Cortez

About the show

Cortez: Or, The Conquest of Mexico is an 1823 historical extravaganza by the British writer James Planché with music composed by Henry Bishop. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 5 November 1823. The original cast included John Cooper as Herdinando Cortez, Mary Ann Paton as Amazitli, Thomas Comer as Velaszque de Leon, William Chapman as Maxicazin, William Claremont as Tentile, George John Bennett as Teluxo, and Thomas Cooke as Oxoctzin. It also featured thirteen horses on stage and the trick rider Andrew Ducrow. The libretto by Planché is inspired by the Spanish conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés, and it enjoyed great success.