Elizabeth Hopkins (1731–1801) was an English stage actress of the eighteenth century. Born as Elizabeth Barton to a
publican in
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
, she married the actor William Hopkins in 1753. and he introduced her to the stage. They acted together in the provinces and then in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
where she was original Anna in
John Home's ''
Douglas'' in 1756. She then went to
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
to perform at the
Smock Alley Theatre and elsewhere, although she was at one point dismissed by the company by
Thomas Sheridan. When her husband was appointed as
prompter 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 ...
in London she joined the company there, making her first appearance there in 1761. For several decades she was an integral part of the Drury Lane company, occasionally appearing elsewhere in the summer including at
Richmond and the
Theatre Royal, Haymarket. She transitioned in the 1780s from the younger, tragic roles she had played to older character parts such as
dowager
A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property – a "dower" – derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles.
In popular usage, the n ...
s Her final appearance was at the Haymarket in 1796. The actress
Priscilla Kemble, wife of
John Philip Kemble, was her daughter.
[''The Routledge Anthology of Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Drama'' p.LII]
Selected roles
* Anna in ''
Douglas'' by
John Home (1756)
* Lady Rusport in ''
The West Indian'' by
Richard Cumberland (1771)
* Mrs Bridgemore in ''
The Fashionable Lover'' by
Richard Cumberland (1772)
*Lady Rachel Mildew in ''
The School for Wives'' by
Hugh Kelly (1773)
* Mrs Stapleton in ''
The Choleric Man'' by
Richard Cumberland (1774)
* Dinah in ''
The Runaway'' by
Hannah Cowley (1776)
* Lady Varnish in ''
The Double Deception'' by Elizabeth Richardson (1779)
* Lady Blaze in ''
The School for Vanity'' by
Samuel Jackson Pratt (1783)
* Theodosia in ''
The Box-Lobby Challenge'' by
Richard Cumberland (1794)
* Mrs Ratcliff in ''
The Jew'' by
Richard Cumberland (1794)
* Mrs Hamford in ''
The Wedding Day'' by
Elizabeth Inchbald (1794)
* Benedicta in ''
Don Pedro'' by
Richard Cumberland (1796)
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.
* Straub, Kristina, G. Anderson, Misty and O'Quinn, Daniel . ''The Routledge Anthology of Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Drama''. Taylor & Francis, 2017.
* Van Lennep, W. ''The London Stage, 1660–1800: Volume One, 1660–1700''. Southern Illinois University Press, 1960.
18th-century English actresses
1731 births
1801 deaths
Actresses from York
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