''The Chapter of Accidents'' is a 1780

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 ...

Sophia Lee Sophia Lee (1750 – 13 March 1824) was an English novelist, dramatist and educator. She was a formative writer of Gothic fiction. She and her sister Harriet also wrote a number of ''Canterbury Tales'' (1797). Life and literary production She ...

. It was inspired by the play by '' Le Père de famille'' by

Denis Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the '' Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a promi ...

. It premiered at the

Haymarket Haymarket may refer to: Places Australia * Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia Germany * Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market) Russia * Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...

in London on 5 August 1780. The original cast included

John Palmer John Palmer may refer to: People Politicians * John Palmer (fl. 1377–1394), English politician * Sir John Palmer, 5th Baronet (1735–1817), British politician * John Palmer (1785–1840), U.S. congressman from New York * John Palmer (1842–19 ...

as Woodville, Robert Bensley as Lord Glenmore, Richard Wilson as Governor Harcourt,

Charles Bannister Charles Bannister Comedian Charles Bannister (1738–1804) was an English actor, comedian and singer. Origins and debut Bannister was born in Gloucestershire. When he was seven his father moved to Deptford. He was possessed of 'a manly form, a ...

as Captain Harcourt,

Francis Aickin Francis Aickin (died 1805), was an Irish actor, who worked at the Edinburgh Theatre in Scotland, and the between 1765 and 1792 in theatres in the West End of London. Francis Aickin first appeared in London in 1765 as Dick Amlet in John Vanbru ...

as Grey, John Edwin as Jacob, Sarah Maria Wilson as Bridget and

Elizabeth Farren Elizabeth Farren (c. 175923 April 1829) was an Irish actress of the late 18th century. Born in Cork in 1759 her father, George Farren was a surgeon. His drinking habits brought on early death and his widow returned to Liverpool. Her mother went ...

as Cecelia.Hogan p.355

References

Bibliography

* 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. 1780 plays British plays Comedy plays West End plays {{18thC-play-stub