Mary Davys, Plays

Martha F. Bowden (Kennesaw State University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1725

Places

Ireland, Republic of (Eire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

Resources

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Mary Davys (1674[?]-1732), left Ireland for London in about 1699. We know nothing about her life between 1704, when she left London and went to York, and 1716, when she arrived back in London in modest triumph with a successful play.

The Northern Heiress

was performed at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields on April 27 and 28. On May 1 it achieved the critical third performance—traditionally the author's benefit night—at which her profits were £71 19

. She probably believed that she was on the road to fame and fortune, or at least a living, because she wrote a second play,

The Self-Rival

. This was never performed however, nor was it even published separately. Its only appearance in print is in Davys'

Collected Works

(1725) where the title reads, “As it was to be performed at…

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2658 words

Citation: Bowden, Martha F.. "Plays". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=20617, accessed 26 April 2024.]

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