Elizabeth Heard (born c.1775) was an English

stage actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. She was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

the daughter of William Heard, a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

, and his wife Ann Heard, an actress. Elizabeth made her stage debut at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

as a

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in film, movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associa ...

in 1782, where he mother was employed. She often played young male roles such as the

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in ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' and Prince Arthur in '' King John''. As well as appearing as a member of the company at Drury Lane, she also began summer stints at the Haymarket from 1789 gradually playing more mature and important roles. In 1801 she left the Drury Lane company and later acted in

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

.Highfill, Burnim & Langhans p.227

Selected roles

* Laura in ''

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Elizabeth Inchbald Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821) was an English novelist, actress, dramatist, and translator. Her two novels, '' A Simple Story'' and '' Nature and Art'', have received particular critical attention. Life B ...

(1791) * Louisa Fairfax in '' Cross Partners'' by

(1792) * Dian in ''

The London Hermit ''The London Hermit, Or, Rambles in Dorsetshire'' is a 1793 comedy play by the Irish writer John O'Keeffe. It was staged at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is ...

'' by John O'Keeffe (1793) * Lucy in '' False Colours'' by Edward Morris (1793) * Hannah in ''

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'' by

(1794) * Attendant in ''

Vortigern and Rowena ''Vortigern and Rowena'', or ''Vortigern, an Historical Play'', is a play that was touted as a newly discovered work by William Shakespeare when it first appeared in 1796. It was eventually revealed to be a Shakespeare hoax, the product of promi ...

'' by

William Henry Ireland William Henry Ireland (1775–1835) was an English forger of would-be Shakespearean documents and plays. He is less well known as a poet, writer of gothic novels and histories. Although he was apparently christened William-Henry, he was known ...

(1796) * Abra in '' Almeyda, Queen of Granada'' by

Sophia Lee Sophia Lee (1750 – 13 March 1824) was an English novelist, dramatist and educator. She was a formative writer of Gothic fiction. Life and literary production She was the daughter of John Lee (died 1781), actor and theatrical manager, and was ...

(1796) * Violante in '' The Inquisitor'' by

Thomas Holcroft Thomas Holcroft (10 December 174523 March 1809) was an English dramatist, miscellanist, poet, novelist and translator. He was sympathetic to the early ideas of the French Revolution and helped Thomas Paine to publish the first part of ''The Ri ...

(1798) *Antonia in '' Aurelio and Miranda'' by

James Boaden James Boaden (23 May 1762 – 16 February 1839) was an English biographer, dramatist, and journalist. Biographer He was the son of William Boaden, a merchant in the Russia trade. He was born at Whitehaven, Cumberland, on 23 May 1762, and at an ...

(1798) * Teresa in ''

The Castle of Montval ''The Castle of Montval'' is a tragedy by the British writer Thomas Sedgwick Whalley. It was first published in 1781, but was not staged in London's West End until 23 April 1799 when it appeared at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane where it succeeded ...

'' by

Thomas Sedgwick Whalley Thomas Sedgwick Whalley (1746–1828) was an English cleric, poet and traveller. Life Born in Cambridge, he was the third son of John Whalley (theologian), John Whalley, Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, who married the only child of Francis Squ ...

(1799) * Countess Freberg in '' De Monfort'' by

Joanna Baillie Joanna Baillie (11 September 1762 – 23 February 1851) was a Scottish poet and dramatist, known for such works as ''Plays on the Passions'' (three volumes, 1798–1812) and ''Fugitive Verses'' (1840). Her work shows an interest in moral philoso ...

(1800) * Emma in ''

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

'' by

Henry James Pye Henry James Pye (; 20 February 1745 – 11 August 1813) was an English poet, and Poet Laureate from 1790 until his death. His appointment owed nothing to poetic achievement and was probably a reward for political favours. Pye was merely a ...

(1800)

References

Bibliography

* Highfill, Philip H., Burnim, Kalman A. & Langhans Edward A. ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Volume 7, Habgood to Houbert: Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers, and Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800''. SIU Press, 1982. English stage actresses 18th-century English actresses 19th-century English actresses 1770s births Year of death unknown Actresses from London {{England-stage-actor-stub