''The Surrender of Calais'' is a 1791 historical play by the British playwright George Colman the Younger with elements of tragedy and comedy. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London on 30 July 1791. The original cast included

James Brown Williamson James is a common English language surname and given name: * James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambigua ...

as King Edward, George Bland as Harcourt, Howard Usher as Sir William Manny, John Bannister as La Gloire, John Powell as Arundel, James Aickin as John de Vienne, William Farren as Ribaumont,

Robert Bensley Robert Bensley (c. 1740 – 1817) was an 18th-century English actor, of whom Charles Lamb in the ''Essays of Elia'' speaks with special praise. Life His early life is obscure, but his family was not poor: an uncle, Sir William Bensley, was ...

as St. Pierre,

John Henry Johnstone John Henry Johnstone (1749–1828), also known as 'Jack' Johnstone or 'Irish' Johnstone, was an Irish actor, comedian and singer. Life Johnstone was born probably on 1 August 1749, in the horse-barracks in Kilkenny, where his father, a quarter ...

as O'Carroll,

Henry Erskine Johnston Henry Erskine Johnston (1777–1838?) was a Scottish actor given the sobriquet The Edinburgh Roscius. . Early life Born in Edinburgh in May 1777 the son of a former barber on the High Street, his father was allegedly shaving Henry Erskine ...

as Old Man, Elizabeth Kemble as Julia,

Maria Bland Maria Theresa Bland (1769–1838) was a British singer who enjoyed high popularity in the London theatre during the last decade of the 18th century and the first two decades of the 19th century. Life Maria Bland, the daughter of Italian Jews, was ...

as Madelon and

Charlotte Goodall Mrs Goodall or Charlotte Goodall or Charlotte Stanton (1766 – July 1830) was a British actress known for her comedy roles at Drury Lane. She married Thomas Goodall and they were involved in a noted legal case. Life Charlotte Stanton (Goodall) ...

as the Queen. It is set against the backdrop of the Siege of Calais (1346-47) by

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...

during the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

. The music was composed by

Samuel Arnold Samuel Arnold may refer to: *Samuel Arnold (composer) (1740–1802), English composer and organist * Samuel Arnold (Connecticut politician) (1806–1869), U.S. Representative from Connecticut * Samuel Arnold (conspirator) (1834–1906), co-conspira ...

. It was the most popular work of the season at the Haymarket. It premiered in Ireland 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 23 November 1791.Greene p.2681 It was revived at various theatres on a number of occasions.

References

Bibliography

* Greene, John C. ''Theatre in Dublin, 1745-1820: A Calendar of Performances, Volume 6''. Lexington Books, 2011. * Kozar, Richard & Burling, William J. ''Summer Theatre in London, 1661-1820, and the Rise of the Haymarket Theatre''. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 2000. * Nicoll, Allardyce. ''A History of English Drama 1660–1900: Volume III''. Cambridge University Press, 2009. * Rice, Paul F. ''British Music and the French Revolution''. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010. 1791 plays Historical plays West End plays British plays Works by George Colman the Younger Tragedy plays Plays set in France Plays set in the 14th century {{play-stub