''The Minor'' is a
comedy play by the British playwright
Samuel Foote. It originally premiered at
Dublin's
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 ...
on 28 January 1760 and was first staged in
London at the
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
on 28 July 1760. The play was a satire on
George Whitefield
George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement.
Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...
.
Foote became manager of the Theatre Royal in
Edinburgh in 1770 and his production again caused public rebuke.
Rev Robert Walker of
St Giles High Kirk
St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...
spoke in its defence. However, Lord President
Robert Dundas of Arniston described it as a "ludicrous epilogue".
[Kay's original Portraits vol.1: Rev Robert Walker]
References
Bibliography
* Sherburne, George and Bond, Donald F. ''A Literary History of England, Volume III: The Restoration and Eighteenth Century''. Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967.
* Taylor, George (ed). ''Plays by Samuel Foote and Arthur Murphy''. Cambridge University Press, 1984.
Plays by Samuel Foote
1760 plays
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