Thomas Hollingsworth (1748-1814) was a British

stage actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

. Born to a house servant at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, following the death of his father he was mentored by the actor Joseph Younger. Hollingsworth first acted at Covent Garden and later joined

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as ''The Rivals'', ''The Sc ...

's company at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks ...

appearing in numerous roles between 1787 and 1804. He was also acted in various provincial theatres.Cox and Garner p.420

Selected roles

* Taffy in ''

The Welsh Heiress ''The Welch'' (or Welsh) ''Heiress'' is a 1795 comedy play written by Edward Jerningham. Although it had only a single stage performance, the published script had some success. Performance ''The Welch Heiress'' was given a single performance at ...

'' by

Edward Jerningham Edward Jerningham was a poet who moved in high society during the second half of the 18th century. Born at the family home of Costessey Park in 1737, he died in London on 17 November 1812. A writer of liberal views, he was savagely satirised later ...

(1795) * Mr Quake in ''

Knave or Not? ''Knave or Not?'' is a 1798 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft. The original Drury Lane cast included John Palmer as Monsrose, Richard Wroughton as Sir Guy Taunton, Richard Suett as Sir Job Ferment, Ralph Wewitzer as Mr Taunton, W ...

'' by Thomas Holcroft (1798) * Squeez'em in '' The East Indian'' by Matthew Lewis (1799) * Robert in ''

Hear Both Sides ''Hear Both Sides'' is an 1803 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft.Nicoll p.316 The original Drury Lane cast included William Dowton as Fairfax, John Bannister as Transit, Charles Kemble as Headlong, Richard Suett as Sir Charle ...

'' by Thomas Holcroft (1803)

References

Bibliography

* Cox, Jeffrey N. & Gamer, Michael. ''The Broadview Anthology of Romantic Drama''. Broadview Press, 2003. English male stage actors British male stage actors 18th-century English male actors 18th-century British male actors 19th-century English male actors 19th-century British male actors Male actors from London 1748 births 1814 deaths {{UK-actor-stub