Event Comment: Garrick put the finish hand to the sale of half the patent &c. to Dr Ford, Linley, Ewart, and Sheridan for #35,000 to be delivered over in June next. Garrick it was said rais'd #12,000 last year by subscription to pay New Ornamentation, which cost #3000, so that the remaining #4500 and #35,000 was no bad interest for the #5,000 he gave in 1747. New property valuation giving him a...(Winston MS 11, from Burney News Cuttings). Paid Mr Palmer, spermacetti candle Bill #186 13s.; Mr Machin, Chorus, 19 times #4 15s. Rec'd Mr Percy's rent 1 year to Mich Last, #10; Stopages #14 5s. Receipts: #167 2s. (Treasurer's Book). From the Morning Chronicle, 19 Jan.: "David Garrick, Esq., has signed and sealed for the sale of his share in the patent and Property of Drury Lane Theatre. The purchasers are Dr Ford, Mr Ewart, Mr Linley, and Mr Richard Sheridan. The purchase money is #35,000. The public may now therefore depend upon it that this will be the last season of Mr Garrick's performing. The new proprietors as an act of their own, have stipulated that Mr Garrick shall continue to keep that box which has of late years been set apart for the accomodation of his family. Mr Garrick intimated last night to the audience his having sold his share in Drury Lane Theatre, by answering in the part of Abel Drugger , on being asked if he had any interest at the theatre, 'I had some, I don't know what I may have.'

Event Comment: A New Comic Opera of Two Acts written by Mr Bate--Much hissing and Crying out no more no more!--Mr Reddish was desired to give out the Play as soon as Matilda was over--but he with his usual politeness ran up and undress'd himself as fast as he could so that the play was not given out till the End of the Farce as soon as the Blackamoor was given out for the next Night they kept a great Noise and call'd for another Farce to be given out--at length they began to be more appeas'd and went away vowing Vengeance on it the next Night (Hopkins Diary). The Overture and Music of the afterpiece entirely New. Books of the Songs &c. to be had at the Theatre. New Scenes, Dresses, &c. [This is Larpent MS 400. Sir Oliver Oddfish distrusts his servants and is about to replace them with blacks, giving his nephew the chance to introduce Frederick , his daughter Julia 's lover, in disguise as a blackamoor, and to effect an elopement. Act I criticizes Londoners and concludes with the comment, "O that I should ever live to see the day when white Englishmen must give place to foreign blacks." MacMillan's note from Kemble differs slightly.] Paid the late Mr Johnston's bill to his executors #44 18s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). [Afterpiece reviewed in three columns in the Westminster Magazine for Feb. Reviewer thought it had been produced well in all departments, music, scenery, costume, and acting, but concluded it a theatrical trifle giving not much credit to its author.] Receipts: #166 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Mattocks. N.B. HALF PRICE will be taken to the latter account [i.e., for those who came to see the pantomime only]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mattocks. N.B. Half Price will be taken to the latter account [see 25 March]. Being positively the last time of performing the Mainpiece this season

Event Comment: Benefit for Leoni. Last Time of performing the Mainpiece this season. N.B. Half Price will be taken to the latter Account

Event Comment: Benefit for Hull. N.B. Half Price will be taken to the latter account

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Love, Mrs Cross, and Mrs Millidge. Last time of performing both pieces this season. Afterpiece: By Desire. Tickets delivered for Macbeth, on Monday the 13th, and by Garland, Walker, L'Englois, and Mas. Pulley will be taken. This Benefit was fix'd and advertised for Macbeth on Tuesday the 21st but as Mr G., wanted that day to play himself he gave them the above Play and Farce as a Recompense for their coming later they had a very great House (Hopkins Diary). Rec'd stopages #9 9s. Receipts: #105 6d. Charges: #84. Profits to Mrs Love, Mrs Cross, and Mrs Millidge: #21 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Whitefield and Wewitzer. Mainpiece: Written by the late Hugh Kelly, Esq., Never acted there. Public Advertiser, 26 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Whitefield, Crown-court, Bow-street; of Wewitzer. Great Hart-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #137 4s. 6d. (55.14.6; tickets: 81.10.0) (charge: #85 12s. 6d.)

Event Comment: [Extra night] By Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for Mrs Lisley, late Miss Barsanti. T. Davis's benefit, which was intended for Tuesday next, is obliged to be deferred till a Future Day, of which Proper Notice will be given. [Digges's 1st recorded appearance as Lord Townly was at Edinburgh, 6 Mar. 1756.

Event Comment: By Permission [of the Lord Chamberlain]. Benefit for Follet, Smith & T. Smith, late of the Bear, Westminster-bridge. Tickets to be had of Follet, No. 20, Little Wild-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields; of T. Smith at the Golden Cross, Charing Cross. T. Smith hopes to be honoured with the company of his brother Free Masons, Bucks, &c., Gentlemen of the Welsh Society, Hereford Society and West-moreland Society

Event Comment: A new Serious Opera [1st time; SER 3, by Pietro Metastasio]; the Music entirely new by Tommaso Giordani

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; co 2, by Henry Bate (later Sir Henry Bate Dudley). Music by William Shield]. Books for both Pieces to be had at the Theatre. Public Advertiser, 15 June 1779: This Day is published The Flitch of Bacon (1s.)

Event Comment: 1st piece [1st time; CO I, by Charles Dibdin, based on Rose et Colas, by Michel Jean Sedaine]. 3rd piece [1st time; CO I, by Charles Dibdin, based on Les Femmes Vengees, by Michel Jean Sedaine]: With new Scenery [Public Advertiser, 19 Sept.: by Richards] and Decorations. Both the Musical Pieces, with new Overtures, composed by Dibdin. Books of the new Musical Pieces to be had at the Theatre. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon (only) at the Stage Door. No Money to be taken at the Stage Door, nor any Money to be returned after the Curtain is drawn up. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. The Doors to be opened at 5:15. To begin at 6:15 [see 21 Sept.]. Public Advertiser, 18 Sept.: This Afternoon at Three will be published Rose and Colin and The Wives Revenged (each 6d.). "At this season of the year the little company upon the Ton, who are in town, seldom rise from the table till after the beginning of the play; in order, therefore, to obviate the disturbance that the fracas in the boxes usually makes towards the close of the first act, or the beginning of the second, this comic opera [Rose and Colin] was prefaced. It at the same time affords these late comers an opportunity of seeing the play [i.e. the mainpiece] complete" (Town and Country Magazine, Sept. 1778, p.453)

Event Comment: Books of the Burletta to be had at the Theatre

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 4 years. [The playbill assigns Posthumus to Reddish, but "On Saturday afternoon, at four o'Clock, Notice was sent of the extreme illness of Reddish; and Lewis (on Application) finding it impossible to attempt the Character of Posthumus at that very short Notice [not having performed it for some Seasons) it was obligingly undertaken by Brereton of Drury-Lane Theatre" (Public Advertiser, 26 Oct.). Mrs Crawford, as Mrs Barry, had 1st acted Imogen at dl, 1 Dec. 1770.

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Kennedy. Tickets delivered for Love Finds the Way will be taken. Public Advertiser, 20 Mar.: Tickets to be had at the late Dr Arne's, No. 5, Bow-street, Covent Garden

Event Comment: Benefit for Reddish [and his last appearance on the stage]. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. Public Advertiser, 1 May: Tickets to be had of Reddish, No. 14, near the Turnpike, Tottenham Court Road. "Poor Reddish, on the 5th of May, had a benefit, and it was resolved to try whether he could not go through the character of Posthumus. He was now infirm; in common occurrences imbecile, but to be exited by his former profession, or nothing. The late John Ireland gave an affecting detail of this attempt. He met his friend an hour before the performance began. Reddish entered the room with the step of an idiot, his eye wandering, and his whole countenance vacant. Mr Ireland congratulated him, that he was sufficiently recovered to perform his favourite Posthumus. 'Yes', said he, 'and in the garden scene I shall astonish you.' 'The garden scene! I thought you were to play Posthumus?' 'No, Sir, I play Romeo.' His friend assured him that Posthumus was the part he was to act--and he walked to the theatre, reciting Romeo all the way. When dressed for Posthumus, and in the green-room, it was still hard to undeceive him--at length he was pushed upon the stage....The instant he came in sight of the audience his recollection seemed to return; his countenance resumed meaning, his eye became lighted up, he made the modest bow of respect, and played the scene as well as he had ever done. But Romeo again met him in the green-room, and it was only the stage cue that had the power to unsettle this delusion; and that never failed to do it through the whole play. Mr Ireland thought him, on this occasion, less assuming and more natural than he had seemed in the full enjoyment of his reason" (Boaden, Kemble, I, XVI-XVII; Ireland, 58-60)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Beaumont and Fletcher [and altered by George Colman elder]. The Music by Purcell. New Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout season]. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Rice at the Theatre. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Servants to keep places are to be at the Door in Suffolk-street by Five o'Clock