''The Merchant of London'' is an 1832

historical play History is one of the three main genres in Western theatre alongside tragedy and comedy, although it originated, in its modern form, thousands of years later than the other primary genres. For this reason, it is often treated as a subset of trage ...

by the British writer

Thomas James Serle Thomas James Serle (1798–1889) was an English dramatist and actor. He was also a journalist with the '' Weekly Dispatch''. Early life Serle was born in Gracechurch Street, London, on 28 October 1798, and educated for the Bar. Between the ages o ...

. It premiered at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

on 26 April 1832.Nicoll p.389 The original cast included

William Macready William Charles Macready (3 March 179327 April 1873) was an English actor. Life He was born in London the son of William Macready the elder, and actress Christina Ann Birch. Educated at Rugby School where he became headboy, and where now the ...

as Scroope,

Henry John Wallack Henry John Wallack (1790 – 30 August 1870) was a British actor, stage manager, and brother of actor James William Wallack. Wallack was born in London. Wallack's parents were comedians, who performed at the London minor playhouses and in the B ...

as Edward Beaufort, John Cooper as Richard Fitzalan,

John Pritt Harley John Pritt Harley (February 1786 – 22 August 1858) was an English actor known for his comic acting and singing. Early years Harley was the son of John Harley, a draper and silk mercer, and his wife Elizabeth. He was baptised in the parish ch ...

as Flaw, and

Paul Bedford Paul John Bedford (1792?–1871), was an English comedian. Life & career Bedford states, in his gossiping book of '' Recollections and Wanderings'', that he was born in Bath, and entered upon the stage through the customary portal of amate ...

as Bloodmore. It takes place in

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...

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 ...

References

Bibliography

* Downer, Alan Seymour. ''The Eminent Tragedian William Charles Macready''. Harvard University Press, 1966. * McWilliam, Rohan. ''London's West End: Creating the Pleasure District, 1800-1914''. Oxford University Press, 2020. * Nicoll, Allardyce. ''A History of Early Nineteenth Century Drama 1800-1850''. Cambridge University Press, 1930. 1832 plays West End plays British plays Historical plays Plays set in the 16th century Plays set in London {{19thC-play-stub