''The Bank Note: Or Lessons for Ladies'' is a 1795
comedy play by the Irish writer and actor
William Macready the Elder
William Macready the Elder (1755–1829) was an Irish actor-manager.
Early life
The son of a Dublin upholsterer, Macready started his career playing in Irish country towns. He joined the Capel Street Theatre in Dublin in 1782, and the Crow Stree ...
. Its plot draws inspiration from
William Taverner's ''
The Artful Husband'' as well as other earlier plays.
[Nicoll p.170]
Macready's play premiered at the
Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in
London on 1 May 1795.
The original cast included Macready as Lieutenant Selby,
Joseph George Holman as Sir Charles Leslie,
James Middleton as Bloomfield,
Thomas Hull Thomas Hull may refer to:
*Thomas Hull (actor) (1728–1808), English actor and dramatist
*Thomas Hull (MP) (1528–1575/1576), English politician
*Thomas Gray Hull (1926–2008), American judge
*Tom Hull (American football) (born 1952), American f ...
as Father,
John Fawcett John Fawcett may refer to:
*John Fawcett (theologian) (1739–1817), British theologian, pastor and hymn writer
*John Fawcett (of Bolton) (1789–1867), composer/musician
*John Fawcett (organist) (1825–1857), his son, English organist
*John Fawce ...
as Ned Dash,
John Quick as Hale,
John Henry Johnstone
John Henry Johnstone (1749–1828), also known as 'Jack' Johnstone or 'Irish' Johnstone, was an Irish actor, comedian and singer.
Life
Johnstone was born probably on 1 August 1749, in the horse-barracks in Kilkenny, where his father, a quarter ...
as Killeavy,
Edward Townsend as Tim,
Elizabeth Hopkins
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...
as Miss Emma Hale,
Isabella Mattocks as Mrs Bloomfield,
Mary Ann Davenport as Lady Supple and
Tryphosa Jane Wallis
Tryphosa Jane Wallis or Tryphosa Jane Campbell or Miss Wallis from Bath (11 January 1774 – 29 December 1848) was a British actress.
Life
Wallis was born on 11 January 1774 to a theatrical family in Richmond although her paternal grandfather w ...
as Miss Russel. The Irish premiere took at the
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 ...
in
Dublin on 22 April 1796.
The play is notable for including the first known printed use of the word 'smithereens':
I join you with all my heart,—and wish he was hang'd, shot, cut in smithereens.
References
Bibliography
* Greene, John C. ''Theatre in Dublin, 1745-1820: A Calendar of Performances, Volume 6''. Lexington Books, 2011.
* Nicoll, Allardyce. ''A History of English Drama 1660–1900: Volume III''. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
* Hogan, C.B (ed.) ''The London Stage, 1660–1800: Volume V''. Southern Illinois University Press, 1968.
1795 plays
Comedy plays
West End plays
British plays
Irish plays
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