John Poole (1786–1872), an English

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

, was one of the earliest and best known 19th century playwrights of the comic drama, the

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity or ...

Biography

'' Paul Pry'' is considered his most notable work, while ''Hamlet Travestie'', performed as a burlesque, was the first Shakespeare parody since the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration *Restoration ecology ...

. He was buried in a

common grave A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people. "Potter's field" is of Biblical origin, referring to Akeldama (meaning ''field of blood'' in Aramaic), stated to have been pu ...

, plot no.18577, on the eastern side of

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...

Partial works

;Plays * ''Hamlet travestie: in three acts'' (1810) * ''Othello-travestie in three acts.'' (1813) * ''The hole in the wall: a farce, in two acts'' (1813) * ''Intrigue, or, Married yesterday: a comic interlude, in one act'' (1814) * ''Who's who?, or, The double imposture: a farce, in two acts'' (1815) * ''A short reign and a merry one: a petite comedy, in two acts'' (1819). First performed at the Theatre Royal,

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

on 1819-11-19 * ''The two pages of Frederick the Great: a comic piece, in two acts'' (1821) * ''Deaf as a post: a farce, in one act, two scenes'' (1823) First performed at Drury Lane February, 1823. * ''Simpson and Co. a comedy in one act'' (1823) * ''A year in an hour, or, The cock of the walk: a farce, in two acts'' (1824) * ''Scapegoat: a farce, in one act'' (1824) * ''Paul Pry: a comedy, in three acts'' (1825) * ''Tribulation, or, Unwelcome visitors: a comedy, in two acts'' (1825) * ''Twixt the Cup and Lip'' (1827) * ''Simpson & co. : a comedy, in two acts'' (1827) * ''The wife's stratagem, or, more frightened than hurt : a comedy, in three acts'' (1827) * ''The wealthy widow, or, They're both to blame: a comedy, in three acts'' (1827) * ''Lodgings for Single Gentlemen'' (1829) * ''Turning the tables: a farce, in one act'' (1830) * ''Past and present; or, The hidden treasure: a drama, in three acts'' (1830) * ''Old and young, a farce, in one act.'' (1831) First performed at English Opera Company, Theatre Royal, Adelphi with 31 performances during the period of 1831-07-04 through 1831-09-28 * ''A soldier's courtship; [or love at first sight: a comedy, in one act.'' (1833) * ''Patrician & parvenu, or, Confusion worse confounded: a comedy, in five acts'' (1835) * ''Atonement, or, The god-daughter: a drama, in two acts'' (1836) * Twould puzzle a conjurer, or, The two Peters'' (1838) * ''The atonement; or, The God-daughter: a drama, in two acts'' (1840) * ''Rumfuskin, King of the North Pole, or, Treason rewarded: a tragedy for the first of April'' (1841) * ''Phineas Quiddy, or, Sheer industry'' (1842) * ''Lodgings for single gentlemen a farce in one act'' (1850) * ''Scan. Mag, or, The village gossip: a popular farce, in two acts'' (1850) * ''The Dutch governor, or, 'Twould puzzle a conjuror : a modern standard drama'' (185-) * ''Intrigue, or, The Bath road ; a comic interlude, in one act'' (186?) * ''My wife! What wife? a farce, in one or two acts'' (1872) * ''Match making: a petite comedy, in one act'' (18--) * ''A pair of razors : a farce, in one act'' (18--) * ''Uncle Sam, or, A nabob for an hour: a farce, in two acts'' ;Other * ''Two papers : a theatrical critique and an essay (being no. 999 of the Pretender) on sonnet-writing, and sonnet-writers in general : including a Sonnet on myself'' (1819) * ''Phineas Quiddy A new novel.'' (1842) * ''Paul Pry's Journal of a residence at Little Pedlington.'' (1836) * ''Little Pedlington and the Pedlingtonians'' (1839) (expanded version of 1836 ''Paul Pry's Journal'') * ''Christmas festivities: tales, sketches, and characters, with Beauties of the modern drama, in four specimens'' (1845)

References

* Stanley W. Wells. ''Nineteenth-century Shakespeare Burlesques: John Poole and his imitators''. Diploma Press, 1977

External links

Works by John Poole
at Google Books *
Works by John Poole
at

The Online Books Page The Online Books Page is an index of e-text books available on the Internet. It is edited by John Mark Ockerbloom and is hosted by the library of the University of Pennsylvania. The Online Books Page lists over 2 million books and has several fe ...

Portraits
at the National Portrait Gallery {{DEFAULTSORT:Poole, John 1786 births 1872 deaths Burials at Highgate Cemetery English dramatists and playwrights English male dramatists and playwrights