John Young was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century. He was active as a member of the Duke's Company during the Restoration Era, appearing at

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 ...

and then at the

Dorset Garden Theatre The Dorset Garden Theatre in London, built in 1671, was in its early years also known as the Duke of York's Theatre, or the Duke's Theatre. In 1685, King Charles II died and his brother, the Duke of York, was crowned as James II. When the Du ...

when the company relocated. While not much is known about his background, he was repeatedly in

debt Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor. Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase. The ...

during his acting career. In 1667 he stood in for

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 ...

after he fell ill during the run of '' Macbeth'' appearing as the title role. Samuel Pepys described him as "a bad actor at best".Roberts p.99

Selected roles

* Cardinal in ''

The Duchess of Malfi ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, ...

'' by

John Webster John Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1632) was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies '' The White Devil'' and '' The Duchess of Malfi'', which are often seen as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. His life and c ...

(1662) * Bontefeu in '' The Villain'' by Thomas Porter (1663) * Octavio in ''

The Adventures of Five Hours ''The Adventures of Five Hours'' is a 1663 comedy play by the English writer Sir Samuel Tuke, 1st Baronet. Based on the play ''Los empenos de seis horas'' by Antonio Coello, It is an early example of the developing Restoration comedy tradition ...

'' by Samuel Tuke (1663) * Corbulo in '' The Slighted Maid'' by

Robert Stapylton Sir Robert Stapylton or Stapleton (died 1669) was an English courtier, dramatic poet and translator. Life Stapylton was the third son of Richard Stapleton of Carlton by Snaith, Yorkshire, by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Pierrepont of Ho ...

(1663) * Adolph in '' The Stepmother'' by

(1663) * Arcon in ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 episode of the T ...

'' by

William Davenant Sir William Davenant (baptised 3 March 1606 – 7 April 1668), also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned b ...

(1664) * Cardinal of Veradium in '' Mustapha'' by Roger Boyle (1665) * Lord Dartmouth in '' Sir Martin Mar-all'' by

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 ...

(1667) * Macbeth in '' Macbeth'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

(1667) * Freeman in ''

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 Sir George Etherege (c. 1636, Maidenhead, Berkshire – c. 10 May 1692, Paris) was an English dramatist. He wrote the plays '' The Comical Revenge or, Love in a Tub'' in 1664, '' She Would If She Could'' in 1668, and '' The Man of Mode o ...

(1668) * Bassanes in ''

The Women's Conquest ''The Women's Conquest'' is a 1670 tragedy by the English writer Edward Howard. It was first staged by the Duke's Company at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre with a cast that included Henry Harris as Tysamnes, William Smith as Foscaris, John ...

'' by Edward Howard (1670) * Alcander in '' The Forc'd Marriage'' by Aphra Behn (1670) * Theramnes in ''

Cambyses, King Of Persia ''Cambyses, King of Persia'' is 1671 tragedy by the English writer Elkanah Settle. It was staged by the Duke's Company at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in London. The original cast included Thomas Betterton as Cambyses, Henry Harris as Prex ...

'' by

Elkanah Settle Elkanah Settle (1 February 1648 – 12 February 1724) was an English poet and playwright. Biography He was born at Dunstable, and entered Trinity College, Oxford, in 1666, but left without taking a degree. His first tragedy, '' Cambyses, King ...

(1671) * Demetrius in ''

Juliana Juliana (variants Julianna, Giuliana, Iuliana, Yuliana, etc) is a feminine given name which is the feminine version of the Roman name Julianus. Juliana or Giuliana was the name of a number of early saints, notably Saint Julian the Hospitaller, wh ...

'' by

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 whe ...

(1671) * Ascanio in '' Charles VIII of France'' by

(1671) * Polidor in ''

The Six Days' Adventure ''The Six Days' Adventure; Or, The New Utopia'' is a 1671 comedy play by the English writer Edward Howard. First performed by the Duke's Company at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in London, the original cast included Cave Underhill as Sir ...

'' by Edward Howard (1671) * Don Francisco in ''

The Fatal Jealousy ''The Fatal Jealousy'' (also written as ''The Fatal Jealousie'') is a 1672 tragedy by the English writer Henry Nevil Payne. It was staged by the Duke's Company at the Dorset Garden Theatre with a cast that included William Smith as Don Antonio, ...

'' by

Henry Nevil Payne Henry Nevil Payne (died 1710?) was a dramatist and agitator for the Roman Catholic cause in Scotland and England. He wrote '' The Fatal Jealousy'' (1672), ''The Morning Ramble'' (1672), and ''The Siege of Constantinople'' (1675). After he finished ...

(1672)

References

Bibliography

* Highfill, Philip H, Burnim, Kalman A. & Langhans, Edward A. ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers & Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660–1800: W. West to Zwingman''. SIU Press, 1993. * Roberts, David. ''Thomas Betterton: The Greatest Actor of the Restoration Stage''. Cambridge University Press, 2010. 17th-century English people English male stage actors 17th-century English male actors Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown {{England-stage-actor-stub