Event Comment: Benefit Dupre and Roberts on a one-half value of tickets and minimum charge basis. Receipts: #12 6s. 6d. leaving a deficit for the minimum charge of #14 11s. 6d. Tickets: Dupre #45 13s. (Boxes 36; Pit 191; Gallery 80); Roberts #78 19s. (Boxes 50; Pit 359; Gallery 126). Half value of total #62 6s

Event Comment: Benefit Marten and White. Receipts: #15 8s., plus #157 16s. from tickets, but the distribution unspecified. Charges #60. James White, however, paid over his half of the deficiency (#22 6s.) immediately (Account Books, Egerton 2268). Tickets sold at the door will not be admitted. (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: [Benefit on one-half value of tickets basis to nine ticket holders. The General Advertiser notice lists beneficiaries as Harrington (Prompter); Stede, Carr, Mrs Bland, Mrs Rowley.] Tickets deliver'd by Mrs Daniel, Mrs Dumont, &c will be taken. /For Box Pit Gallery Value Half-Value/Harrington 7 29 22 #8 6s. #4 3s./Stede 7 52 59 #15 9s. #7 14s. 6d./Carr 6 53 46 #14 1s. #7 0s. 6d./Mrs Rowley 27 77 44 #22 14s. #11 7s./Mrs Dumont 36 31 32 #16 17s. #8 8s. 6d./Mrs Bland 9 56 91 #19 15s. #9 17s. 6d./Mrs Dupre 5 33 42 #10 8s. #5 4s./Mrs Daniel .. 45 109 #17 13s. #8 16s. 6d./Mrs Hitchcock 34 58 31 #20 6s. ........./Totals 131 434 476 #145 9s. #62 11s. 6d./ [Mrs Hitchcock seems to have received the full value of her tickets.] This Day is Publish'd A Treatis on the Passions so far as they regard the stage, with a critical inquiry into the Theatrical Merit of Mr G k, Mr Q n, and Mr B y, the first considered in the part of Lear, the last two oppos'd in Othello. By S. Foote, Esq

Event Comment: By Command. Present the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prince George, Prince Edward, and Prince William, with the Lady Augusta and Lady Elizabeth (Account Books, Egerton 2268). Receipts: #87 7s. 6d

Event Comment: [From The London Evening Post: Married: Michael Arne, music composer and son of Dr Arne, to Miss Wright, a celebrated singer of Drury Lane Theatre."] Paid Mr Evans on Wardrobe acct #10 10s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #133 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Paid Pointer's 2 Bills #16 14s. (Treasurer's Book). [This year were published The Theatrical Campaign (44 pp.), an examen of productions this season; The Stage the High Road to Hell (43 pp.); Theatrical Entertainments Consistent with Society, Morality and Religion: or, A Letter to the Author of the "Stage the High Road to Hell," shewing that writer's arguments to be fallacious, his principals enthusiastic, and his authorities (particularly from the ancients) misconstrued and perverted.] Receipts: #176 4s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: Read ye parts of Varanes and Athenais before I went into ye Pit to see ye Play of Theodosius. Barry and Mrs Dancer are excellent in Varanes and Athenais. Young Barry did Theodosius, and Sowdon Marcian, who, tho' ugly, has a pretty good person and is a tolerably good player. Liontine by Bannister

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: Afterpiece [1st time; F 2, by John Scawen. Prologue by the author (European Magazine, Dec. 1786, p. 435). Larpent MS 749; not published; composer of songs unknown]; A Farce with Songs [for which see Morning Chronicle, and Morning Herald, both 8 Dec.]. Receipts: #237 2s. (233.16.6; 3.5.6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Lewis, but he "having...received a blast in the eye, was rendered incapable of playing Capt. Crevelt last night, and his part was read by Davies" (Public Advertiser, 8 Dec.). Receipts: #215 18s. (210.16.6; 5.1.6)