Alfred the Great is an 1831

historical play History is one of the three main genres in Western theatre alongside tragedy and comedy, although it originated, in its modern form, thousands of years later than the other primary genres. For this reason, it is often treated as a subset of trage ...

by the Irish writer

James Sheridan Knowles James Sheridan Knowles (12 May 1784 – 30 November 1862) was an Irish dramatist and actor. Biography Knowles was born in Cork. His father was the lexicographer James Knowles (1759–1840), cousin of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The family mov ...

. It portrays the life of the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

King

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bot ...

.Sobecki p.198-99 It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. The title role was played by William Macready, a frequent collaborator of Knowles. Other members of the cast included

Charles Mayne Young Charles Mayne Young (10 January 1777 – 1856) was an English actor. He was born to a respected London surgeon (doctor). His first stage appearance was in Liverpool on 20 September 1798, where he played a Young Norval in Home's blank verse trag ...

as Edric, John Cooper as Guthrum, James Vining as Oddune,

Henry John Wallack Henry John Wallack (1790 – 30 August 1870) was a British actor, stage manager, and brother of actor James William Wallack. Wallack was born in London. Wallack's parents were comedians, who performed at the London minor playhouses and in the B ...

as Oswith,

Mary Warner Mary Amelia Warner (''née'' Huddart; 1804–1854), best known by her stage name Mrs Warner, was an English actress and theatre manager. Life Warner was born in Manchester in 1804 to Thomas Huddart, a chemist from Dublin, and his wife, Ann née ...

as Elswith and Thomas Cooke as Kenric. The published version was dedicated to the reigning monarch William IV.

References

Bibliography

* Sebastian I. Sobecki. ''The Sea and Englishness in the Middle Ages: Maritime Narratives, Identity and Culture''. Boydell & Brewer, 2011. 1831 plays West End plays Biographical plays about English royalty Cultural depictions of Alfred the Great Plays by James Sheridan Knowles Plays set in England Plays set in the 9th century {{19thC-play-stub