Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; BALL. P 1, by James Byrne. MS of Songs only: Larpent MS 919; synopsis of action in Universal Magazine, Oct. 1791, p. 308]: Taken from Ossian. With new Music, Airs, Chorusses, new Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations. The Ballet composed by Byrne. The new Music composed, and the Ancient Scots Music selected and adapted by Shield. The Overture by Reeve. The Scenery by Richards, Hodgins, Pugh, &c. &c. The Dresses by Dick. Books of the Songs, &c. to be had at the Theatre. [For Harp and Pipes see 24 Oct.] Account-Book, 22 Nov.: Paid Byrne for Oscar & Malvina #50; 8 Dec.: Paid Mad. St.Amand expenses from Paris to London #14 6s. 8d. Receipts: #182 16s. 6d. (177.13.6; 5.3.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by James Cobb. Text: T. N. Longman and O. Rees, 1800. Miss Waters is identified in the Songs]: The Scenes, Music, Machinery, Dresses, and Decorations are all entirely new. The Music composed by Mazzinghi and Reeve. The Scenery painted by Richards, Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Backmore, &c. [based on drawings of Indian scenery by Thomas Daniell]. The Machinery and Decorations by Cresswell, Sloper, Goostree, &c. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs, also describing the Scenes and Spectacle of the Return from the Tiger Hunt, to be had at the Theatre, price six pence. "The whole [forms] an exhibition of the utmost grandeur...The expense attending the decoration must have been immense...The dailogue is certainly not of the first description of writing, but it forms, on the whole, a very safe vehicle for some of the best music the English stage has for some time been able to boast"(Morning Herald, 13 Nov.). Account-Book, 27 Dec.: Paid Cuthbert for Wheels, &c. for the Elephants #13 18s. Receipts: #364 7s. 6d. (363.19.6; 0.8.0)

Event Comment: A Translation [by Conrad Ludger] of Kotzebue's Reconciliation, having been advertised as the Play now performing at this Theatre, the Public are respectfully informed that the Genuine Copy of The Birth Day (which is materially altered from the above) will not published till next Season. 3rd piece: The Overture and Music by Reeve. The Ballet composed by Farley. [For synopsis of scenes see 16 Mar. 1797.] Receipts: #239 3s. 6d. (234.17.6; 4.6.0)

Event Comment: By Desire of His Excellency The Turkish Ambassador [Ismail Ferrouh Effendi]. Benefit for Miss Leak. ["His Excellency never made his appearance during the whole evening" (Dramatic Censor, II, 238).] Afterpiece: By permission of the Proprietor of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Morning Chronicle, 22 May: Tickets to be had of Miss Leak, Upper Mews-gate, Castle-street. Receipts: #445 9s. (101.11; 64.1; 2.14; tickets: 277.3) (charge: #212 3s. 5d.)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Mainpiece: Written by the celebrated Mrs Eliza Haywood. Not acted these 6 years. Afterpiece [1st time; F 2 (?)]: Written by a Comedian [unidentified. not in Larpent MS; not published]. The above Pieces have been a long Time in Rehearsal, and as no Expense has been spared in procuring respectable Performers from capital Theatres, there is no doubt (as the Comedies have sterling Merit) of their giving Satisfaction to the Audience. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill assigns Ferdinand to Johnstone, but "The sudden illness of Johnstone gave much dissatisfaction, though Cubitt did all in his power to supply his place" (Town and Country Magazine, Sept. 1785, p. 451). William Palmer was from the Norwich theatre; Meadows from the HAY.] The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30 [see 14 Nov.]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon, at the Stage-Door. [No playbill this season lists the various prices of admission; they were probably, as usual: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s.] The Alterations and Improvements in the Theatre this Season are made by Richards, and executed under his Superintendance by Catton and others. [Public Advertiser, 22 Sept., notes that these improvements consisted of the enlargement of the boxes, in which "the seats are formed into recesses which communicate with the other boxes"; all the pillars, "even those of iron in the back boxes [being] capped, cased, fluted and gilt"; the front of the boxes and galleries being newly painted a "warm lilac"; the back of the boxes being wainscotted and painted crimson.] Paid Charewomen for cleaning Theatre #13 0s. 6d. Receipts: #214 2s. 6d. (210/10/0; 3/12/6)

Event Comment: HHallam's New Theatre Adjoining to the Market-House. Mainpiece: A new Droll. From 1:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. Stage 2s. 6d. Boxes 1s. 6d. Pit 1s. Gallery 6d. As this is a regular Theatre, Ladies and Gentlemen will be entertained in a more decent and commodious manner than they can possibly be in a booth. [Notice repeated 2 May.

Event Comment: [As Miss P. Farren Mrs Knight had 1st appaared in London on 15 May 1777 at the hay.] "[Knight's] simplicity is the type of nature, untainted With buffoonery; and what we very rarely meet with, his attention was so wholly engrossed by the business of the scene as to make him appear unconscious of being before an audience" (Morning Chronicle, 26 Sept.). Receipts: #248 3s. 6d. (240.2.6; 8.1.0)

Event Comment: By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. Benefit for the Gentleman who performs the Part of Zanga [in THE REVENGE], and Mr and Mrs Simpson. Mainpiece: Written by the celebrated Dr Young, Author of the Night Thoughts, &c. Afterpiece: As an After-piece [i.e. reduced from 5 to 3 (?) acts]. The Doors to be opened at 5:30. To begin at 6:30. Tickets to be had of Longman and Broderip, Cheapside and Haymarket; Pass, No. 53, High Holborn; Bland's Music Warehouse, No. 45, High Holborn; Strutt, Bookseller, No. 20, Little Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn Fields; Ellwick, Musical Instrument Maker, No. 55, Long Acre, comer of Phoenix O>urt; Padbury, Coal Merchant, No. 24, Henrietta-street, Covent Garden; Evan, Bookseller, No. 351, near the Pantheon, Oxford Road; and of Simpson, at No. 33, St. Martin's-street, Leicester-square

Event Comment: Benefit Peploe, Little, Lee. By particular Desire of some Foreign Ministers. Tickets for Castles and Munro taken

Event Comment: Tickets delivered for King Richard the Third [Account-Book: by Brandon, Arnold, Little, Brice, Blurton, Bonsor, Hay, Haseler, Lloyd, Berecloth, Savory, Noble, Linton, Castelle, Atkins] will be admitted. Receipts: #484 14s. 6d. (51.0.6; 3.14.0; tickets: 430.0.0)

Event Comment: [This was Mrs Hitchcock's 1st appearance in London. Miss Farren was from the Manchester theatre. Miss Twist is identified in playbill of 14 July.] Because of Foote's acting scarcely anything but his own plays "a relaxation of discipline has been fallen into at the Haymarket... The audience last night, however, were not less surprized than pleased at the very regular manner in which the Comedy and the Burletta were exhibited. All the business of the stage perfect, all the little parts smoothly given, and the whole rather superior than inferior to a performance at either of the Winter Theatres" (Morning Chronicle, 10 June)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Afterpiece: A new Musical Entertainment went off pretty well--some Noise &c. (Cross). Published at 3 o'clock that afternoon and sold at the theatre for 6d. (General Advertiser). No admission behind scenes or in Orchestra on account of the entertainment. [Music by C. Burney. Text by Moses Mendez]. Receipts: #120 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Palmer. Tickets at his lodgings, at Mr Watson's Linnen Draper, Corner Charles St., Covent Garden; and at Stage Door of Theatre. [Ray inserted a long plea for benefit support on the General Advertiser, saying that Mr William Barton, who keeps the Black Swan Tavern on Bartholomew Lane, will do his visiting and deliver his tickets for him since he, Ray, is so ill.] Receipts: #78 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 14th Night [i.e. in continuation of the reckoning for the previous season]. With new Music [consisting of 6 new songs (Gazetteer, 2 Oct.)], Scenes and Dresses. The new Music and Accompaniments to the adapted Airs by Shield. The Overture by Baumgarten. The Words of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [It was "represented in an altered state . . . The second act is almost newly written, and the language of the whole opera amended and pointed with great neatness" {London Magazine, Oct. 1784, p. 315).] "At the end of the first act [of mainpiece], Davies came forward and informed the audience that Mrs Kennedy was of a sudden taken dangerously ill, and hoped that Cubitt might be permitted to read the remainder of her part; a request that was immediately complied with" (London Chronicle, 13 Oct.). [Afterpiece in place of The Positive Man, announced on playbill of 11 Oct.]

Event Comment: Books of the Songs [in mainpiece] to be had at the Theatre. [London Chronicle, 19 Oct. lists the new songs: in Act I Charming Clorinda by Bowden; in Act II When spring has chac'd the winter's snow by Mrs Wells and When generous wine by Bowden; in Act III The morn, who night adorning and Bright Sol now darts by Mrs Billington.] Receipts: #284 18s. 6d. (283.7.6; 1.11.0)

Event Comment: 2nd piece: The Characters will be dressed in the Habits of the Times. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "The Eustache de St. Pierre of Bensley was his Chef d'oeuvre: it suited the sourness of his aspect, his nasal intonation, and the general bluntness of his manner" (Monthly Mirror, 1796, p. 185)

Event Comment: 3rd piece [1st time; MD 2, by John Rose; music by Thomas Attwood]: Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Salary List (Enthoven Collection): Paid Rose for Caernarvon Castle #18 6s. Morning Herald, 16 Sept. 1793: This Day is published Caernarvon Castle (1s.). [This piece had reference to the birthday of the Prince of Wales, which was 12 Aug.

Event Comment: 2nd piece: The Overture, Chorusses, and new Musick by Dr Arnold. The Scenery by Rooker. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Miles Peter Andrews and Frederick Reynolds. Prologue by Edward Topham; Epilogue by Miles Peter Andrews (Crouch, II, 229)]: With new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The new Music composed, and the rest selected by Shield. Morning Chronicle, 25 Feb. 1795: This Day is published The Mysteries of the Castle (2s.). [Mrs Cornelys was from the Crow Street Theatre Dublin.] Receipts: #243 12s. (241.19; 1.13)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; MD 3, by Thomas Morton]: With new Scenery, Dresses and Decorations. The Overture, Chorusses, and new Musick by Dr Arnold. The new Scenery by Rooker, Marinari, &c. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 1 July 1795: This Day is published Zorinski (2s.)

Event Comment: [The playbill states that Elliston was appearing "by Permission of the Manager of the Theatre Royal Bath, and for the Last Time." But see 12 Oct.] Receipts: #207 18s. 6d. (197.11.6; 10.7.0)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; M. ENT 1, but printed in 2, by George Nugent Reynolds]: With new and appropriate Scenery by Phillips, &c. The new Music by Reeve. Books of the Songs and Chorusses to be had in the Theatre. [This piece is based on the attempt of the French navy to make a landing in Bantry Bay on 24 Dec. 1796.] Receipts: #293 5s. 6d. (284.5.6; 9.0.0)

Event Comment: 2nd piece [1st time; MD 3, by James Boaden; some of the songs written by George Colman, ynger]: With new Musick, Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The new Musick by Dr Arnold. With an appropriate Overture, accompanied by two Pedal Harps and the Union Pipes, by Weippert, C. Jones, and Murphy. The Scenery by Marinari. The Dresses and Decorations designed by A. Johnston, and executed by him and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "Any exertion of impartial criticism to check the prevalent taste for the marvellous and the horrific which so wantonly conjures up the spirit (it was once thought had been for ever laid) of gross superstition and Gothic barbarism must, we fear, prove at present unavailing" (Times, 23 July). Morning Chronicle, 30 July 1798: This Day is published Cambro-Britons (2s.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Samuel Birch, adapted from Camille; ou, Le Souterrain, by Benoit Joseph Marsollier des Vivetieres, and from Les Victimes Cloitrees, by Jacques Marie Boutet de Monvel; the songs written by Thomas John Dibdin. Larpent MS 1236; not published. The playbill states that this was "Taken from the German," but London Chronicle, 12 Dec., says that its source is the same as that of The Captive of Spilburg (see dl, 14 Nov.). An examination of the MSS of these two pieces (Larpent 1230 and 1236) proves that such is unmistakably the case]: With entire new Scenes, Machinery, Dresses & Decorations. The Music composed and selected by Steibelt and Attwood. The Action of the Chorusaes, Finales, &c. under the Direction of Farley, and the Action of the Overture by Bologna Jun. A new Descriptive Overture, composed by Steibelt, on a Plan never before introduced on the English Stage, accompanied by Action. "The overture is...nothing more than music adapted to pantomime; and, in the present instance, the dumb shew is an unnecessary anticipation of the procession with which the piece opens" (Monthly Mirror, Dec. 1798, p. 369). The Scenery painted by Richards, Phillips, Lupino, Hollogan, Blackmore, &c. The Dresses by Dick and Mrs Egan. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. Receipts: #338 17s. 6d. (325.14.6; 13.3.0)