William Farren (1754–1795) was an English stage actor of the eighteenth century. He was born in London to a

chandler Chandler or The Chandler may refer to: * Chandler (occupation), originally head of the medieval household office responsible for candles, now a person who makes or sells candles * Ship chandler, a dealer in supplies or equipment for ships Arts ...

from

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The well after which it was named was redisco ...

. He made his debut 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 ...

in London in 1775, likely due to the influence of the actor Richard Yates and remained there until 1784 when he transferred to the rival

Theatre Royal, Covent Garden The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

. A notable early role at Drury Lane was the original Careless in

Sheridan Sheridan may refer to: People Surname *Sheridan (surname) *Philip Sheridan (1831–1888), U.S. Army general after whom the Sheridan tank is named *Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), Irish playwright (''The Rivals''), poet and politician ...

's ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

''. He remained at Covent Garden until his death in 1795, making occasional summer appearances at the

Haymarket Haymarket may refer to: Places Australia * Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia Germany * Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market) Russia * Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...

. He played a mixture of

supporting role A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo ap ...

s and occasional

leads Lead is a chemical element with symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead or The Lead may also refer to: Animal handling * Leash, or lead * Lead (leg), the leg that advances most in a quadruped's cantering or galloping stride * Lead (tack), a lin ...

, and developed a reputation as a versatile actor who could appear in comedy and tragedy.''The Routledge Anthology of Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Drama'' p.XLVII He died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

and was buried at St Paul's Church in

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 ...

. His son

William Farren William Farren (13 May 1786 – 24 September 1861) was an English actor, who was the son of an actor (born 1725) of the same name, who played leading roles from 1784 to 1795 at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Life Raised on Gower Street in Lo ...

also became an actor, and the father is sometimes known as William Farren the Elder to distinguish him.

Selected roles

* Carless in ''

'' by

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 ...

(1777) * Alcander in ''

The Royal Suppliants ''The Royal Suppliants'' is a 1781 tragedy by John Delap. The original Drury Lane cast included William 'Gentleman' Smith as Acamas, John Bannister as Hyllus, James Aickin as Iolaus, William Farren as Alcander, John Hayman Packer as Thestor, R ...

'' by

John Delap John Delap (1725–1812) was an English churchman and academic, known as a poet and dramatist. Life The son of John Delap, of Spilsby in Lincolnshire, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, but migrated to Magdalene College, and was admitted pen ...

(1781) * Mandeville in '' He Would Be a Soldier'' by

Frederick Pilon Frederick Pilon (1750–1788) was an Irish actor and dramatist. Life Born in Cork, Pilon was educated there and then was sent to Edinburgh University to study medicine. He appeared at the Edinburgh Theatre as Oroonoko, in Thomas Southerne's play ...

(1786) * Hainhault in '' Eloisa'' by Frederick Reynolds (1786) * Albert in '' Werter'' by Frederick Reynolds (1786) * Sir William Caroll in '' All on a Summer's Day'' by

Elizabeth Inchbald Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821) was an English novelist, actress, dramatist, and translator. Her two novels, '' A Simple Story'' and '' Nature and Art'', have received particular critical attention. Life Bo ...

(1787) * Sultan in '' Such Things Are'' by

(1787) * Lord Raymond in '' The Ton'' by

Eglantine Wallace Eglantine Wallace, Lady Wallace (''née'' Maxwell; died 28 March 1803), was an 18th-century Scottish playwright and political commentator. She was the younger sister of society hostess Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon and a controversial figure in ...

(1788) * Marquis Almanza in '' The Child of Nature'' by

(1788) * Baron Thorck in ''

The German Hotel ''The German Hotel'' is a 1790 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft. The original Covent Garden cast included John Quick as Count Werling, Joseph George Holman as Dorville, Francis Aickin as Count Kolberg, William Farren as Baron T ...

'' by

Thomas Holcroft Thomas Holcroft (10 December 174523 March 1809) was an English dramatist, miscellanist, poet and translator. He was sympathetic to the early ideas of the French Revolution and helped Thomas Paine to publish the first part of ''The Rights of Man ...

(1790) * Raymond in '' The Widow of Malabar'' by

Mariana Starke Mariana Starke (1761/2–1838) was an English author. She is best known for her travel guide to France and Italy which served as a popular companion for British travellers to the Continent in the early nineteenth century. She also wrote plays and ...

(1790) * Orloff in '' A Day in Turkey'' by

Hannah Cowley Hannah Cowley may refer to: *Hannah Cowley (writer) Hannah Cowley (14 March 1743 – 11 March 1809) was an English playwright and poet. Although Cowley's plays and poetry did not enjoy wide popularity after the 19th century, critic Melinda Finb ...

(1791) * Edmundin '' The School for Arrogance'' by

(1791) * Ribaumont in '' The Surrender of Calais'' by

George Colman the Younger George Colman (21 October 1762 – 17 October 1836), known as "the Younger", was an English dramatist and miscellaneous writer. He was the son of George Colman the Elder. Life He passed from Westminster School to Christ Church, Oxford, and ...

(1791) * Clairville in ''

Notoriety Notorious means well known for a negative trait, characteristic, or action. It may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Notorious'' (1946 film), a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Notorious'' (1992 film), a TV film re ...

'' by Frederick Reynolds (1791) * Orozimbo in ''

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

'' by Thomas Morton (1792) * Lord Norland in '' Everyone Has His Fault'' by

(1793) * Sir Charles Dazzle in '' How to Grow Rich'' by Frederick Reynolds (1793) * Duke of Orleans in '' The Siege of Meaux'' by

Henry James Pye Henry James Pye (; 20 February 1745 – 11 August 1813) was an English poet, and Poet Laureate from 1790 until his death. His appointment owed nothing to poetic achievement, and was probably a reward for political favours. Pye was merely a ...

(1794) * Earl of Chester in '' England Preserved'' by

George Watson-Taylor George Watson-Taylor (1771 – 6 Jun 1841), of Saul's River, Jamaica, was the fourth son of George Watson. From 1810 he was the husband of Anna Susana Taylor, the daughter of Jamaican planter Sir John Taylor, 1st Baronet, and heiress of her brothe ...

(1795)

References

Bibliography

* Burnim, Kalman A. & Highfill, Philip H. ''John Bell, Patron of British Theatrical Portraiture: A Catalog of the Theatrical Portraits in His Editions of Bell's Shakespeare and Bell's British Theatre''. SIU Press, 1998. * Straub, Kristina, G. Anderson, Misty and O'Quinn, Daniel . ''The Routledge Anthology of Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Drama''. Taylor & Francis, 2017. 18th-century British male actors 1754 births 1795 deaths English male stage actors 18th-century English male actors Male actors from London {{England-stage-actor-stub