''The Adventures of Five Hours'' is a 1663
comedy play
Comedy is a genre of dramatic performance having a light or humorous tone that depicts amusing incidents and in which the characters ultimately triumph over adversity. For ancient Greeks and Romans, a comedy was a stage-play with a happy endin ...
by the English writer
Sir Samuel Tuke, 1st Baronet. Based on the play ''Los empenos de seis horas'' by
Antonio Coello
Antonio Coello (26 October 1611, Madrid20 October 1652, Madrid) was a Spanish dramatist and poet. He entered the household of the Duke of Alburquerque, and after some years of service in the army received the Order of Santiago in 1648. He was a fav ...
, It is an early example of the developing
Restoration comedy tradition. Its success led to a series of
sentimental plays in the Spanish style about love and honour, very different to the more sophisticated and cynical comedies which the
Restoration era became known for.
Performed by
The Duke's Company, it premiered at the
Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. The original cast included
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 ...
as Don Henriq,
Henry Harris as Antonio,
Cave Underhill as Diego,
Samuel Sandford
Samuel Sandford (fl. 1661–1699) was an English character actor, known for his roles as villains.
Career
He joined William D'Avenant's company at Lincoln's Inn Fields about a year after its formation, and was, on 16 December 1661, the original ...
as Ernesto,
William Smith as Corrigidor,
John Young John Young may refer to:
Academics
* John Young (professor of Greek) (died 1820), Scottish professor of Greek at the University of Glasgow
* John C. Young (college president) (1803–1857), American educator, pastor, and president of Centre Col ...
as Octavio,
Hester Davenport Hester Davenport (23 March 1642 – 16 November 1717) was a leading actress with the Duke's Company under the management of Sir William Davenant. Among the earliest English actresses, she was best known as "that faire & famous Comoedian call'd R ...
as Camilla,
Jane Long as Flora and
Mary Betterton
Mary Saunderson (1637–1712), later known as Mary Saunderson Betterton after her marriage to Thomas Betterton, was an actress and singer in England during the 1660s and 1690s. She is considered one of the first English actresses.
Stage career ...
as Portia.
[Van Lennep p.60-61] It ran for thirteen straight performances, a considerable hit by the time.
References
Bibliography
* Fisk, Deborah Payne. ''The Cambridge Companion to English Restoration Theatre''. Cambridge University Press, 2000,
* Nicoll, Allardyce. ''History of English Drama, 1660-1900: Volume 1, Restoration Drama, 1660-1700''. Cambridge University Press, 1952.
* Roberts, David. ''Thomas Betterton: The Greatest Actor of the Restoration Stage''. Cambridge University Press, 2010.
* Van Lennep, W. ''The London Stage, 1660-1800: Volume One, 1660-1700''. Southern Illinois University Press, 1960.
1663 plays
West End plays
Restoration comedy
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