The Maid of the Oaks is a comedy play by the British playwright and soldier General John Burgoyne, known as Gentleman Johnny. It was originally written in celebration of the forthcoming marriage of Edward Smith-Stanley, heir to the earldom of Derby, [1] and Lady Elizabeth (Betty) Hamilton, daughter of the late James Hamilton, 6th Duke Hamilton and Brandon. Burgoyne was the uncle of the groom and in charge of the lavish masquerade and garden fête, which took place at Lord Stanley's hunting lodge, The Oaks near Epsom, Surrey.
A comedy is entertainment consisting of jokes intended to make an audience laugh. For ancient Greeks and Romans a comedy was a stage-play with a happy ending. In the Middle Ages, the term expanded to include narrative poems with happy endings and a lighter tone. In this sense Dante used the term in the title of his poem, the Divine Comedy.
The Kingdom of Great Britain, officially called simply Great Britain, was a sovereign state in western Europe from 1 May 1707 to 31 December 1800. The state came into being following the Treaty of Union in 1706, ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the kingdoms of England and Scotland to form a single kingdom encompassing the whole island of Great Britain and its outlying islands, with the exception of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The unitary state was governed by a single parliament and government that was based in Westminster. The former kingdoms had been in personal union since James VI of Scotland became King of England and King of Ireland in 1603 following the death of Elizabeth I, bringing about the "Union of the Crowns". After the accession of George I to the throne of Great Britain in 1714, the kingdom was in a personal union with the Electorate of Hanover.
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
For the event, which took place 9 June 1774, no costs were spared and Burgoyne enlisted the help of two of his close friends, the actor-manager David Garrick and the architect Robert Adam. [2] Garrick had organized the "Music, Vocal Instrumental & Dancing', which was 'perform'd by the Musicians, Singers & Dancers from all the Theatres". [3] The Oaks itself was too small a building to entertain the large number of invited guests, therefore Robert Adam created a temporary "magnificent salon ... illuminated and decorated with the utmost elegance and proportion". [4] The complex ground plan of this pavilion was published in The Works in Architecture by Robert and James Adam (3 vols., 1773-1822). It shows that the temporary structure contained with 8,200 square feet (762 square meters) the largest room Adam ever built or decorated in his entire career. [5]
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.
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam (1689–1748), Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him. With his older brother John, Robert took on the family business, which included lucrative work for the Board of Ordnance, after William's death.
Not surprisingly, the lavishness of the celebrations at The Oaks caused a lot of publicity in the papers and magazines of the day. Burgoyne and Garrick decided to capitalize on this by creating a highly profitable stage version, for which the original libretto of the masque was stretched from two to five acts by including additional songs, dances and theatrical interludes to recapture the spirit of the enchanting rural entertainment. [6] The premiere at Drury Lane Theatre on 5 November 1774 was a triumphant success. [7] The set designs were by the artist Philip James de Loutherbourg. The transparent scenery was lauded by the Westminster Magazine in its review although the critic was not impressed by the play. [8] It was Burgoyne's first work, and he went on to write three further plays following his service in the American War of Independence.
Scenic design is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly trained professionals, holding a B.F.A. or M.F.A. degrees in theater arts. Scenic designers design sets and scenery that aim to support the overall artistic goals of the production.
Philip James de Loutherbourg RA, whose name is sometimes given in the French form of Philippe-Jacques, the German form of Philipp Jakob, or with the English-language epithet of the Younger, was a Franco-British painter who became known for his large naval works, his elaborate set designs for London theatres, and his invention of a mechanical theatre called the "Eidophusikon". He also had an interest in faith-healing and the occult and was a companion of the confidence-trickster Cagliostro.
The Oaks, [9] which gave its name to the Oaks Stakes run at the Epsom Downs races each year in early June, was demolished in the 1950s. The gardens and some of the remaining outbuildings form part of Oaks Park (London).
Epsom Downs is an area of chalk upland near Epsom, Surrey; in the North Downs. Part of the area is taken up by the racecourse, the gallops are part of the land purchased by Stanly Wootton in 1925 in order that racehorses can be trained without interference. It is open to users such as ramblers, model aircraft flyers, golfers and cyclists. But all users are subject to the controls laid down by the purchase order; see 'The Wootton Family - Australia to Epsom' by Bill Eacott page 66/67. Since January 2006 model aircraft flyers on the Downs have been required to be members of the Epsom Downs Model Aircraft Club. There are over 20 km of routeways for hack riders. There are bylaws for the use of the Downs. There are panoramic views of London to the north from the Downs. The area is served by Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner railway stations.
Oaks Park is a public park in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. It is bounded on the south by Croydon Lane (A2022), and on the east by Woodmansterne Road; smaller roads lie to west and north.
