''He Would Be a Soldier'' is a 1786 comedy play by the Irish writer Frederick Pilon. It premiered at the

Theatre Royal, Covent Garden The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

on 18 November 1786. The original cast included

Francis Aickin Francis Aickin (died 1805), was an Irish actor, who worked at the Edinburgh Theatre in Scotland, and the between 1765 and 1792 in theatres in the West End of London. Francis Aickin first appeared in London in 1765 as Dick Amlet in John Vanbrug ...

as Colonel Talbot, John Quick as Sir Oliver Oldstock,

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 Captain Crevelt, William Farren as Mandeville, Ralph Wewitzer as Count Pierpoint,

James Fearon James D. Fearon (born 1963) is the Theodore and Francis Geballe Professor of Political Science at Stanford University; he is known for his work on the theory of civil wars, international bargaining, war's inefficiency puzzle, audience costs, and ...

as Wilkins, John Edwin as Caleb, James Thompson as Caleb, Elizabeth Pope as Charlotte,

Lydia Webb Lydia Webb (1736 or 1737-1793) was an English actress. She started acting in Norwich. She was married twice. First, she married a man named Mr. Day. Second, she married a Mr. Webb. Her first notable performance was on 21 November 1772 at the Theat ...

as Lady Oldstock and Mary Wells as Harriet. The Irish premiere took place at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin on 2 January 1787Greene p.4495

References

Bibliography

* Greene, John C. ''Theatre in Dublin, 1745-1820: A Calendar of Performances, Volume 6''. Lexington Books, 2011. * 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. 1786 plays Comedy plays Irish plays West End plays British plays Plays set in England {{play-stub