''Sir Walter Raleigh'' is a 1719 tragedy by the British writer

George Sewell George Sewell (31 August 19242 April 2007) was an English actor, best known for his television roles, but also active on stage and in films. Early life and career The son of a Hoxton printer and a florist, Sewell left school at the age of 14 a ...

.Burling p.74 It is based on the downfall of Walter Raleigh a successful courtier and sailor in the reign of Elizabeth who was executed in the reign of her successor James I. It was originally staged at the

Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre Lisle's Tennis Court was a building off Portugal Street in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. Originally built as a real tennis court, it was used as a playhouse during two periods, 1661–1674 and 1695–1705. During the early period, ...

, one of the two

patent theatre The patent theatres were the theatres that were licensed to perform "spoken drama" after the Restoration of Charles II as King of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1660. Other theatres were prohibited from performing such "serious" drama, but w ...

s operating in London. The original cast featured

James Quin James Quin (24 February 1693 – 21 January 1766) was an English actor of Irish descent. Life Quin was born in King Street, Covent Garden, London, an illegitimate son of James Quin, an Irish-born barrister, and his partner (whom he apparently n ...

as Walter Raleigh, Lacy Ryan as Howard, John Leigh as Young Raleigh, John Corey as Salisbury,

Christopher Bullock Sir Christopher Llewellyn Bullock, KCB, CBE (10 November 1891 – 16 May 1972), a prominent member of the Bullock family, was Permanent Under-Secretary at the British Air Ministry from 1931 to 1936. Appointed at the age of 38, he remains one o ...

as Gundamor, Thomas Smith as Sir Julius Caesar,

John Egleton John Egleton (1698-1727) was a British stage actor. He was a member of the Lincoln's Inn Fields company between 1717 and 1726, and also routinely performed at the summer fairs in London. In 1721 he married the actress Jane Giffard.Johanson p.40 ...

as Carew,

John Ogden John Ogden may refer to: *John Ogden (colonist) (1609-1682), an American colonial leader *John Ogden (actor) (died 1732), a British stage actor * John B. Ogden (1812–?), 19th century Arkansas judge *John Ogden (academic), co-founder of Fisk Unive ...

as Wade,

Anna Maria Seymour Anna Maria Seymour or Mrs Seymour (c. 1692 – 10 July 1723) was a British actress. Life Seymour is first heard of in 1717 when she appeared at Drury Lane in ''The Scowrers''. She took leading roles in Richard III and Hamlet with Lacy Ryan as w ...

as Lady Raleigh and Jane Rogers as Olympia.

References

Bibliography

* Burling, William J. ''A Checklist of New Plays and Entertainments on the London Stage, 1700-1737''. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1992. 1719 plays British plays West End plays Tragedy plays Cultural depictions of Walter Raleigh Plays based on real people Plays set in the 16th century Plays set in the 17th century Plays set in London {{1710s-play-stub