''The Maid of Bath'' is a 1771 comedy play by the British actor-manager

Samuel Foote Samuel Foote (January 1720 – 21 October 1777) was a British dramatist, actor and theatre manager. He was known for his comedic acting and writing, and for turning the loss of a leg in a riding accident in 1766 to comedic opportunity. Early l ...

. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 26 June 1771. It was inspired by the life of the singer

Elizabeth Ann Linley Elizabeth Ann Sheridan ( Linley; September 1754 – 28 June 1792) was an 18th-century English singer who was known to have possessed great beauty. She was the subject of several paintings by Thomas Gainsborough, who was a family friend, Joshu ...

of the

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

-based Linley family.Kelly p.276-77 The prologue was written by

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...

Original cast

as Flint * Henry Woodward as Sir Christopher Cripple *

James Aickin James Aickin (died 1803), was an Irish stage actor who worked at the Edinburgh Theatre in Scotland and in theatres in the West End of London. He was the younger brother of the actor Francis Aickin (died 1803) with whom he shared the stage at the ...

as Major Rackett * Thomas Weston as Billy Button *

James Fearon James D. Fearon (born 1963) is the Theodore and Francis Geballe Professor of Political Science at Stanford University; he is known for his work on the theory of civil wars, international bargaining, war's inefficiency puzzle, audience costs, and ...

as Peter Poultice * Mr. Davis as Fillup * Richard Castle as Mynheer Sour Crout * Mr Loyd as Monsieur De Jarsey * Miss Platt as Mrs Linnett * Miss Jewell as Kitty Linnett * Mary Fearon as Lady Catherine Coldstream * Mrs. Weston as Maid

References

Bibliography

* Greene, John C. ''Theatre in Dublin, 1745-1820: A Calendar of Performances, Volume 6''. Lexington Books, 2011. * Kelly, Ian. ''Mr Foote's Other Leg: Comedy, Tragedy and Murder in Georgian London''. Pan Macmillan, 2012. * 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. 1771 plays Comedy plays West End plays British plays Plays set in Bath Plays by Samuel Foote {{play-stub