Event Comment: Benefit for the City of London Lying@In Hospital. Tickets at half a guinea. At Haberdashers Hall, Maiden Lane in Wood Street

Event Comment: [The Young Gentleman who played Zaphna was Wroughton. "His real name was Rottan, but altered euphonia gratia. He was designed for a surgeon and served his apprenticeship at Bath. The following playbills show that he met with approbation on the stage. He remained with Covent Garden from this time till the end of the season 1785-86. He then played in Ireland one Winter, and was engag'd at Drury Lane Theatre in the beginning of the season 1787-88. This was the occasion of Mr Wroughton's leaving Covent Garden, I mean it was thus conjectured. Mr Lewis had been appointed manager of that theatre for Mr Harris. Mr Lewis and Mr Wroughton lived next door neighbors in Broad Court at the top of Bow Street, and were sworn friends:--they laughed together, lived together--In the season 1784-85 two new performers Mr Holman and Mr Pope, appeared on the Covent Garden Stage--these young men were great favorites with Mr Harris; Mr Holman, attracting at this time very crowded audiences, stood so particularly high in his regard, that his partiality made him guilty of some injustice to older and abler actors in the theatre. Mr Henderson had really cause to complain of neglect; and Mr Wroughton thought himself equally oppressed. At this time we had a Club and met every Wednesday fortnight during Lent at the Long Room in Hamstead at dinner. Our Club consisted of a certain number of us belonging indifferently to either theatre, and two or three other gentlemen who were not actors. Mr King, Mr Quick, Mr Farren, Mr Mattocks, myself, etc., etc. When the bottle had a little warmed Mr Wroughton he threw out some sarcasms on his Friend Mr Lewis's management; Mr Lewis retorted; Their tempers grew hot, their words grew aggravating; Mr Wroughton struck Mr Lewis; Mr Lewis returned the blow. They were parted; all the pleasures of the day were over, and the Club broke up in confusion. I was not present this day, but have related what Mr Siddons told me of this Quarrel, and I imagine that Mr Wroughton's attack on Mr Lewis sprang from a suspicion that he was too willing to execute Mr Harris's designs in favour of Mr Holman. Be this as it may, Mr Wroughton was discharged from cg at the expiration of his Articles with Mr Harris."--Hopkins MS Notes.] Receipts: #186 3s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: HHamlet, Mr Garrick (Cross Diary). Wit's Last Stake by Thomas King, as it is performed at Drury Lane, published at 1s

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author. Neville MS Diary: went with Mr and Mrs Willoughby to the 2 shilling gallery at Drury Lane to see the new comedy. The School for Rakes, which I do not like. Many of our new pieces are full of absurd compliments to--

Event Comment: long letter published in the Public Advertiser by Delectante specifying a six point program for eliminating the confusion and the "riots that regularly follow the breaking up of a full house at the Opera": I) exclude servants from the lobby; 2) all chairs to come down Market Lane from Charles Street to take up and go off by Pall Mall; 3) no chairs to be allowed at other doors and passages; 4) a pent house to be built to protect those waiting from the rain; 5) all carriages to come to the door in the Haymarket, with horses heads towards Cockspur street; 6) constables to attend and assert themselves in regulating the traffic.

Event Comment: Benefit for Reddish. Neville MS Diary: Went to see the Maid of the Mill played for the first time at Drury Lane. Bannister is the best Giles I have seen since Beard left the stage. The farce was No Wit like a Woman's, played but once before. Assisted in hissing it as both foolish and immoral

Event Comment: FFreeholder's Magazine, Jan., p. 247: A Card. The frequenters of Drury Lane playhouse present their compliments to Mr Garrick, and take the liberty of reminding him, that as he has now no capital performer, besides himself, belonging to that house, to engage Mr Lee, if at liberty. As Mr Garrick's reputation as a player, and a fortune, are now established upon a basis sufficiently firm and solid, he need not entertain those jealous apprehensions of Mr Lee he formerly did. And as the Public have encouraged Mr Garrick so far, as to acquire an immense fortune, they esteem it incumbent upon him, in point of gratitude, to oblige them in whatever may contribute to their satisfaction and pleasure

Event Comment: The Afterpiece a New Pantomime [by Henry Woodward, satirizing Garrick's Jubilee] with New Music by Fisher. New Scenes painted by Messrs Dahl and Richards. Nothing under Full Prices will be taken. [Full Prices notice throughout the run of the pantomime this season. Town and Country Magazine (from Theatre No XIII) comments: "In the Pageant scene several of the characters that walk at Drury Lane are highly ridiculed, particularly Mark Antony and Cleopatra, who dance off with their black retinue to the playing of casquets." The scene closes with the descent of the statue of the late Mr Rich under the name of Lun, and the Harlequins all pay him honour.] Receipts: #250 6s

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Tickets to be had and Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Johnston at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at Half a Guinea. Pit 5s. First Gallery 3s. 6d. Second Gallery 2s. The doors to be opened at 5 o'clock. To begin at Half past six. [Stanley and Smith carried their Royal Prerogative over to Drury Lane this season.

Event Comment: This day Publish'd Price 6d. Three Old Women Weatherwise: an Interlude, as performed with great applause at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Printed for S. Bladon

Event Comment: The Doors to be opened at Five o'clock. To Begin exactly at Six o'clock. [Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s.] Vivant Rex et Regina. [Customary footnote for each succeeding Bill. Only significant variations will be noted further. Criticism: For contemporary comment on performances and plays this season see John Potter's Theatrical Review, or New Companion to the Playhouse. 2 vols. London, 1772, a day by day account of Plays and actors at Drury Lane and Covent Garden theatres for the season 1771-72. He is rather severe in his comments on most of the actors at cg. The four relatively constant expenditures set up for each night this season include music: averaging #7 5s.; wardrobe charges of from 1 to #3; properties 7s. to #1; and renters, paid to Garton, the treasurer, #10. Extras, when they occur, which is almost nightly, for such things as kettle drum, side drum, bagpipes, chorus singers, supernumeraries, together with all repair bills paid advances to actors, &c. are duly recorded. I include only what appear to be significant ones which illustrate the theatre as a show business.] Receipts: #186 4s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: [The play bill of the day noted that Baddeley from Drury Lane would play Polonius for Shuter who had sprained his ankle (Hogan).] Receipts: #207 6s. (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)