''Rugantino'' is an 1805 melodrama by the British writer Matthew Lewis. An

afterpiece An afterpiece is a short, usually humorous one-act playlet or musical work following the main attraction, the full-length play, and concluding the theatrical evening.p24 "The Chambers Dictionary"Edinburgh, Chambers,2003 This short comedy, farce, ...

, it was originally staged 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 O ...

on 18 October 1805. It was inspired by the 1801 French play ''L'Homme à Trois Visages'' by

René-Charles Guilbert de Pixérécourt René-Charles Guilbert de PixerécourtOften written as Pixérécourt, although the self-edited ''Théâtre choisi'' omits the first accent. The X was pronounced S. (22 January 1773 – 27 July 1844) was a French theatre director and playwright ...

. The original cast included

Charles Murray Charles Murray may refer to: Politicians *Charles Murray, 1st Earl of Dunmore (1661–1710), British peer *Charles Murray (author and diplomat) (1806–1895), British author and diplomat *Charles Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore (1841–1907), Scotti ...

as Andreas, Duke of Venice,

John Liston John Liston (c. 1776 – 22 March 1846), English comedian, was born in London. He made his public debut on the stage at Weymouth as Lord Duberley in ''The Heir at Law''. After several dismal failures in tragic parts, some of them in supp ...

as Meme,

William Abbot William Abbot or Abbott (12 June 1790 – 1 June 1843) was an English actor, and a theatrical manager, both in England and the United States. Life Abbot was born in Chelsea, London, and made his first appearance on the stage at Bath in 1806, ...

as Poole, Henry Erskine Johnston as Rugantino and

Isabella Mattocks Isabella Mattocks (1746 – June 25, 1826) was a British actress and singer. Early life Hallam (later Mattocks) was baptised in Whitechapel in 1746 by Lewis and Sarah Hallam Douglass. Her father and her uncle William were also actors.Jared Brown ...

as Camilla. It premiered in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

Crow Street Theatre Crow Street Theatre was a theatre in Dublin, Ireland, originally opened in 1758 by the actor Spranger Barry. From 1788 until 1818 it was a patent theatre. History Spranger Barry and Henry Woodward The actor Spranger Barry (1719–1777), born i ...

on 26 January 1807.Greene p.4516 It was revived at Drury Lane in 1820 with a cast featuring

James William Wallack James William Wallack (c. 1794–1864), commonly referred to as J. W. Wallack, was an Anglo- American actor and manager, born in London, and brother of Henry John Wallack. Life Wallack's father was named William Wallack and his sister was nam ...

as Rugantino, Thomas Cooke as Contarino, William Oxberry as Memme,

John Pritt Harley John Pritt Harley (February 1786 – 22 August 1858) was an English actor known for his comic acting and singing. Early years Harley was the son of John Harley, a draper and silk mercer, and his wife Elizabeth. He was baptised in the parish ch ...

as Stephane,

Walter Maddocks Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...

as Harald,

Sarah Sparks Sarah Sparks (1754–1837) was a British stage actor. She was born Sarah Mills into a theatrical family, although no evidence exists linking her to the earlier actors John Mills or his son William Mills. Her first known performance was in Berwick ...

as Camilla and

Charlotte Tidswell Charlotte Tidswell (c. 1760 – 3 September 1846) was an English actress. Life Tidswell was born in 1759 or 1760 and her father may have been a soldier. She may have been acting for five years when her name was first mentioned when she appeared ...

as Bettina.

References

Bibliography

* Greene, John C. ''Theatre in Dublin, 1745-1820: A Calendar of Performances, Volume 6''. Lexington Books, 2011. * Nicoll, Allardyce. ''A History of Early Nineteenth Century Drama 1800-1850''. Cambridge University Press, 1930. 1805 plays West End plays British plays Plays set in Italy Plays by Matthew Lewis {{19thC-play-stub