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A Word for Nature is a 1798 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It is also known by the alternative title of The Passive Husband. The original Drury Lane cast included James Aickin as Lord Glenadry, Richard Suett as Sir Toby Truckle, William Barrymore as Clifton, John Bannister as Leonard, Robert Palmer as Starling, William Dowton as Runic and Jane Pope as Lady Truckle.
Don Pedro is a tragic play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London on 23 July 1796. The original cast included James Aickin as Count Valdesoto, Charles Kemble as Henrique, John Palmer as Pedro De Rascifiria, John Bannister as Basco de Robeldondo, Richard Suett as Nicolas Sassenigo, Thomas Caulfield as Tayo, George Wathen as Roca, Robert Palmer as Cerbero and Elizabeth Kemble as Celestina, Sarah Harlowe as Mariguita, Maria Kemble as Cattania and Elizabeth Hopkins as Benedicta. The epilogue was written by George Colman the Younger.
False Impressions is a 1797 melodramatic comedy play by the British playwright Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Covent Garden Theatre in November 1797. Much of the plot resembles Cumberland's 1795 novel Henry. Algernon has to pretend to be a servant to restore his good name. The original cast included John Quick as Scud, Joseph George Holman as Algernon, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Simon Single, Charles Murray as Sir Oliver Monrath, John Whitfield as Earling, James Thompson as Frank, Julia Betterton as Emily Fitzallan, Margaret Knight as Jenny Scud and Mary Ann Davenport as Mrs Buckram.
First Love is a 1795 sentimental comedy play by the British playwright Richard Cumberland. It was first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre in May 1795. Frederick Mowbray becomes the protector of Sabrina Rosny after her abandonment by Lord Sensitive. The original Drury Lane cast included Richard Wroughton as Lord Sensitive, Thomas King as Sir Miles Mowbray, John Palmer as Frederick Mowbray, John Bannister as David, Robert Palmer as Mr Wrangle, Richard Suett as Billy Bustler, Elizabeth Farren as Lady Ruby, Jane Pope as Mrs Wrangle, Charlotte Tidswell as Mrs Kate, Dorothea Jordan as Sabrina Rosny and Ann Heard as Lady Ruby's Servant.
Joanna of Montfaucon is an 1800 historical play by the British playwright Richard Cumberland. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 16 January 1800 and was inspired by a work by German writer August von Kotzebue. The original cast included Maria Ann Pope as Joanna, Alexander Pope as Albert, Lord of Thurn, Joseph George Holman as Lazarra, Charles Incledon as Darbony, John Waddy as Wensel, Henry Erskine Johnston as Philip, John Emery as Guntram, Charles Murray as Hermit, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Wolf, Thomas King as Ulrick, William Claremont as Mountaineer, Charles Klanert as Soldier and Nannette Johnston as Eloisa.
A tragedy following the Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero’s downfall and death.
The Battle of Hastings is a 1778 play by the English writer Richard Cumberland. It is a tragedy set around the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was staged at the Drury Lane Theatre in October 1778 by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Sheridan later mocked Cumberland's sensitivity to criticism by modelling the character Sir Fretful Plagiary, in his 1779 play The Critic, after him. The original Drury Lane cast included Robert Bensley as Harold Godwinson, John Henderson as Edgar Atheling, John Palmer as Earl Edwin, William Brereton as Prince Waltheof, James Aickin as Earl of Northumberland, Richard Hurst as Raymond, Elizabeth Younge as Matilda and Mary Ann Yates as Edwina.
The Box-Lobby Challenge is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Haymarket Theatre in February 1794. It is a farcical comedy of manners set amongst the working class. The original cast included Thomas Caulfield as George Waterland, William Barrymore as Captain Waterland, James Aickin as Sir Toby Grampus, Richard Suett as Squire Robert, Robert Baddeley as Old Crochet, John Bannister as Jack Crotchet, George Bland as Fulsome Walter Maddocks as Jones, Robert Benson as Joe, Maria Gibbs as Lady Jane Danvers, Sarah Harlowe as Diana Grampus, Charlotte Goodall as Laetitia, Elizabeth Hopkins as Theodosia and Maria De Camp as Lindamira. The prologue was authored by Francis North.
The Brothers is a 1769 comedy play by Richard Cumberland. The play was Cumberland's breakthrough work. Its complicated plot involved a villain with a virtuous young brother and was set partly in Cornwall. He dedicated the play to the prime minister of the United Kingdom the Duke of Grafton. Two years later Cumberland went on to write his most successful work The West Indian. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 2 December 1769. The original cast included Richard Yates as Sir Benjamin Dove, Henry Woodward as Captain Ironsides, John Quick as Skiff, Thomas Hull as Old Goodwin, Robert Bensley as Philip, John Dunstall as Jonathan, James Perry as Francis, Jane Green as Lady Dove, Mary Ann Yates as Sophia, Mary Bulkley as Violetta and Isabella Mattocks as Lucy Waters. The Irish premiere took place at the Capel Street Theatre on 7 May 1770.
The Carmelite is a 1784 tragedy by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Drury Lane Theatre on 2 December 1784. The play's hero Saint-Valori disguises himself as a Carmelite. The original cast included Sarah Siddons as Matilda, William Smith as Saint Valori, John Palmer as Lord Hildebrand, John Philip Kemble as Montgomeri, James Aickin as Lord De Courci, John Hayman Packer as Gyfford, John Phillimore as Fitzallan and John Fawcett as Raymond. The play enjoyed some success, and was later staged at a theatre in Belfast where Wolfe Tone saw it in 1791.
The Choleric Man is a 1774 comedy play by the British author Richard Cumberland. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 10 December 1774. The original cast included Thomas King as Andrew Nightshade, James Aickin as Manlove, John Hayman Packer as Stapleton, Samuel Reddish as Charles Manlove, Thomas Weston as Jack Nightshade, Robert Baddeley as Dibble, John Moody as Gregory, Francis Godolphin Waldron as Frampton. Roger Wright as Frederick, Elizabeth Hopkins as Mrs Stapleton, Frances Abington as Laetitia and Jane Pope as Lucy. The play's Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin on 14 April 1777. It also appeared later at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden.
The Country Attorney is a 1787 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first performed at the Haymarket Theatre on 7 July 1787. The Haymarket cast included Robert Bensley as Sterling, James Aickin as Wordly, Stephen Kemble as Sir Wilful Wayward, Robert Palmer as Lord Millamourm, John Bannister as Jack Volatile and Mary Bulkley as Mrs Worldly, Margaret Cuyler as Mrs Gayless and Elizabeth Farren as Lady Rustic. It was not published during Cumberland's lifetime. The play was reworked and much of it used again by Cumberland for the 1789 play The School for Widows.
The Days of Yore is a British historical play by Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Covent Garden Theatre on 13 January 1796. The original cast included James Middleton as Alfred, King of England, George Davies Harley as Oddune, Earl of Devonshire, Alexander Pope as Voltimar, Elizabeth Clendining as Lothaire, James Thompson as Mollo, Willam Macready as Sibald, William Claremont as Ebert, Thomas Hull as Roger De Malvern and Elizabeth Pope as Adela. The work is set in the Anglo-Saxon era. The work was possibly influenced by Horace Walpole's gothic novel The Mysterious Mother. It ran for five performances.
The Dependent is a 1795 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 20 October 1795. The original cast included Thomas King as Lord Leverington, Richard Suett as Sir Clement Canteser, John Philip Kemble as Edmund D'Alincourt, James Aickin as Carrington, John Bannister as Gabriel Wrinkle, George Wathen as Isaac, John Phillimore as Thomas, Walter Maddocks as Harry, Jane Pope as Mrs Margaret and Elizabeth Farren as Jane.
Sir Frances finds out that he is in love with Eleanor and decided to marry her after several unfortunate dates Eleanor accept his proposal.
A sentimental comedy, it follows the adventures of Augusta Aubrey after she leaves her ward's house and is nearly seduced by the villainous Lord Abberville.
The Impostors is a comedy play by Richard Cumberland. It was first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre in January 1789. The plot closely resembled that of The Beaux' Stratagem by George Farquhar. The original Drury Lane Cast included John Palmer as Lord Janus, Robert Baddeley as Sir Solomon Sapient, James Aickin as Captain George Sapient, William Barrymore as Sir Charles Freemantle, Richard Suett as Oliver and Richard Wroughton as Polycarp, Jane Pope as Mrs Dorothy and Dorothea Jordan as Eleanor.
Charles, a young clerk employed in the counting house of the merchant Sir Stephen Bertram is fired because his sister Eliza is romantically involved with Sir Stephen's son, Frederick (who is also Charles's best friend). Unknown to both Sir Stephen and Charles, Frederick and Eliza have already been secretly married. To help his now unemployed friend financially, Frederick seeks to borrow money from a Jewish moneylender named Sheva, who Frederick assumes is a merciless and stingy miser. Sheva is actually a very kind man and a sympathetic listener. When he realises that Charles is the son of "Don Carlos", a soldier who once rescued him from an angry mob in Cádiz, Spain, he decides to give Frederick the money to help his friend, and secretly invests money in Eliza's name to demonstrate to Sir Stephen that Eliza is a worthy wife for his son. Charles, however, is stubbornly proud and, when he learns that Frederick has secretly married his sister, he challenges his friend to a duel. Their sword fight ends quickly when Charles receives a minor cut on his wrist and, after the truth about Sheva's generous gift is revealed, everything ends happily.
The Last of the Family is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1797 as a benefit performance for the actor John Bannister. The original cast included William Dowton as Sir John Manfred, John Bannister as Sir Adam ap Origen, Ralph Wewitzer as Squire Abel, Charles Kemble as Peregrine, Richard Suett as Beau Tiffany, Robert Palmer as Ned Flexible, Thomas Caulfield as George Ivey, John Hayman Packer as David Duncan, Jane Pope as Lady Manfred, Charlotte Tidswell as Lucy and Dorothea Jordan as Letitia Manfred.
The Mysterious Husband is a play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It is a Domestic drama with a tragic ending, first performed in 1783. Along with several other Cumberland plays it was influenced by the 1768 gothic play The Mysterious Mother by Horace Walpole. The original Covent Garden cast included John Henderson as Lord Davenant (a part written for him), William Thomas Lewis as Charles Davenant, Richard Wroughton as Captain Dorner, Richard Yates as Sir Edmund Travers, Elizabeth Satchell as Marianne and Elizabeth Younge as Lady Davenant.
The Natural Son is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Drury Lane Theatre in London in December 1784. The play is notable for the return of the popular character Major O'Flaherty from Cumberland's 1771 play The West Indian. The original Drury Lane cast included Thomas King as Jack Hustings, William Parsons as Dumps, Robert Bensley as Ruefull, John Moody as Major O'Flaherty, Sophia Baddeley as Sir Jeffrey Latimer, James Wrighten as David, John Palmer as Blushenly, Jane Pope as Miss Phoebe Latimer, Charlotte Tidswell as Penelope and Elizabeth Farren as Lady Paragon.
The Note of Hand, or Trip to Newmarket is a 1774 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. A farce it was the final play performed by David Garrick at the Drury Lane Theatre in London before his retirement. The Irish premiere took place at the Capel Street Theatre in Dublin on 10 March 1774. The original London cast included John Palmer as Revell, Samuel Cautherley as Rivers, Thomas Jefferson as Elder Rivers, John Moody as O'Connor MacCormuck, William Palmer as Francis, James William Dodd as Sapling, James Wrighten as Putty and Susan Greville as Mrs Cheveley. It is set against the backdrop of Newmarket Racecourse. The play mocked some of the leading Whig politicians of the era such as Charles Fox and the Duke of Devonshire. This may have been the cause of Cumberland's dispute with Richard Brinsley Sheridan who was a Whig. Sheridan went on to create a comedy character Sir Fretful Plagiary closely based on Cumberland in the 1779 play The Critic.
After a young woman, Julia, is orphaned following the Battle of Copenhagen she enjoys a series of adventures until settling down with her long-lost guardian Captain Sentamore. The play is set in Bath.
The School for Widows is a 1789 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 8 May 1789. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Jack Marmoset, Thomas Ryder as Mr Wordly, John Quick as Sir Wilful Wayward, Alexander Pope as Frederick, Isabella Mattocks as Mrs Wordly, Sarah Wewitzer as Mrs Gayless and Frances Abington as Lady Charlotte Richmore. It was never published.
The Sibyl, or The Elder Brutus is a tragedy by the English writer Richard Cumberland. Written but not performed or printed in his lifetime, it was included in the posthumous collections of his works published in 1813. Inspired by the Cumaean Sibyl, it depicts the overthrow of the Roman monarchy. On 3 December 1818 it premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. John Howard Payne substantially reworked the piece for production while Edmund Kean played the role of Brutus. It was performed and published under the title Brutus.
The Walloons is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London in April 1782. The original cast included John Henderson as Father Sullivan, Richard Wroughton as Montgomery, John Quick as Sir Solomon Dangle, Charles Lee Lewes as Davy Dangle, Francis Aickin as Daggerly, Matthew Clarke as Don Vincentio Drclincourt, John Edwin as Pat Carey, James Fearon as Bumboat, James Thompson as Tipple, Sarah Maria Wilson as Kitty Carrington, Ann Pitt as Mrs Partlet, Mrs Webb as Lady Dangle and Elizabeth Satchell as Agnes. The character of Father O'Sullivan was widely believed to be based on Father Thomas Hussey an Irish-born Priest with whom Cumberland conducted secret talks in an attempt to secure a peace agreement between Britain and Spain during the American War of Independence.
The West Indian is a play by Richard Cumberland first staged at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1771. A comedy, it depicts Belcour, a West Indian plantation owner, travelling to Britain. Belcour tries to overcome his father's lingering disapproval of him and marry his sweetheart Louisa. Its hero, who probably owes much to the suggestion of David Garrick, is a young scapegrace fresh from the tropics, "with rum and sugar enough belonging to him to make all the water in the Thames into punch", a libertine with generous instincts, which prevail in the end. The early example of the modern drama was favorably received. Boden translated it into German, and Goethe acted in it at the Weimar court. The play was a success running for 28 performances in its original run and was Cumberland's most popular comic work. One of the Drury Lane staff observed "the success which has attended the performances of The West Indian has exceeded that of any comedy within the memory of the oldest man living". The original Drury Lane cast included Francis Aickin as Stockwell, Thomas King as Belcour, John Hayman Packer as Captain Dudley, Samuel Cautherley as Charles Dudley, John Moody as Major O'Flaherty, James Aickin as Stukely, Robert Baddeley as Fulmer, William Parsons as Varland, Elizabeth Hopkins as Lady Rusport, Frances Abington as Charlotte Rusport, Sophia Baddeley as Louisa and Mary Bradshaw as Stockwell's Housekeeper. The play proved popular in North America and was staged in the West Indies, British North America and the United States. It was the first English-language play known to have been staged in Jersey (on 5 May 1792). It was staged at Yale on April 13, 1773 by an all-male cast, who were members of the Linonian literary society, which included Nathan Hale and David Bushnell. A popular character was the Irishman Major O'Flaherty, who reappeared in the 1785 play The Natural Son. The play was one of a number written by Cumberland that contained sympathetic depictions of colonists from the British Empire. On 17 April 1804, the play was performed at the Theatre Royal, York. It was attended by Jane Ewbank, who commented as follows in her diary: "Went to the Play, the West Indian; the part of Belcour would have been performed well by Melvin, had he been more the gentleman... " (York Courant, 16 April 1804).
Roderick Penruddock's rural cottage is the location for the first act. The scenes of other four acts are in London. The comic lawyer Timothy Weazel finds Roderick Penruddock, who has been living for twenty years in isolated misanthropy, embittered against Arabella and his enemy Woodville. Weazel informs Penruddock that he is the heir of the deceased Sir George Penruddock, a cousin of Roderick. This unexpected inheritance and Woodville's ruin at the gaming tables create a possibility. Roderick plots his revenge and searches for his enemy Woodville in London, where he encounters Henry Woodville. Arabella and his enemy Woodville's friend Sydenham make appeals to Penruddock. The appeals and his own pangs of conscience cause Penruddock to repent, turn to forgiveness, abandon his plans for revenge, and bestow a fortune upon Henry Woodville and Emily.
A Hint to Husbands is an 1806 comedy play by the British dramatist Richard Cumberland which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre. The prologue was written by James Bland Burgess. The play was not a success and lasted for only five nights. The original cast included Charles Kemble as Lord Transit, Henry Erskine Johnston as Sir Charles Le Brun, Alexander Pope as Heartright, John Fawcett as Fairford, John Brunton as George Trever, Charles Farley as Pliant, John Emery as Codicil, William Blanchard as Dogherty and Julia Glover as Lady Le Brun.
A Word for Nature is a 1798 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It is also known by the alternative title of The Passive Husband. The original Drury Lane cast included James Aickin as Lord Glenadry, Richard Suett as Sir Toby Truckle, William Barrymore as Clifton, John Bannister as Leonard, Robert Palmer as Starling, William Dowton as Runic and Jane Pope as Lady Truckle.
Don Pedro is a tragic play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London on 23 July 1796. The original cast included James Aickin as Count Valdesoto, Charles Kemble as Henrique, John Palmer as Pedro De Rascifiria, John Bannister as Basco de Robeldondo, Richard Suett as Nicolas Sassenigo, Thomas Caulfield as Tayo, George Wathen as Roca, Robert Palmer as Cerbero and Elizabeth Kemble as Celestina, Sarah Harlowe as Mariguita, Maria Kemble as Cattania and Elizabeth Hopkins as Benedicta. The epilogue was written by George Colman the Younger.
False Impressions is a 1797 melodramatic comedy play by the British playwright Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Covent Garden Theatre in November 1797. Much of the plot resembles Cumberland's 1795 novel Henry. Algernon has to pretend to be a servant to restore his good name. The original cast included John Quick as Scud, Joseph George Holman as Algernon, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Simon Single, Charles Murray as Sir Oliver Monrath, John Whitfield as Earling, James Thompson as Frank, Julia Betterton as Emily Fitzallan, Margaret Knight as Jenny Scud and Mary Ann Davenport as Mrs Buckram.
First Love is a 1795 sentimental comedy play by the British playwright Richard Cumberland. It was first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre in May 1795. Frederick Mowbray becomes the protector of Sabrina Rosny after her abandonment by Lord Sensitive. The original Drury Lane cast included Richard Wroughton as Lord Sensitive, Thomas King as Sir Miles Mowbray, John Palmer as Frederick Mowbray, John Bannister as David, Robert Palmer as Mr Wrangle, Richard Suett as Billy Bustler, Elizabeth Farren as Lady Ruby, Jane Pope as Mrs Wrangle, Charlotte Tidswell as Mrs Kate, Dorothea Jordan as Sabrina Rosny and Ann Heard as Lady Ruby's Servant.
Joanna of Montfaucon is an 1800 historical play by the British playwright Richard Cumberland. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 16 January 1800 and was inspired by a work by German writer August von Kotzebue. The original cast included Maria Ann Pope as Joanna, Alexander Pope as Albert, Lord of Thurn, Joseph George Holman as Lazarra, Charles Incledon as Darbony, John Waddy as Wensel, Henry Erskine Johnston as Philip, John Emery as Guntram, Charles Murray as Hermit, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Wolf, Thomas King as Ulrick, William Claremont as Mountaineer, Charles Klanert as Soldier and Nannette Johnston as Eloisa.
A tragedy following the Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero’s downfall and death.
The Battle of Hastings is a 1778 play by the English writer Richard Cumberland. It is a tragedy set around the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was staged at the Drury Lane Theatre in October 1778 by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Sheridan later mocked Cumberland's sensitivity to criticism by modelling the character Sir Fretful Plagiary, in his 1779 play The Critic, after him. The original Drury Lane cast included Robert Bensley as Harold Godwinson, John Henderson as Edgar Atheling, John Palmer as Earl Edwin, William Brereton as Prince Waltheof, James Aickin as Earl of Northumberland, Richard Hurst as Raymond, Elizabeth Younge as Matilda and Mary Ann Yates as Edwina.
The Box-Lobby Challenge is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Haymarket Theatre in February 1794. It is a farcical comedy of manners set amongst the working class. The original cast included Thomas Caulfield as George Waterland, William Barrymore as Captain Waterland, James Aickin as Sir Toby Grampus, Richard Suett as Squire Robert, Robert Baddeley as Old Crochet, John Bannister as Jack Crotchet, George Bland as Fulsome Walter Maddocks as Jones, Robert Benson as Joe, Maria Gibbs as Lady Jane Danvers, Sarah Harlowe as Diana Grampus, Charlotte Goodall as Laetitia, Elizabeth Hopkins as Theodosia and Maria De Camp as Lindamira. The prologue was authored by Francis North.
The Brothers is a 1769 comedy play by Richard Cumberland. The play was Cumberland's breakthrough work. Its complicated plot involved a villain with a virtuous young brother and was set partly in Cornwall. He dedicated the play to the prime minister of the United Kingdom the Duke of Grafton. Two years later Cumberland went on to write his most successful work The West Indian. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 2 December 1769. The original cast included Richard Yates as Sir Benjamin Dove, Henry Woodward as Captain Ironsides, John Quick as Skiff, Thomas Hull as Old Goodwin, Robert Bensley as Philip, John Dunstall as Jonathan, James Perry as Francis, Jane Green as Lady Dove, Mary Ann Yates as Sophia, Mary Bulkley as Violetta and Isabella Mattocks as Lucy Waters. The Irish premiere took place at the Capel Street Theatre on 7 May 1770.
The Carmelite is a 1784 tragedy by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Drury Lane Theatre on 2 December 1784. The play's hero Saint-Valori disguises himself as a Carmelite. The original cast included Sarah Siddons as Matilda, William Smith as Saint Valori, John Palmer as Lord Hildebrand, John Philip Kemble as Montgomeri, James Aickin as Lord De Courci, John Hayman Packer as Gyfford, John Phillimore as Fitzallan and John Fawcett as Raymond. The play enjoyed some success, and was later staged at a theatre in Belfast where Wolfe Tone saw it in 1791.
The Choleric Man is a 1774 comedy play by the British author Richard Cumberland. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 10 December 1774. The original cast included Thomas King as Andrew Nightshade, James Aickin as Manlove, John Hayman Packer as Stapleton, Samuel Reddish as Charles Manlove, Thomas Weston as Jack Nightshade, Robert Baddeley as Dibble, John Moody as Gregory, Francis Godolphin Waldron as Frampton. Roger Wright as Frederick, Elizabeth Hopkins as Mrs Stapleton, Frances Abington as Laetitia and Jane Pope as Lucy. The play's Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin on 14 April 1777. It also appeared later at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden.
The Country Attorney is a 1787 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first performed at the Haymarket Theatre on 7 July 1787. The Haymarket cast included Robert Bensley as Sterling, James Aickin as Wordly, Stephen Kemble as Sir Wilful Wayward, Robert Palmer as Lord Millamourm, John Bannister as Jack Volatile and Mary Bulkley as Mrs Worldly, Margaret Cuyler as Mrs Gayless and Elizabeth Farren as Lady Rustic. It was not published during Cumberland's lifetime. The play was reworked and much of it used again by Cumberland for the 1789 play The School for Widows.
The Days of Yore is a British historical play by Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Covent Garden Theatre on 13 January 1796. The original cast included James Middleton as Alfred, King of England, George Davies Harley as Oddune, Earl of Devonshire, Alexander Pope as Voltimar, Elizabeth Clendining as Lothaire, James Thompson as Mollo, Willam Macready as Sibald, William Claremont as Ebert, Thomas Hull as Roger De Malvern and Elizabeth Pope as Adela. The work is set in the Anglo-Saxon era. The work was possibly influenced by Horace Walpole's gothic novel The Mysterious Mother. It ran for five performances.
The Dependent is a 1795 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 20 October 1795. The original cast included Thomas King as Lord Leverington, Richard Suett as Sir Clement Canteser, John Philip Kemble as Edmund D'Alincourt, James Aickin as Carrington, John Bannister as Gabriel Wrinkle, George Wathen as Isaac, John Phillimore as Thomas, Walter Maddocks as Harry, Jane Pope as Mrs Margaret and Elizabeth Farren as Jane.
Sir Frances finds out that he is in love with Eleanor and decided to marry her after several unfortunate dates Eleanor accept his proposal.
A sentimental comedy, it follows the adventures of Augusta Aubrey after she leaves her ward's house and is nearly seduced by the villainous Lord Abberville.
The Impostors is a comedy play by Richard Cumberland. It was first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre in January 1789. The plot closely resembled that of The Beaux' Stratagem by George Farquhar. The original Drury Lane Cast included John Palmer as Lord Janus, Robert Baddeley as Sir Solomon Sapient, James Aickin as Captain George Sapient, William Barrymore as Sir Charles Freemantle, Richard Suett as Oliver and Richard Wroughton as Polycarp, Jane Pope as Mrs Dorothy and Dorothea Jordan as Eleanor.
Charles, a young clerk employed in the counting house of the merchant Sir Stephen Bertram is fired because his sister Eliza is romantically involved with Sir Stephen's son, Frederick (who is also Charles's best friend). Unknown to both Sir Stephen and Charles, Frederick and Eliza have already been secretly married. To help his now unemployed friend financially, Frederick seeks to borrow money from a Jewish moneylender named Sheva, who Frederick assumes is a merciless and stingy miser. Sheva is actually a very kind man and a sympathetic listener. When he realises that Charles is the son of "Don Carlos", a soldier who once rescued him from an angry mob in Cádiz, Spain, he decides to give Frederick the money to help his friend, and secretly invests money in Eliza's name to demonstrate to Sir Stephen that Eliza is a worthy wife for his son. Charles, however, is stubbornly proud and, when he learns that Frederick has secretly married his sister, he challenges his friend to a duel. Their sword fight ends quickly when Charles receives a minor cut on his wrist and, after the truth about Sheva's generous gift is revealed, everything ends happily.
The Last of the Family is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1797 as a benefit performance for the actor John Bannister. The original cast included William Dowton as Sir John Manfred, John Bannister as Sir Adam ap Origen, Ralph Wewitzer as Squire Abel, Charles Kemble as Peregrine, Richard Suett as Beau Tiffany, Robert Palmer as Ned Flexible, Thomas Caulfield as George Ivey, John Hayman Packer as David Duncan, Jane Pope as Lady Manfred, Charlotte Tidswell as Lucy and Dorothea Jordan as Letitia Manfred.
The Mysterious Husband is a play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It is a Domestic drama with a tragic ending, first performed in 1783. Along with several other Cumberland plays it was influenced by the 1768 gothic play The Mysterious Mother by Horace Walpole. The original Covent Garden cast included John Henderson as Lord Davenant (a part written for him), William Thomas Lewis as Charles Davenant, Richard Wroughton as Captain Dorner, Richard Yates as Sir Edmund Travers, Elizabeth Satchell as Marianne and Elizabeth Younge as Lady Davenant.
The Natural Son is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Drury Lane Theatre in London in December 1784. The play is notable for the return of the popular character Major O'Flaherty from Cumberland's 1771 play The West Indian. The original Drury Lane cast included Thomas King as Jack Hustings, William Parsons as Dumps, Robert Bensley as Ruefull, John Moody as Major O'Flaherty, Sophia Baddeley as Sir Jeffrey Latimer, James Wrighten as David, John Palmer as Blushenly, Jane Pope as Miss Phoebe Latimer, Charlotte Tidswell as Penelope and Elizabeth Farren as Lady Paragon.
The Note of Hand, or Trip to Newmarket is a 1774 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. A farce it was the final play performed by David Garrick at the Drury Lane Theatre in London before his retirement. The Irish premiere took place at the Capel Street Theatre in Dublin on 10 March 1774. The original London cast included John Palmer as Revell, Samuel Cautherley as Rivers, Thomas Jefferson as Elder Rivers, John Moody as O'Connor MacCormuck, William Palmer as Francis, James William Dodd as Sapling, James Wrighten as Putty and Susan Greville as Mrs Cheveley. It is set against the backdrop of Newmarket Racecourse. The play mocked some of the leading Whig politicians of the era such as Charles Fox and the Duke of Devonshire. This may have been the cause of Cumberland's dispute with Richard Brinsley Sheridan who was a Whig. Sheridan went on to create a comedy character Sir Fretful Plagiary closely based on Cumberland in the 1779 play The Critic.
After a young woman, Julia, is orphaned following the Battle of Copenhagen she enjoys a series of adventures until settling down with her long-lost guardian Captain Sentamore. The play is set in Bath.
The School for Widows is a 1789 comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 8 May 1789. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Jack Marmoset, Thomas Ryder as Mr Wordly, John Quick as Sir Wilful Wayward, Alexander Pope as Frederick, Isabella Mattocks as Mrs Wordly, Sarah Wewitzer as Mrs Gayless and Frances Abington as Lady Charlotte Richmore. It was never published.
The Sibyl, or The Elder Brutus is a tragedy by the English writer Richard Cumberland. Written but not performed or printed in his lifetime, it was included in the posthumous collections of his works published in 1813. Inspired by the Cumaean Sibyl, it depicts the overthrow of the Roman monarchy. On 3 December 1818 it premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. John Howard Payne substantially reworked the piece for production while Edmund Kean played the role of Brutus. It was performed and published under the title Brutus.
The Walloons is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London in April 1782. The original cast included John Henderson as Father Sullivan, Richard Wroughton as Montgomery, John Quick as Sir Solomon Dangle, Charles Lee Lewes as Davy Dangle, Francis Aickin as Daggerly, Matthew Clarke as Don Vincentio Drclincourt, John Edwin as Pat Carey, James Fearon as Bumboat, James Thompson as Tipple, Sarah Maria Wilson as Kitty Carrington, Ann Pitt as Mrs Partlet, Mrs Webb as Lady Dangle and Elizabeth Satchell as Agnes. The character of Father O'Sullivan was widely believed to be based on Father Thomas Hussey an Irish-born Priest with whom Cumberland conducted secret talks in an attempt to secure a peace agreement between Britain and Spain during the American War of Independence.
The West Indian is a play by Richard Cumberland first staged at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1771. A comedy, it depicts Belcour, a West Indian plantation owner, travelling to Britain. Belcour tries to overcome his father's lingering disapproval of him and marry his sweetheart Louisa. Its hero, who probably owes much to the suggestion of David Garrick, is a young scapegrace fresh from the tropics, "with rum and sugar enough belonging to him to make all the water in the Thames into punch", a libertine with generous instincts, which prevail in the end. The early example of the modern drama was favorably received. Boden translated it into German, and Goethe acted in it at the Weimar court. The play was a success running for 28 performances in its original run and was Cumberland's most popular comic work. One of the Drury Lane staff observed "the success which has attended the performances of The West Indian has exceeded that of any comedy within the memory of the oldest man living". The original Drury Lane cast included Francis Aickin as Stockwell, Thomas King as Belcour, John Hayman Packer as Captain Dudley, Samuel Cautherley as Charles Dudley, John Moody as Major O'Flaherty, James Aickin as Stukely, Robert Baddeley as Fulmer, William Parsons as Varland, Elizabeth Hopkins as Lady Rusport, Frances Abington as Charlotte Rusport, Sophia Baddeley as Louisa and Mary Bradshaw as Stockwell's Housekeeper. The play proved popular in North America and was staged in the West Indies, British North America and the United States. It was the first English-language play known to have been staged in Jersey (on 5 May 1792). It was staged at Yale on April 13, 1773 by an all-male cast, who were members of the Linonian literary society, which included Nathan Hale and David Bushnell. A popular character was the Irishman Major O'Flaherty, who reappeared in the 1785 play The Natural Son. The play was one of a number written by Cumberland that contained sympathetic depictions of colonists from the British Empire. On 17 April 1804, the play was performed at the Theatre Royal, York. It was attended by Jane Ewbank, who commented as follows in her diary: "Went to the Play, the West Indian; the part of Belcour would have been performed well by Melvin, had he been more the gentleman... " (York Courant, 16 April 1804).
Roderick Penruddock's rural cottage is the location for the first act. The scenes of other four acts are in London. The comic lawyer Timothy Weazel finds Roderick Penruddock, who has been living for twenty years in isolated misanthropy, embittered against Arabella and his enemy Woodville. Weazel informs Penruddock that he is the heir of the deceased Sir George Penruddock, a cousin of Roderick. This unexpected inheritance and Woodville's ruin at the gaming tables create a possibility. Roderick plots his revenge and searches for his enemy Woodville in London, where he encounters Henry Woodville. Arabella and his enemy Woodville's friend Sydenham make appeals to Penruddock. The appeals and his own pangs of conscience cause Penruddock to repent, turn to forgiveness, abandon his plans for revenge, and bestow a fortune upon Henry Woodville and Emily.
A Hint to Husbands is an 1806 comedy play by the British dramatist Richard Cumberland which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre. The prologue was written by James Bland Burgess. The play was not a success and lasted for only five nights. The original cast included Charles Kemble as Lord Transit, Henry Erskine Johnston as Sir Charles Le Brun, Alexander Pope as Heartright, John Fawcett as Fairford, John Brunton as George Trever, Charles Farley as Pliant, John Emery as Codicil, William Blanchard as Dogherty and Julia Glover as Lady Le Brun.