''Cleonice, Princess of Bithynia'' is a 1775
tragedy
Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...
by the British writer
John Hoole
John Hoole (December 1727 – 2 August 1803) was an English translator, the son of Samuel Hoole (born 1692), a mechanic, and Sarah Drury (c. 1700 – c. 1793), the daughter of a Clerkenwell clockmaker. He became a personal friend of Samuel John ...
. It is set in
Bithynia
Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Pa ...
during the
Ancient era
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...
.
The original Covent Garden cast included
Spranger Barry
Spranger Barry (23 November 1719 – 10 January 1777) was an Irish actor.
Life
He was born in Skinner's Row, Dublin, the son of a silversmith, to whose business he was brought up. He took over the business but was not successful.
His fir ...
as Artabuses,
Robert Bensley
Robert Bensley (c. 1740 – 1817) was an 18th-century English actor, of whom Charles Lamb in the ''Essays of Elia'' speaks with special praise.
Life
His early life is obscure, but his family was not poor: an uncle, Sir William Bensley, was ...
as Lycomedes,
William Thomas Lewis
William Thomas Lewis (1748?–1811), known as "Gentleman" Lewis, due to his refined acting style, was an English actor. He was said to be "the most complete fop on the stage". In later life he went into theatrical management.
Early days in Ir ...
as Pharnaces,
John Lee John Lee may refer to:
Academia
* John Lee (astronomer) (1783–1866), president of the Royal Astronomical Society
* John Lee (university principal) (1779–1859), University of Edinburgh principal
* John Lee (pathologist) (born 1961), English
...
as Orontes,
Thomas Hull Thomas Hull may refer to:
*Thomas Hull (actor) (1728–1808), English actor and dramatist
* Thomas Hull (MP) (1528–1575/1576), English politician
* Thomas Gray Hull (1926–2008), American judge
*Tom Hull (American football) (born 1952), American ...
as Teramenes,
John Whitfield as Agenor and
Elizabeth Hartley as Cleonice.
[Hogan p.1873]
References
Bibliography
* Nicoll, Allardyce. ''A History of English Drama 1660–1900: Volume III''. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
* Hogan, C.B (ed.) ''The London Stage, 1660–1800: Volume V''. Southern Illinois University Press, 1968.
1775 plays
British plays
Tragedy plays
West End plays
{{1770s-play-stub