Busiris, King of Egypt

Last updated
Busiris, King of Egypt
Written by Edward Young
Date premiered7 March 1719 [1]
Place premiered Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Original languageEnglish
GenreTragedy

Busiris, King of Egypt is a 1719 tragedy by the British writer Edward Young. It is set in Ancient Egypt during the reign of Busiris. It was considered a success, enjoying a good run and was subsequently published by Jacob Tonson. The work was dedicated to the Duke of Newcastle who as Lord Chamberlain oversaw the theatres.

The original Drury Lane cast included Thomas Elrington as Busiris, Barton Booth as Myron, John Mills as Nicanor, Robert Wilks as Memnon, Thomas Walker as Rameses, John Thurmond as Syphoces, William Mills as Auletes, Sarah Thurmond as Myris and Anne Oldfield as Mandane.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Siege of Damascus</i> 1720 play

The Siege of Damascus is a 1720 tragedy by the British writer John Hughes. It was inspired by Simon Ockley's 1708 study Conquest of Syria, and focuses specifically on the Siege of Damascus in 634.

Medea is a 1730 play by the British writer Charles Johnson. It is about Medea from Greek mythology and based on the play Medea by Euripides.

The Imperial Captives is a 1720 tragedy by the British writer John Mottley.

Antiochus is a 1721 tragedy by the British writer John Mottley. The play is set in Ancient Greece, revolving round the relationship between Stratonice of Syria and Seleucus I Nicator and his son Antiochus I Soter, the leaders of the Seleucid Empire.

Caesar in Egypt is a 1724 tragedy by the British writer Colley Cibber. It is inspired by Pierre Corneille's 1642 French play The Death of Pompey about Julius Caesar's intervention in the Egyptian Civil War between Cleopatra and her brother. Cibber also incorporated elements of Plutarch and John Fletcher's The False One. The Drury Lane company invested lots of resources to make it a particularly extravagant production in the traditional style of a Restoration heroic drama.

The Revenge is a 1721 tragedy by the British writer Edward Young, set in 16th-century Spain. Although initially it did not enjoy the same success as his previous play Busiris, King of Egypt, it later became a much-revived work during the eighteenth century particularly popular because of the Othello-like role of the Moorish character Zanga. John Philip Kemble revived the work briefly in 1798 before Edmund Kean in 1815 did so with great success and it became part of his repertoire.

<i>King Charles I</i> (play) 1737 play

King Charles I is a 1737 tragedy by the British writer William Havard. Written as an imitation of the style of Shakespeare's history plays, it focuses on the imprisonment of Charles I following his defeat in the Civil War and execution by the English Republic. It was a major success and anticipated later works by portraying Charles as a devoted family man who is undone by the scheming of Oliver Cromwell and his allies.

Fatal Curiosity is a 1737 tragedy by the British writer George Lillo. It is also known by the alternative title Guilt Its Own Punishment.

Marina is a 1738 tragedy by the British writer George Lillo. It is a reworking of Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre, produced at a time when Covent Garden was experimenting with a summer season.

The Christian Hero is a 1735 tragedy by the British writer George Lillo. It is based on the life of Skanderbeg who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century. Two years earlier William Havard had written Scanderbeg, another work based on his life.

Scanderbeg, A Tragedy is a 1733 tragedy by the British writer William Havard. It is based on the life of Skanderbeg who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century. Another play about him George Lillo's The Christian Hero was produced two years later.

Sophonisba is a 1730 tragedy by the British writer James Thomson. It is based on the story of the Carthaginian noblewoman Sophonisba who committed suicide rather than be paraded in a Roman triumph at the end of the Second Punic War. The story has been made into a number of plays including Nathaniel Lee's restoration tragedy Sophonisba and Voltaire's later Sophonisbe.

Orestes is a 1731 tragedy with musical elements by the British writer Lewis Theobald, based on the Ancient Greek story of Orestes.

<i>The Provoked Husband</i> 1728 play

The Provoked Husband is a 1728 comedy play by the British writer and actor Colley Cibber, based on a fragment of play written by John Vanbrugh. It is also known by the longer title The Provok'd Husband: or, a Journey to London.

The Mother-in-Law is a 1734 comedy play by the British writer James Miller. Also known by the longer title The Mother-in-Law, or the Doctor the Disease it debuted at the Haymarket Theatre in London.

Love in a Forest is a 1723 comedy play by Charles Johnson. It is a substantial reworking of Shakespeare's As You Like It cutting out characters and passages, while borrowing from other Shakespeare plays amongst other things.

The Triumphs of Love and Honour is a 1731 tragedy by the British writer Thomas Cooke.

The Non-Juror is a 1717 comedy play by the British writer Colley Cibber. It is inspired by Molière's 1664 work Tartuffe.

<i>Lucius</i> (play) 1717 play

Lucius or Lucius, the First Christian King of Britain is a 1717 tragedy by the British writer Delarivier Manley. It is based on the life of Lucius of Britain, the second century ruler of Britain traditionally considered to have introduced Christianity to Britain. It was Manley's final play to be staged.

John Thurmond was a British stage actor. To distinguish him from his son, also an actor named John, he is sometimes called John Thurmond the Elder.

References

  1. Burling p.76

Bibliography