''The Rival Queens, or the Death Of Alexander the Great'' is a Restoration tragedy written by

Nathaniel Lee Nathaniel Lee (c. 1653 – 6 May 1692) was an England, English dramatist. He was the son of Dr Richard Lee, a Presbyterian clergyman who was rector of Hatfield and held many preferments under the Commonwealth of England, Commonwealth; Dr Lee was ...

. Regarded as one of his best tragedies, the play revolves around

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

and his two wives,

Roxana Roxana (c. 340 BC – 310 BC, grc, Ῥωξάνη; Old Iranian: ''*Raṷxšnā-'' "shining, radiant, brilliant"; sometimes Roxanne, Roxanna, Rukhsana, Roxandra and Roxane) was a Sogdian or a Bactrian princess whom Alexander the Great married a ...

and Statira, whose competition for his affections ends in tragedy. The play was largely influenced by French dramatist

La Calprenède LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

's historic romance ''Cassandre''.

Performance history

The play was first performed at the Theatre Royal in London by the

King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London, after the London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 1660 to 1682, when it merged wit ...

. The original cast included Charles Hart as Alexander,

Michael Mohun Michael Mohun (1616? – buried 11 October 1684) was a leading English actor both before and after the 1642–60 closing of the theatres. Mohun began his stage career as a boy player filling female roles; he was part of Christopher Beeston's the ...

as Clytus,

Philip Griffin Philip Griffin was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century and early eighteenth century. He joined the King's Company at Drury Lane during the 1670s, and was later a member of the merged United Company from 1685. He was named as a manage ...

as Lysimachus, Thomas Clark as Hephestion,

Cardell Goodman Cardell Goodman (also Cardonell) (1649?–1699) was an English actor and adventurer, now known as a Jacobitism, Jacobite conspirator. Early life He was son of a clergyman of the same name at one time in Shaftesbury, Dorset, and on 18 March 1651 ...

as Polyperchon,

Edward Kynaston Edward Kynaston may refer to: *Edward Kynaston (actor) (c. 1640–1712), English actor *Edward Kynaston (1709–1772) Edward Kynaston (6 October 1709–1772), of Garth and Bryngwyn, Montgomeryshire and Hardwick, Shropshire, was a British landow ...

as Cassander,

Martin Powell Martin Powell is an English musician. In 1991, Powell auditioned for the position of bass player in the band My Dying Bride, but was turned down as the band had just filled the position. Upon informing the band he was also a violin and keyboard ...

as Philip, John Wiltshire as Thessalus,

Edward Lydall Edward Lydall was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century. He was a member of the King's Company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.Wilson p.34 His first known performance was in 1668. He generally played supporting roles. His surname is s ...

as Perdiccas,

Marmaduke Watson Marmaduke Watson was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century. Part of the King's Company based at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, he was one of the actors who sided with Charles Killigrew during a dispute in the company in 1677. In 1682 ...

as Eumenes,

Carey Perin Carey Perin (occasionally written as Perrin) was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century. He was a long-standing member of the King's Company based at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.Wilson p.23 He then joined the merged United Company in ...

as Meleager,

John Coysh John Coysh was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century. He was a member of the King's Company, based at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He first headed a nursery of young actors at Hatton Garden, including the future star Sarah Cooke. He ...

as Aristander,

Katherine Corey Katherine Corey ( fl. 1660 – 1692) was an English actress of the Restoration era, one of the first generation of female performers to appear on the public stage in Britain. Corey played with the King's Company and the United Company, and had one ...

as Sysigambis,

Elizabeth Boutell Elizabeth Boutell (early 1650s?—1715), was a British actress. Life She joined, soon after its formation, the company at the Theatre Royal, subsequently known as Drury Lane, and was accordingly one of the first women to appear on the English st ...

as Statira and

Anne Marshall Anne Marshall (fl. 1661 – 1682), also Mrs. Anne Quin, was a leading English actress of the Restoration era, one of the first generation of women performers to appear on the public stage in England. John Downes, in his ''Roscius Anglicanus ...

as Roxana.Van Lennep p.255

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Van Lennep, W. ''The London Stage, 1660-1800: Volume One, 1660-1700''. Southern Illinois University Press, 1960. {{DEFAULTSORT:Rival Queens, The English Restoration plays Plays by Nathaniel Lee Tragedy plays Plays set in ancient Greece Cultural depictions of Alexander the Great West End plays Plays set in the 4th century BC