Foscari (play)

Foscari is an 1826 historical tragedy by the British writer Mary Russell Mitford. The plot revolves around Francesco Foscari, the son of the Doge of Venice, who is wrongly accused of murder and has to go into exile.[1] It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 4 November 1826.[2] The original cast included Charles Mayne Young as Foscari, Doge of Venice, Charles Kemble as Francesco Foscari, James Prescott Warde as Count Erizzo, and Daniel Egerton as Donato.

Foscari
Written byMary Russell Mitford
Date premiered4 November 1826
Place premieredTheatre Royal, Covent Garden, London
Original languageEnglish
GenreTragedy
SettingVenice, 15th century

Mitford began writing the play in 1821 with the Covent Garden company in mind for the characters, but tensions between Charles Kemble and his rival at the theatre William Macready led to a long delay and Macready eventually did not appear. During the delay, the publication of Lord Byron's The Two Foscari based on the same subject, disturbed Mitford as she did not wish to be seen in competition with Byron. During the delay, she wrote another play Julian which was successfully performed at Covent Garden in 1823.[3]

References
  1. The Encyclopedia of Romantic Literature p.859
  2. Nicoll p.347
  3. The Encyclopedia of Romantic Literature p.859

Bibliography
  • Burwick, Frederick Goslee, Nancy Moore & Hoeveler Diane Long . The Encyclopedia of Romantic Literature. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
  • Nicoll, Allardyce. A History of Early Nineteenth Century Drama 1800-1850. Cambridge University Press, 1930.
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