Charles Maturin · aftercurtain

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Bertram

Writer · Play · 1816

Bertram; or The Castle of St. Aldobrand is an 1816 Gothic tragedy by the Irish writer Charles Maturin, his first and most successful play. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 9 May 1816. The original cast included Edmund Kean as Bertram, Alexander Pope as St Aldobrand, Charles Holland as Prior of St Anselm, John Powell as Monk, Thomas Cooke as Robber, Margaret Somerville as Imogine and Susan Boyce as Clotilda. The prologue was written by John Hobhouse. The 1827 opera Il pirata composed by Vincenzo Bellini uses a libretto by Felice Romani inspired by Maturin's work. A contemporary discussion of the play is found in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Biographia Literaria.

Fredolfo

Writer · Play · 1819

Fredolfo is an 1819 historical tragedy by the Irish writer Charles Maturin. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 12 May 1819. The original cast included William Macready as Wallenberg, Charles Mayne Young as Fredolfo, Charles Kemble as Aldemar, Frederick Henry Yates as Berthold, Charles Connor as Waldo and Elizabeth O'Neill as Urilda. Maturin dedicated the published version to the Duke of Leinster, which was published by Archibald Constable. The work was considered a failure which failed to recaptured the success of his earlier Bertram and Maturin turned back to writing novels.

Il pirata

Original play · Opera · 1827

Shipwrecked pirate Gualtiero arrives near the castle of Ernesto, who married Gualtiero’s former beloved Imogene under threat to her father. Imogene shelters the strangers but hides her recognition of Gualtiero. The former lovers meet and declare that they still love each other, while Ernesto discovers them and challenges Gualtiero. Ernesto dies in their fight, and Gualtiero gives himself up to the knights; Imogene descends into madness as he is sentenced to death.

Manuel

Writer · Play · 1817

Manuel is an 1817 tragedy by the Irish writer Charles Maturin. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 8 March 1817. The original cast included Edmund Kean as Manuel, Count Valdi, Alexander Rae as De Zelos, James William Wallack as Torrismond, Charles Holland as Mendizabel, Thomas Cooke as Almorad, John Powell as Guide and Margaret Somerville as Victoria. The published work is dedicated to the writer Walter Scott. It takes place in the wake of the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in Spain. It failed to recapture the success of his debut play Bertram of the previous year, despite both starring Kean.

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