John Waddy (1751–1814) was an Irish

stage actor 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. ...

and

theatre manager Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicat ...

. Originally, intended for a career in

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

, he was acting at

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 ...

Smock Alley Theatre Since the 17th century, there have been numerous theatres in Dublin with the name Smock Alley. The current Smock Alley Theatre () is a 21st-century theatre in Dublin, converted from a 19th-century church building, incorporating structural mat ...

by 1774, combining this with appearances at Irish and English provincial theatres. From 1782 to 1796, he was a regular at the

Theatre Royal, Norwich The Theatre Royal is a theatre in Norwich, England. It is one of the country's oldest established theatres, founded in 1758. It was rebuilt in 1801 and 1826. It burnt down in 1934 and was bombed during World War II. Peter Wilson ran the theat ...

. He was then engaged by the

Theatre Royal, Covent Garden The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

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 ...

making his debut there on 5 October 1796, under the management of

Thomas Harris William Thomas Harris III (born September 22, 1940) is an American writer. He is the author of a series of suspense novels about Hannibal Lecter. The majority of his works have been adapted into films and television, including '' The Silence o ...

. He acted there and at Haymarket over the next decade and a half. He particularly specialised in playing

Stage Irish Stage Irish, also known as Drunk Irish, or collectively as Paddywhackery, is a Stereotype, stereotyped portrayal of Irish people once common in plays.

man and also took over many roles when John Quick left Covent Garden. His second wife, billed as Mrs. Waddy, acted with him in London for several years. He departed from the Covent Garden company in 1810, and worked for a while at the

Surrey Theatre The Surrey Theatre, London began life in 1782 as the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy, one of the many circuses that provided entertainment of both horsemanship and drama ( hippodrama). It stood in Blackfriars Road, near the j ...

south of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

. He died in Oakingham in

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

on 12 April 1814.Highfill, Burnim & Langhans p.195

Selected roles

* Norberry in '' Wives as They Were and Maids as They Are'' by

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 ...

(1797) * Farmer Oatland in A Cure For The Heart Ache by Thomas Morton (1797) * Gerald in ''

Speed the Plough ''Speed the Plough'' is a five-act comedy by Thomas Morton (playwright), Thomas Morton, written in 1798 and first performed in 1800 at the Royal Opera House, Theatre Royal, Covent Garden to great acclaim. It is mostly remembered today for the sa ...

'' by Thomas Morton (1798) * Lawley in '' The Wise Man of the East'' by

(1799) * Lawyer Circuit in '' The Birth Day'' by

Thomas John Dibdin Thomas John Dibdin (21 March 1771 – 16 September 1841) was an English dramatist and songwriter. Life Dibdin was the son of Charles Dibdin, a songwriter and theatre manager, and of "Mrs Davenet", an actress whose real name was Harriett Pitt. ...

(1799) * Wensel in '' Joanna of Montfaucon'' by

Richard Cumberland Richard Cumberland may refer to: * Richard Cumberland (philosopher) Richard Cumberland (15 July 1631 (or 1632) – 9 October 1718) was an English philosopher, and Bishop of Peterborough from 1691. In 1672, he published his major work, ''De leg ...

(1800) * Daniel Dowlas in ''

The Heir at Law ''The Heir at Law'' (1797) is a comedic play in five acts by George Colman the Younger that remained popular through the 19th century. It and ''John Bull'' (1803) were Colman's best known comedies.Dabundo, Laura (ed.Encyclopedia of Romanticis ...

'' by George Colman (1800) * Falstaff in ''

Henry IV, Part I ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at ...

'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

(1801) * Cursitor in ''

Folly as it Flies ''Folly as it Flies'' is an 1801 comedy play by the British writer Frederick Reynolds. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 29 October 1801. The original Covent Garden cast included Charles Murray as Sir Herbert Melmoth, Henry Ers ...

'' by Frederick Reynolds (1801) * Humphrey Dobbins in '' The Poor Gentleman'' by George Colman (1801) * Gareb in '' The Voice of Nature'' by James Boaden (1802) * Father Brazil in '' Alfonso, King of Castile'' by Matthew Lewis (1802) * Lord Fitz-Balaam in ''

John Bull John Bull is a national personification of England, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter-of-fact man. He originated in satirical works of ...

'' by George Colman (1803) * Landlord in ''

The Delinquent ''The Delinquent'' is an 1805 comedy play by the British writer Frederick Reynolds. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 14 November 1805.Greene p.4516 The original cast included John Philip Kemble as The Delinquent, John ...

'' by Frederick Reynolds (1805) * Hogmore in '' Who Wants a Guinea?'' by George Colman the Younger (1805) * Mr Grumley in '' Errors Excepted'' by Thomas Dibdin (1807)

References

Bibliography

* Highfill, Philip H, Burnim, Kalman A. & Langhans, Edward A. ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers, and Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800: Abaco to Belfille''. SIU Press, 1978. * Johnston, Roy. ''The Musical Life of Nineteenth-Century Belfast''. Routledge, 2017. Irish male stage actors 18th-century Irish male actors 19th-century British male actors 19th-century Irish male actors 1751 births 1814 deaths Irish emigrants to Kingdom of Great Britain Place of birth missing {{Ireland-actor-stub