''William Tell'' is an 1825

historical play History is one of the three main genres in Western theatre alongside tragedy and comedy, although it originated, in its modern form, thousands of years later than the other primary genres. For this reason, it is often treated as a subset of trage ...

by the Irish writer

James Sheridan Knowles James Sheridan Knowles (12 May 1784 – 30 November 1862) was an Irish dramatist and actor. Biography Knowles was born in Cork. His father was the lexicographer James Knowles (1759–1840), cousin of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The family mo ...

. It portrays the legendary 14th-century Swiss folk hero

William Tell William Tell (german: Wilhelm Tell, ; french: Guillaume Tell; it, Guglielmo Tell; rm, Guglielm Tell) is a folk hero of Switzerland. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albr ...

in his battle against the Habsburg authorities. It premiered 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 ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The original cast starred

William Macready William Charles Macready (3 March 179327 April 1873) was an English actor. Life He was born in London the son of William Macready the elder, and actress Christina Ann Birch. Educated at Rugby School where he became headboy, and where now the t ...

as Tell and included

Thomas Archer Thomas Archer (1668–1743) was an English Baroque architect, whose work is somewhat overshadowed by that of his contemporaries Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. His buildings are important as the only ones by an English Baroque archit ...

Henry Gattie Henry Gattie (1774–1844) was a British actor and singer. Early life Gattie, was born near Bath, Somerset in 1774, and brought up to the trade of a wig-maker. Career Very early in life he acquired a liking for the theatre. At the age of nine ...

, Edward Knight, Elizabeth Yates,

Clara Fisher Clara Fisher (14 July 1811 – 12 November 1898) was a British prodigy who, at the age of six, began performing on the London stage in 1817. Ten years later, she made her New York debut in 1827. Her acting career lasted for 72 years and in he ...

, Charles Mayne Young and Margaret Agnes Bunn. Knowles dedicated the play to the Spanish opposition leader General Francisco Mina, then living in exile in England. The play was a success established Knowles as the leading dramatist of the period. Revived frequently, it became a standard in both Britain and North America.Lerg & Tóth p.86

References

Bibliography

*Lerg, Charlotte A. & Tóth, Heléna (ed.) ''Transatlantic Revolutionary Cultures, 1789-1861''. BRILL, 2017. 1825 plays West End plays Plays by James Sheridan Knowles Plays set in Switzerland Plays set in the 14th century Cultural depictions of William Tell {{19thC-play-stub