Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of The Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 6 Dec.]

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of Fontainbleau; afterpiece of The Devil upon Two Sticks, both announced on playbill of 9 Dec.]

Event Comment: There are two Kemble playbills for this night, one announcing Douglas, and a second, which reads: "On Account of the sudden and severe Indisposition of a Principal Performer . . . Douglas is unavoidably postponed, and This Evening will be presented . . . Macbeth. Macbeth-Holman; Lady Macbeth-Mrs Bates. The rest of the Characters, with the Vocal Parts, all as usual [see 4 Oct.]."

Event Comment: Benefit for the two Miss Kembles [who are named in the Account-Book, but not on the playbill]. Receipts: #199 10s. 6d. (180/7/0; 18/6/6; 0/17/0; tickets: none listed) (charge: #109 18s. 10d.)

Event Comment: [2nd piece in place of Two to One, announced on playbill of 30 July.]

Event Comment: [Afterpiece in place of The Devil upon Two Sticks, announced on playbill of 17 Nov.] Receipts: #139 12s. 6d. (134/6/0; 5/6/6)

Event Comment: [In mainpiece the playbill retains Mrs Wells, but she "was so ill last night that she could not perform the part of Jane Shore. It was undertaken by Mrs T. Kennedy" (Public Advertiser, 21 Dec.).] Afterpiece [1st time; P 2, by John O'Keeffe]: The Pantomime, and the whole of the Scenery, Machinery, Dresses, &c. designed and invented by Loutherbourg, and executed under his superintendance and direction by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, Catton Jun., Turner, assisted by two other celebrated artists [all subsequent playbills have "a celebrated artist"; he was the Rev. Matthew William Peters (Public Advertiser, 16 Dec.)]. The Music entirely new, composed by Shield. Books containing a short account of the Pantomime, as well as the Recitatives, Airs, Duets, Trios and Chorusses, and a Description of the Procession, to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under Full Price will be taken. [This was the last theatrical piece for which De Loutherbourg designed the scenery. For a detailed account of it see "De Loutherbourg and Captain Cook", by Ralph G. Allen, Theatre Research, IV, 195-211.] Account-Book, 17 Oct.: Paid De Loutherbourg on acct. #120; 20 Dec.: Paid Goodwin for copying Music #10 14s.; 14 Feb. 1786: Paid O'Keeffe in full for Omai #40. Receipts: #309 19s. (302/7; 7/12)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 7 years [acted 18 Jan. 1782]. [In afterpiece the playbill retains Edwin, but "At the conclusion of the play an apology was made for Edwin's non-appearance, owing to indisposition, and Palmer and Meadows announced as his substitutes in the two songs in Omai" (Morning Post, 6 Feb.).] Receipts: #231 15s. (229/7; 2/8)

Event Comment: A Serious Opera, altered [by Carlo Francesco Badini] from Metastasio; the Music by Anfossi [a pasticcio, with additions by Sacchini, Piccinni, Gazzaniga, Schuster, Mortellari]. [This was Mme Mara's 1st appearance on the English operatic stage. She had 1st sung in London, in concerts at the Pantheon, in 1784.] "It is with the utmost astonishment we remarked that she unites the talents of an excellent actress with the merit of the most enchanting singer that ever perhaps came forth on any stage" (Morning Herald, 15 Feb.). "Mme Mara delivered the recitatives with a force of expression that produced the strongest interest of character, and the woes of Dido as powerfully engaged the sympathy, as the rich and varied melody of the airs, the admiration of the audience" (Morning Chronicle, 16 Feb.). "The [second] opera was Didone, a pasticcio, for which Mara had made a very judicious selection of songs, introducing four of very different characters, by Sacchini, Piccinni, and other composers, all of which were so much and so equally admired, that two were encored every night, each of them receiving that mark of approbation in its turn. Mara's talents as a singer (for she was no actress and had a bad person for the stage) were of the very first order. Her voice, clear, sweet, distinct, was sufficiently powerful, though rather thin, and its agility and flexibility rendered her a most excellent bravura singer, in which style she was unrivalled" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 59)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of Two to One; afterpiece of The Widow's Vow, both announced on playbill of 14 July.]

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."]

Event Comment: Love for Love [announced on playbill of 2 Jan.] is obliged to be deferred on account of the Indisposition of two principal Performers. Receipts: #186 18s. (137.13.0; 44.6.6; 4.18.6)

Event Comment: The Winter's Tale and the new Farce of The First Floor [both announced on playbill of 8 Jan.] are obliged to be deferred, on Account of the Indisposition of two principal Performers. Paid Parrott, Coal Merchant, #76 6s. 6d. Receipts: #150 9s. (120.10.0; 27.18.0; 1.8.6; tickets not come in: 0.12.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Author [of mainpiece, who is named in the Account-Book, but not on the playbill. Afterpiece in place of The Two Misers, announced on playbill of 20 Feb.]. Receipts: #289 12s. 6d. (283.4.6; 6.8.0; tickets: none listed)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of Cymon; afterpiece of The Devil upon Two Sticks, both advertised on playbill of 17 Sept.] Receipts: #142 4s. (134.13; 7.11)

Event Comment: [The playbill announces The Tender Husband, and Three Weeks after Marriage, but the former "was last night obliged to be deferred on account of the real or feigned Indisposition of Mrs Abington, of which was sent to the Theatre at Two o'clock. The Merry Wives of Windsor was substituted...Mrs Wells, to whom the part of Mrs Page belongs, could not or would not play...Mrs Bernard read the part. Bernard also supplied the place of Cubitt in Slender. The Farmer was substituted for Three Weeks after Marriage" (Public Advertiser, 27 Nov.).] Receipts: #158 18s. (151.8.6; 7.9.6)