The ballad opera is a genre of English stage entertainment that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier comédie en vaudeville and the later Singspiel, its distinguishing characteristic is the use of tunes in a popular style with spoken dialogue. These English plays were 'operas' mainly insofar as they satirized the conventions of the imported opera seria. Music critic Peter Gammond describes the ballad opera as "an important step in the emancipation of both the musical stage and the popular song."
John Harper was an English actor. He was known for comic parts.
The What D'Ye Call It is a 1715 farce by the British writer John Gay. It was written as a parody of tragic plays, with particular reference to Thomas Otway's Venice Preserv'd.
The Artifice is a 1722 comedy by the British writer Susanna Centlivre. It was her final play, returning to the more robust style of restoration comedy which was very uncommon by this era.
The Fair Example, or the Modish Citizen is a 1703 comedy play by the English writer Richard Estcourt, originally staged at the Drury Lane Theatre. It was part of a growing trend of plays to feature a plot of an honest wife reforming her rakish husband along with Sir Harry Wildair, As You Find It, The Wife's Relief and The Modish Couple. It is a reworking of the 1693 French play Les Bourgeoises à la Mode by Florent Carton Dancourt. In 1705 a separate English adaptation of the French work John Vanbrugh's The Confederacy appeared at the rival Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket.
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.
The Universal Gallant, or The Different Husbands is a 1735 comedy play by the British writer Henry Fielding.
The Devil to Pay is a 1731 ballad opera by the Irish writer Charles Coffey and British writer John Mottley. Also known by the longer title The Devil to Pay: Or, The Wives Metamorphos'd, it was part of a group of ballad operas produced in the wake of the success of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. The work is inspired by Thomas Jevon's 1686 play The Devil of a Wife.
The Beggar's Wedding is a 1729 ballad opera by the Irish writer Charles Coffey. Part of a boom in ballad operas following the success of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, it originally premiered at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin in March 1729 before appearing in London at the Haymarket Theatre on 29 May 1729 The original Dublin cast included Richard Elrington.
Love in a Riddle is a 1729 ballad opera by the British actor-manager Colley Cibber. It was part of a boom in ballad operas inspired by the enormous success of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera the previous year.
Bayes's Opera is a 1730 ballad opera by the British writer Gabriel Odingsells. It was part of a boom in ballad operas that followed in the wake of the susccess of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera.
Sylvia is a 1730 ballad opera by the British writer George Lillo, written as part of a boom in ballad operas in the wake of John Gay's 1728 hit The Beggar's Opera.
A Tutor for the Beaus: Or Love in a Labyrinth is a 1737 comedy play by the British writer John Hewitt. It drew inspiration from an earlier one-act play Le Français à Londres by the French writer Louis de Boissy.
The Bath; or, The Western Lass is a 1701 comedy play by the English writer Thomas d'Urfey.
The Old Mode and the New is a 1703 comedy play by the English writer Thomas d'Urfey.
The Man's Bewitched is a 1709 comedy play by the British writer Susanna Centlivre. It is known by the longer title The Man's Bewitch'd; or, The Devil to do about Her.
The Country Lasses: or, The Custom of the Manor is a 1715 comedy play by the British writer Charles Johnson.
Love At First Sight is a 1704 comedy play by the writer David Crauford.
The Perplexed Couple is a 1715 comedy play by the Irish writer Charles Molloy.
