Sarah Cooke (died 1688) was an English stage actress of the seventeenth century. She was a member of the

King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London, after the London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 1660 to 1682, when it merged wit ...

, based at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

. She played a number of lead roles during the 1680s. Her aunt was the governess to the

maids of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen ...

of the Duchess of York in the 1660s. After some time working in this role alongside her aunt she was discovered by the

Earl of Rochester Earl of Rochester is a title that was created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1652 in favour of the Royalist soldier Henry Wilmot, 2nd Viscount Wilmot. He had already been created Baron Wilmot, of Adderbury in the Co ...

, who promoted her theatrical career. In hear early years with the King's Company she mostly appeared on tour or with the nursery company, devoted to developing new talent. It was likely during this time she was under the management of

John Coysh John Coysh was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century. He was a member of the King's Company, based at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He first headed a nursery of young actors at Hatton Garden, including the future star Sarah Cooke. ...

. In 1677 she played her first known role at Drury Lane in '' The Country Innocence'' and acted for the King's Company united 1682 when the merged

United Company The United Company was a London theatre company formed in 1682 with the merger of the King's Company and the Duke's Company. Both the Duke's and King's Companies suffered poor attendance during the turmoil of the Popish Plot period, 1678&ndas ...

was formed and she was frequently employed by it until her death six years later.Highfill, Burnim & Langhans p.473-75 As with many actors of the era, the full number of her roles is unknown due to poor records.

Selected roles

* Gillian in '' The Country Innocence'' by John Leanerd (1677) * Flora in '' The Rambling Justice'' by John Leanerd (1678) * Livia in '' Sir Barnaby Whigg'' by

Thomas D'Urfey Thomas d'Urfey (a.k.a. Tom Durfey; 165326 February 1723) was an English writer and wit. He wrote plays, songs, jokes, and poems. He was an important innovator and contributor in the evolution of the ballad opera. Life D'Urfey was born in Devonsh ...

(1681) * Countess of Rutland in '' The Unhappy Favourite'' by John Banks (1681) * Semanthe in '' The Loyal Brother'' by

Thomas Southerne Thomas Southerne (12 February 166026 May 1746) was an Irish dramatist. Biography Thomas Southerne, born on 12 February 1660, in Oxmantown, near Dublin, was an Irish dramatist. He was the son of Francis Southerne (a Dublin brewer) and Margar ...

(1682) * Serena in ''

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

'' by Nathaniel Lee (1683) * Erminia in ''

The Disappointment ''The Disappointment, or The Force of Credulity'' is a ballad opera composed by Samuel Adler (composer), Samuel Adler in two acts with a prologue and epilogue, to a text by an unknown author writing under the pseudonym "Andrew Barton". William Pet ...

'' by

(1684) * Aminta in ''

A Commonwealth of Women ''A Commonwealth of Women'' is a 1685 comedy play by the English writer Thomas D'Urfey. Originally performed by the United Company as the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, the cast included Joseph Williams as Captain Marine, Philip Griffin as Du Pier, ...

'' by

(1685) * Dona Elvira in '' The Banditti'' by

(1686) * Lady Lovemore in '' The Devil of a Wife'' by

Thomas Jevon Thomas Jevon (1652–1688) was an English playwright, and one of the first English Harlequins. He began his career as a dancing master, but worked his way onto the stage, and played leading low-comedy parts in London between 1673 and 1688. His br ...

(1686) * Elvira in '' The Emperor of the Moon'' by Aphra Behn (1687)

References

Bibliography

* Highfill, Philip H, Burnim, Kalman A. & Langhans, Edward A. ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers and Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660–1800: Cabanel to Cory''. SIU Press, 1975. * Van Lennep, W. ''The London Stage, 1660–1800: Volume One, 1660–1700''. Southern Illinois University Press, 1960. 17th-century English people English stage actresses 17th-century English actresses Year of birth unknown 1688 deaths {{England-stage-actor-stub