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Cave Underhill (1634–1710?) was an English actor in comedy roles. Underhill entertained three generations of London theatre-goers. For over 40 years, as a member of the
Duke's Company The Duke's Company was a theatre company chartered by King Charles II at the start of the Restoration era, 1660. Sir William Davenant was manager of the company under the patronage of Prince James, Duke of York. During hats period, theatres b ...
, Underhill played the first Gravedigger in ''Hamlet''. He was also successful in playing Gregory in ''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'', the clown in ''
Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...
'', and Trinculo in '' The Tempest''.


Early life

The son of Nicholas Underhill, a clothworker, he was born in St. Andrew's parish,
Holborn Holborn ( or ) is a district in central London, which covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part ( St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London. The area has its roots ...
, London, on 17 March 1634, and was admitted to Merchant Taylors' School in January 1645. He became first a member of the acting company which was gathered by John Rhodes. around
Thomas Betterton Thomas Patrick Betterton (August 1635 – 28 April 1710), the leading male actor and theatre manager during Restoration England, son of an under-cook to King Charles I, was born in London. Apprentice and actor Betterton was born in August 16 ...
. He was then recruited for Sir William D'Avenant and the Duke of York's company at the theatre in
Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in develo ...
. In 1663 he was fined in an assault case, with Betterton and James Noke.


Stage career

The first character to which Underhill's name appears is Sir Morglay Thwack in D'Avenant's comedy ''The Wits'', revived, with alterations, at Lincoln's Inn Fields on 15 August 1661. In
Abraham Cowley Abraham Cowley (; 161828 July 1667) was an English poet and essayist born in the City of London late in 1618. He was one of the leading English poets of the 17th century, with 14 printings of his ''Works'' published between 1668 and 1721. Early ...
's ''Cutter of Coleman Street'', he was the same season the original Cutter, a swaggerer. In 1662 he played before the king and queen at
Whitehall Palace The Palace of Whitehall (also spelt White Hall) at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, except notably Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. Hen ...
the title part in an English version of ''
Ignoramus Ignoramus may refer to: *Latin for "we do not know" * ''Ignoramus'', a college farce written in 1615 in Latin by George Ruggle *An ignorant person or dunce (as a consequence of Ruggle's play) *A verdict by a Grand Jury, meaning "we do not know of ...
''. After the theatre had been closed for eighteen months through the
Great Plague The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
and
Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the ...
, he was the first Moody in
John Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...
's ''Sir Martin Marrall'' on 16 August 1667, second performance. On the opening in 1671 of the new theatre in Dorset Gardens, Underhill was the original Sir Simon Softhead in
Edward Ravenscroft Edward Ravenscroft (c. 1654–1707) was an English dramatist who belonged to an ancient Flintshire family. He was entered at the Middle Temple, but devoted his attention mainly to literature. Ravenscroft was the first critic to posit that Sh ...
's ''Citizen turned Gentleman'' (based on ''
Monsieur de Pourceaugnac ''Monsieur de Pourceaugnac'' is a three-act ''comédie-ballet''—a ballet interrupted by spoken dialogue—by Molière, first presented on 6 October 1669 before the court of Louis XIV at the Château of Chambord by Molière's troupe of actors. ...
''). He played also Pedagog in Lord Orrery's ''Mr. Anthony''. During 1677 Underhill was confined in the
Poultry Compter Poultry Compter (also known as Poultry Counter) was a small prison that stood at Poultry, part of Cheapside in the City of London. The compter was used to lock up minor criminals and prisoners convicted under civil law and was run by the Ci ...
for debt, at the suit of William Allen. His liberty was demanded in April by Sir Allen Apsley, on the ground that he was one of the Duke of York's menial servants; the gaolers delayed until the case went to the House of Lords. After the two major acting companies were combined, Underhill came out on 4 December 1682 at the Theatre Royal as Curate Eustace in the production of Dryden's ''Duke of Guise''. On 6 February 1685, while ''
Sir Courtly Nice ''Sir Courtly Nice: Or, It Cannot Be'' is a 1685 comedy play by the English writer John Crowne. Rehearsals by the United Company were underway when the death of Charles II of England, Charles II in February led to the closure of all theatres as a ...
'' was being rehearsed, Underhill had to inform the author,
John Crowne John Crowne (6 April 1641 – 1712) was a British dramatist. His father "Colonel" William Crowne, accompanied the earl of Arundel on a diplomatic mission to Vienna in 1637, and wrote an account of his journey. He emigrated to Nova Scotia where h ...
, of the death of Charles II, by whose command the comedy had been written. When the play was produced shortly afterwards, he achieved a great success as Hothead. At the Theatre Royal he remained thirteen years. An anonymous comedy, ''Win her and take her, or Old Fools will be Meddling'',’ 1691, acted at the Theatre Royal the same year, was dedicated by Underhill to Lord Danby. It is thought to have been given to Underhill by the anonymous author, who wrote the part of Dullhead for him. At the theatre in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields Underhill was in 1695 the original Sir Sampson Legend in
William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a mi ...
's ''Love for Love'' (a part in which, according to
Colley Cibber Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in a personal, anecdotal and even rambling ...
, he was unrivalled).Also in 1696 Sir Topewell Clownish in
Peter Anthony Motteux Peter Anthony Motteux (born Pierre Antoine Motteux ; 25 February 1663 – 18 February 1718) was a French-born English author, playwright, and translator. Motteux was a significant figure in the evolution of English journalism in his era, as the ...
's ''Love's a Jest'', Sir Thomas Testie in Doggett's ''Country Wake'', Sir Toby Cusifle in George Granville's ''She Gallants'', Alderman Whim in Dilke's ''Lover's Luck''; in 1697 Bevis in Dilke's ''City Lady'', the Doctor in Ravenscroft's ''Anatomist, or the Sham Doctor'', Sir Blunder Bosse in D'Urfey's ''Intrigues at Versailles'', Flywife in
Mary Pix Mary Pix (1666 – 17 May 1709) was an English novelist and playwright. As an admirer of Aphra Behn and colleague of Susanna Centlivre, Pix has been called "a link between women writers of the Restoration and Augustan periods". Early years ...
's ''Innocent Mistress''; and played Cacafogo in a revival of ''
Rule a Wife and Have a Wife ''Rule a Wife and Have a Wife'' is a late Jacobean stage comedy written by John Fletcher. It was first performed in 1624 and first published in 1640. It is a comedy with intrigue that tells the story of two couples that get married with false p ...
''.
The next year saw him as the original Sir Wealthy Plainder in Thomas Dilke's ''Pretenders''; and in 1700 Sir Wilfull Witwoud in Congreve's ''
The Way of the World ''The Way of the World'' is a play written by the English playwright William Congreve. It premiered in early March 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is widely regarded as one of the best Restoration comedies and is stil ...
''.


Later years

In 1702 Underhill was Merryman in Betterton's ''Amorous Widow''. His name now appeared less frequently. On 8 February 1704 ''Œdipus'' and ''The Rover'' were played for his benefit, and he played at court Timothy in a revival of ''Sir Solomon''. '' The Virtuoso'' was played for his benefit on 31 March 1705 at Lincoln's Inn Fields. On 5 December 1706 Underhill played at the
Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
Sir Joslin Jolley in a revival of ''
She Would If She Could ''She Would If She Could'' is a 1668 comedy play by the English writer George Etherege. It was originally staged at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre by the Duke's Company. The original cast included William Smith as Courtall, John Young as Fr ...
'' by George Etherege, a part in which in the following month he was replaced by William Bullock; and on 20 January 1707 he repeated Blunt in ''The Rover''. ''The Mourning Bride'' (Congreve) was given for his benefit on 28 May; and on 3 June 1709 a performance of ''Hamlet'' at Drury Lane, where he played once more the first Gravedigger, repeated on 23 February 1710. On 12 May he was, for his benefit, once more Trincalo in Dryden's ''Tempest''. This was his last performance at Drury Lane. He was seen once, on 26 August 1710, at
William Pinkethman William Pinkethman(also Penkethman, Pinkeman, Pinkerman, etc.; nicknamed Pinkey) (c.1660–1725) was an English comic actor, a low comedian with a droll style, and theatre manager. He was considered an imitator of Anthony Leigh. Starting in th ...
's booth at Greenwich, where, for the benefit of Pinkethman, he played Ned Blunt in ''The Rover''. This was Underhill's last appearance, and he is said to have died soon after. He was commonly called Trincalo Underhill; and his name was sometimes spelt Undril.


Reputation

Richard Steele Sir Richard Steele (bap. 12 March 1672 – 1 September 1729) was an Anglo-Irish writer, playwright, and politician, remembered as co-founder, with his friend Joseph Addison, of the magazine ''The Spectator''. Early life Steele was born in Du ...
praised Underhill's understatement, and Cibber included him as one of the "original masters". In his ''Brief Supplement'', however, Tony Aston disparaged Underhill, saying that he knows Underhill was much cried up in his time, but he (Aston) is so stupid as not to know why.


In fiction

Underhill appears as a character in the 2015 play '' xit Mrs Behnor, The Leo Play'' by Christopher vanDer Ark.


Family

Underhill married Elizabeth Robinson, widow of Thomas Robinson, a vintner in
Cheapside Cheapside is a street in the City of London, the historic and modern financial centre of London, which forms part of the A40 London to Fishguard road. It links St. Martin's Le Grand with Poultry. Near its eastern end at Bank junction, where ...
; she died in October 1673.


References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Underhill, Cave English male stage actors 1634 births 18th-century deaths 17th-century English male actors