Charles Fleetwood (theatre manager)

Last updated

Charles Fleetwood (died 1747) was an English gentleman with an interest in theatre. He eventually became the manager of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in partnership with Colley Cibber and, sometime later, Charles Macklin.

In modern parlance, a gentleman is any man of good, courteous conduct. Originally, a gentleman was a man of the lowest rank of the English gentry, standing below an esquire and above a yeoman. By definition, this category included the younger sons of the younger sons of peers and the younger sons of baronets, knights, and esquires in perpetual succession, and thus the term captures the common denominator of gentility shared by both constituents of the English aristocracy: the peerage and the gentry. In this sense, it corresponds to the French gentilhomme ("nobleman"), which in Great Britain, has long meant only the peerage. Maurice Keen points to the category of "gentlemen" in this context as thus constituting "the nearest contemporary English equivalent of the noblesse of France". The notion of "gentlemen" as encapsulating the members of the hereditary ruling class was what the rebels under John Ball in the 14th century meant when they repeated:

When Adam delved and Eve span,
Who was then the gentleman?

Theatre Collaborative form of performing art

Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers, typically actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music, and dance. Elements of art, such as painted scenery and stagecraft such as lighting are used to enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the experience. The specific place of the performance is also named by the word "theatre" as derived from the Ancient Greek θέατρον, itself from θεάομαι.

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane West End theatre building in Covent Garden, London, England

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 and backs onto Drury Lane. The building is the most recent in a line of four theatres which were built at the same location, the earliest of which dated back to 1663, making it the oldest theatre site in London still in use. According to the author Peter Thomson, for its first two centuries, Drury Lane could "reasonably have claimed to be London's leading theatre". For most of that time, it was one of a handful of patent theatres, granted monopoly rights to the production of "legitimate" drama in London.

Contents

Family

Fleetwood's father was Thomas Fleetwood and his mother was Frances Gerard, whose brother was Charles, the sixth Baron Gerard. [1] He was the couple's only son. [1] He fell heir to a large estate from a relative of his mother's when he was twenty-one years of age but lost most of it gambling. [1] Fleetwood married Susanna Williams (born 1714), a dancer and actress. [1] The couple had two children, Charles and John, who both made stage appearances. [1]

Baron Gerard

There have been three baronies created for the Gerard family who resided historically at Bryn, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire and Kingsley, Cheshire, in the 13th century. The third and current barony was created in 1876.

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

The last of Fleetwood's inheritance was used to buy the patent for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane from John Highmore in 1734. [1] Highmore had owned half of the patent and Fleetwood paid £2,250 for it; at the same time Fleetwood bought Robert Wilks' share for £1,500 giving him five-sixths of the patent ownership. [2] [lower-alpha 1] Charles Macklin was given the role of stage manager as Fleetwood had no experience in theatrical administration. [4] During Fleetwood's tenure at Drury Lane, he introduced a number of reforms including the abolition of the Footman's Gallery. [5] This gallery was provided for the servants and lackeys of the ladies and gentlemen in the audience and generally it was noisy and disorderly. When this gallery was abolished in 1737, riots broke out in the theatre. [5] Fleetwood's interest in the theatre began to recede and by the end of the 1737-38 season, he resumed his heavy gambling leaving control of the Theatre's finances to the treasurer, Pierson. [1] Fleetwood's management was artistically noteworthy but a financial disaster due to his gambling; [5] profits from the Theatre were used to fund the bets. [1]

Robert Wilks 17th/18th-century English actor and theatre manager

Robert Wilks was a British actor and theatrical manager who was one of the leading managers of Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in its heyday of the 1710s. He was, with Colley Cibber and Thomas Doggett, one of the "triumvirate" of actor-managers that was denounced by Alexander Pope and caricatured by William Hogarth as leaders of the decline in theatrical standards and degradation of the stage's literary tradition.

Charles Macklin 18th-century Irish actor

Charles Macklin, [Gaelic: Cathal MacLochlainn], was an Irish actor and dramatist who performed extensively at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Macklin revolutionised theatre in the 18th century by introducing a "natural style" of acting. He is also famous for killing a man in a fight over a wig at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Auditorium room for an audience to hear and watch performances

An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and theaters, and may be used for rehearsal, presentation, performing arts productions, or as a learning space.

His most notable achievement at Drury Lane was Macklin's portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in 1741; he was also responsible for bringing in David Garrick after his first season at the Goodman's Fields Theatre to perform at Drury Lane in 1742. [5] [6] Financial problems continued to beset Fleetwood and takings at the theatre were insufficient so he mortgaged the patent for the theatre and secured a loan against other paraphernalia at Drury Lane to the bankers Amber and Green. [1] [7] Increases in the price of entry tickets caused brawls to break out during November 1744, which was possibly the trigger for Fleetwood selling the patent to the bankers a few weeks later in December. [1] Payment took the form of a lump sum, either £3,200 [1] or £6,750, [8] plus an annuity. [1] [lower-alpha 2] The re-payment of the £5,000 mortgage on the theatre would, however, have been deducted from the lump sum. [8]

<i>The Merchant of Venice</i> play by Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice (Antonio) must default on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known for Shylock and the famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech on humanity. Also notable is Portia's speech about "the quality of mercy". Critic Harold Bloom listed it among Shakespeare's great comedies.

David Garrick English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer

David Garrick was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson. He appeared in a number of amateur theatricals, and with his appearance in the title role of Shakespeare's Richard III, audiences and managers began to take notice.

Two 18th century theatres bearing the name Goodman's Fields Theatre were located on Alie Street, Whitechapel, London. The first opened on 31 October 1727 in a small shop by Thomas Odell, deputy Licenser of Plays. The first play performed was George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer. Henry Fielding's second play The Temple Beau premièred here on 26 January 1730. Upon retirement, Odell passed the management on to Henry Giffard, after a sermon was preached against the theatre at St Botolph's, Aldgate. Giffard operated the theatre until 1732. After he left, the theatre was used for a variety of acrobatic performances.

Death

After the sale of the Drury Lane theatre patent, Fleetwood moved to the Chalon-sur-Saône area in France sometime in the spring of 1745. He died there, seemingly insolvent, in August 1747. [1]

Chalon-sur-Saône Subprefecture and commune in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

Chalon-sur-Saône is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.

Related Research Articles

Thomas Arne 18th-century British composer

Thomas Augustine Arne was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song Rule Britannia, a version of God Save the King, which became the British national anthem, and the song A-Hunting We Will Go. Arne was a leading British theatre composer of the 18th century, working at Drury Lane and Covent Garden.

Robert William Elliston British actor

Robert William Elliston was an English actor and theatre manager.

Samuel Foote British dramatist

Samuel Foote was a British dramatist, actor and theatre manager from Cornwall. He was known for his comedic acting and writing, and for turning the loss of a leg in a riding accident in 1766 to comedic opportunity.

Theophilus Cibber 18th-century English actor, playwright, and author

Theophilus Cibber was an English actor, playwright, author, and son of the actor-manager Colley Cibber.

Hannah Pritchard 18th-century English actress

Hannah Pritchard (1711–1768) was an English actress who regularly played opposite David Garrick. She performed many significant Shakespearean roles and created on stage many important female roles by contemporary playwrights.

Charlotte Charke British actor and writer

Charlotte Charke was an English actress, playwright, novelist, autobiographer, and noted transvestite. She acted on the stage from the age of 17, mainly in breeches roles, and took to wearing male clothing off the stage. She assumed the name "Charles Brown" and called her daughter "Mrs. Brown." She suffered a series of failures in her business affairs after working in a variety of trades commonly associated with men, from valet, to sausage maker, farmer, pastry chef, and tavern owner, but finally achieved success under her own name as a writer, ending her life as a novelist and memoirist.

The patent theatres were the theatres that were licensed to perform "spoken drama" after the Restoration of Charles II as King of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1660. Other theatres were prohibited from performing such "serious" drama, but were permitted to show comedy, pantomime or melodrama. Drama was also interspersed with singing or dancing, to prevent the whole being too serious or dramatic.

Richard Yates (actor) English actor

Richard Yates was an English comic actor, who worked at the Haymarket Theatre and Drury Lane among others, appearing in David Garrick's King Lear. He also worked in theatre management, and set up the New Theatre in Birmingham in 1773. Both his first wife, Elizabeth Mary and Mary Anne Graham were actresses.

Actor Rebellion of 1733 event that took place at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, England when the actors who worked there, disapproving of the changes in the management, attempted to seize control

The Actor Rebellion of 1733 was an event that took place at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, England when the actors who worked there, disapproving of the changes in the management, attempted to seize control. Before the rebellion, the theatre was controlled by the managers Theophilus Cibber, John Ellys, and John Highmore. When Theophilus lost his share and was denied a bid to run the theatre, he, along with other actors, attempted to take over the theatre by controlling the lease. When the shareholders found out, they refused to admit the actors to the building and the theatre was closed for several months. The fight spilled over to the contemporary newspapers, which generally sided with the managers.

Cardell Goodman (1649?–1699) was an English actor and adventurer, now known as a Jacobite conspirator.

Thomas King (actor) English actor, theatre manager and dramatist

Thomas King (1730–1805) was an English actor, known also as a theatre manager and dramatist.

Benjamin Hoadly (physician) British doctor and dramatist

Benjamin Hoadly (1706–1757) was an English physician, known also as a dramatist.

William Havard (1710?–1778), was a British actor and dramatist. He appeared at Goodman's Fields Theatre, 1730–1737, and then at the Drury Lane Theatre until retirement in 1769. He generally played secondary parts; depreciated in Rosciad. He also appeared in his own plays, King Charles I at Lincoln Inn Fields, 1737; Regulus Drury Lane], 1744; and The Elopement Drury Lane, 1763.

John Lee (1725–1781) was an English actor and manager of plays.

Sarah Thurmond or Sarah Lewis was a British actress.

William Paget (actor)

William Paget was an English actor and author in the 18th century who played alongside David Garrick and was a member of John Rich’s company, playing in the first season of Theatre Royal, Covent Garden (1732). Toward the end of his life he served time in Fleet Prison before agreeing to participate in the establishment of Halifax, Nova Scotia, dying there in 1752.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ The remaining one-sixth share of the patent was likely still held in the name of Cardell Goodman; [2] the date of his death is uncertain but thought to be after 1713. [3]
  2. ↑ The figure given for the annuity varies: Brayne quotes £600 [1] whereas Dobbs states £500. [8]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Brayne, Charles (2004). "Fleetwood, Charles (d. 1747)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/64339 . Retrieved 20 March 2015.(subscription or UK public library membership required)
  2. 1 2 Dobbs (1972), p. 90
  3. ↑ Milling, J. (2004). "Goodman, Cardell (b. 1653)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/10974 . Retrieved 24 March 2015.(subscription or UK public library membership required)
  4. ↑ Stone & Kahrl (1979), p. 62
  5. 1 2 3 4 Hartnoll (1983), p. 286
  6. ↑ Hartnoll, Phyllis; Found, Peter (2003) [1996]. "Goodman's Fields Theatre" . The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre (online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  7. ↑ Stone & Kahrl (1979), p. 65
  8. 1 2 3 Dobbs (1972), p. 100

Bibliography

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

Phyllis Hartnoll was a British poet, author and editor.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.