal dancer in the Irish Fair, in which she displayed great spirit and activity. The piece concludes with a song sung by Mrs Barry, which we think injudiciously alloted to her, as her forte does not consist in singing."] Receipts: #200 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: The part of the Widow by Mrs Greville being her 1st appearance upon this Stage. So, So (Hopkins Diary). Paid Properties 14s. 2d.; Mr King (glassman) #5 15s. 2d.; Chorus 2 nights (this incl.) #4 1s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #163 4s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [In afterpiece the playbill retains Mrs Goodall as Widow Brady , but as she "was incapable of performing this evening, the Farce should have been changed, for poor Miss Collins was a lamentable Mrs Brady ; before the second act was half over, the greater part of the audience quitted the theatre" (Thespian Magazine, Dec. 1792, p. 150).] Receipts: #169 1s. (129.10; 37.19; 1.12)

Event Comment: "The only fault we observed was [Miss Biggs's] mode of turning away at the close of every speech, and retiring towards the back of the stage, as if the character was of no consequence when the speech was ended" (True Briton, 18 Oct.). MS annotation on Kemble playbill: Rehearsals--Cheap Living at 10; Sir Benjamin Backbite's scenes at 11; Irish Widow at 12; Adela'rs scenes, Haunted Tower at 1. Receipts: #247 16s. 6d. (162.0.0; 82.12.6; 3.4.0)

Event Comment: At Penkethman's Booth. The Music, Songs, and Dances, are all by the best performers of their kind, whom Mr Penkethman has entertain'd at extraordinary Charge; partly to give a full satisfaction to the Town