T H E P RE - VI CTO RIAN D RAMA B L I N I N D U . E V . H E S M . LL . D . R s c H U G , A , D U B LI N F I S O T H O D G E S , I G G , C L D . , B LI S HE R S T O T H E N S T P U U IVER I Y. 1 0 0 4 . (i b i s l it t l e JB o o h I S R E S P E C TFU L L Y D E D I C A T E D T O A N T H N T RA I E . L . D . M . D . M . H . O Y LL, SQ , L , , O rovost of t ini G lle e D ublin p r ty o g , , A N D RI G HT H N DDE N LL . D . O . D D N H MA O GSO . , ”ices c b ancell o r o f the u niversity; I n m e m o r y o f fo u r h a p p y y e a r s o f r e s id e n c e I n 17 T r l n lt y C o l le g e . 20 5774 6 ERRA TA . a d Fo r Hoadley (pp . 1 0 a n d 66) r ea d Ho ly T h e ar a r a h T h e e n de H usb an d & c . o n a e 86 p g p , T r , p g , h u d b e o n a e 88 a t th e en d o f th e n c e o f ee e . s o l p g , oti St l ‘ ’ T h e a a a h a u n &c . o n a e 88 h u d b e o n p r gr p , P sq i , , p g , s o l a e 8 a t th e e nd o f th e n c e o f e d n . p g 7, oti Fi l i g ’ Fo r M u n del (p . 1 76) r ea d M e n dez P R OFE S S OR W DO DEN, of Trinity College, Dublin , writes Octo ber i m 1 8 0 . , 9 4 "Your ‘ Pre -Victorian Drama in Dublin ’ seems to m e a very valuable piece of pio n ee r work in th e h istory of th e drama in Ireland . It must have cost ” you immense research . P R E FA C E . L D Dublin newspapers have been carefully f fi studied in the preparation o this volume, and information h as been sought in other likely sources . Sh akespere is so much read that the chapter referring to his plays is almost confined to dates and the relative popularity of the various plays . Concerning the other dramatists and the chief e m players, it is hoped that much inter sting atter is supplied . It appears a pity that educated people s hould know a little about Greek , Latin , German , French , and even Spa nish dramas , and remain f ignorant about the dramas o their o wn country . T h e author regrets that his knowledge o f music is so slight that he can only write about the books f . m o musical plays However , even usical critics will be placed in a better position to give an Opinion o n the works that entertained o ur ancestors . PREFAC E . T h e test relied on is simply popularity ; a n d n o h better can be adopted in t e case of entertainments , for managers and players were keenly alive to th eir o wn interests and the public insisted o n taste bei n g gratified . Popularity measured th e interest o f the e manager, the capacity of the player , and the pleasur o f the people . This little volume is so great an advance o n any it thing presented before , that may be called a " o f pioneer , and one the first that ever burst into ” that silen t se a . No apology is made for the title , because Dublin i saw the best in the Emp re, both of players and plays . It would have bee n far easier to have made a w similar book about London , because a riter could have found much undigested material in Genest and h ad n other authors here , a search to be made amo g all the old newspapers in Trinity College and in the National Library ; but Dublin people like their o ld city . Some delay and change were caused by an illness o f the author . S . C . HUGHES . GM N G WI ORE , RA ELA H , October l o t/z, 190 4 . C O N T E N T S . C LI O t A H I S TORIC AL S KET C H MELP OME N E A N D THALIA : S HA KE S P E R E MELP OME N E : TRAG ED IE S THALIA A : COMED IES O F T H E U S UAL LE N GT H : T C M D S N T D S A N D THALIA B SHOR O E IE , I ERLU E , FARC ES TERP S IC HORE A : MU S ICAL PLAY S O F T H E U S UAL L E N GT H TERP S I C H ORE B : S H O R T M U S ICAL PLAY S A P P E N D I X THE PRE-VI CTORI AN DRAMA D B I U L N. C lio . N e d D ublin , as els where , the rama began with . e in the religion At East rtide, fourteenth n e th e ce tury , a miracl play was seen at Church h the e Fisham l — Of S . Jo n Evang list in b e Street than which o n ly two Older in the Empire are known by the a 1 8 . e h th e R e su rr e c Athen eum Press , 9 7 It d als wit - tion and is a well developed play . I t is surely Fish am bl the striking to find it in e Street , near scene h i Of t e glor es Of the Music Hall , and Of Smock Alley P ’ Theatre . Gilbert mentions a mystery at S . atrick s 1 0 . o r a e in 5 9 Mysteries, moralities, ppear d also at h r 8 Hoggin Green before t e Earl Of Ossory in 53 . T he e h first theatre in Dublin was in W rburg Street , ’ e h n som w ere between Hoey s Court a d Ship Street , h and was erected by John Ogilby, a Scotc man , who B - 2 T H E P R E VI CTORIAN DRAMA I N DUBLIN . ‘ was Deputy Master Of the Reve ls und e r the Earl Of 1 6 — 1 6 1 h e Strafford . Its period was 3 5 4 . This t eatr d was closed u n der Puritan influ e n ce . Ogilby re turne n h n e e e n to Lo don , and wit i domitabl courag l ar ed Gre ek and La tin well e n ough to tran slate Virgil an d h h his Homer . Wit Morgan , the usband Of step h h n . daugh te r , e Opened a publis i g firm James th e 1 6- 1 666 Sh irley, dramatist ( 59 ) managed Werburgh 1 6 6—1 6 0 h Street , 3 4 ; he wrote plays for it imself, and h prologues fo r oth e r plays . T h e t eatre was rated in h m e r 1 64 i u n der t e na e Of a Mr . P r y . William e th e n Cooke , a play r, was rated in parish Of S . Joh . ’ ’ A John Cooke wrote Green s Tu Quoqu e and a n Alexande r Cooke was o n e Of th e original players in ‘ ’ Volpone . ’ Sh irley s o wn plays in W e rburgh Street were ’ h h a S . Patrick for Ireland , in w ich t ere was a m gical ’ T h e n T h e ’ bracel e t Consta t Maid , Royal Master, ’ ’ ’ ’ ‘ he ‘ i . t T h R o sa n a, S Alban s , Look to Lady , e ’ e Gentleman Of Ve nice . He wrot prologues for T h e ’ ‘ ’ ’ N O Al chemist , Wit , no Help but a Woman s , by ‘ ’ ‘ ’ e T h e h n T o Thomas Middl ton ; Iris Ge t , The y, ’ ’ T h e General ; La n dg a r t ha was by Henry Burnell e T h e n h n an d there was a play call d Lo don Merc a t , written by Ogilby himself. The impression left by Shirley ’ s prologues is that - bear -baiting and cudge l playi n g were more to th e taste Of o u r ancestors than plays . Ogilby th e indomitable came back in 1 66I with C LIO 3 ' h n a m a n wh o h a d Sir T omas Sta ley , Cambridge , ‘ ’ tra nslated The Clouds Of Aristophanes .