Martin Powell was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century. Powell was a member of the

King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London, after the London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 1660 to 1682, when it merged wit ...

from 1669 onwards at the

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

in London. He was one of several actors who briefly left for Scotland in 1678 after a dispute with the management, before returning to Drury Lane. In 1682 he joined the merged

United Company The United Company was a London theatre company formed in 1682 with the merger of the King's Company and the Duke's Company. Both the Duke's and King's Companies suffered poor attendance during the turmoil of the Popish Plot period, 1678–8 ...

. Billed throughout his career as Mr. Powell, some of his later appearances can be confused with those of his son George Powell. In 1675 along with

John Coysh John Coysh was an English stage actor of the seventeenth century. He was a member of the King's Company, based at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He first headed a nursery of young actors at Hatton Garden, including the future star Sarah Cooke. He ...

he appeared in a private production of

John Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the p ...

's '' The Indian Emperour'' staged by the Duchess of Portsmouth and an otherwise amateur cast.Walkling p.78

Selected roles

* Gomel in ''

The Conquest of Granada ''The Conquest of Granada'' is a Restoration era stage play, a two-part tragedy written by John Dryden that was first acted in 1670 and 1671 and published in 1672. It is notable both as a defining example of the " heroic drama" pioneered by Dryd ...

'' by

(1670) * Larasco in '' The Spanish Rogue'' by

Thomas Duffet Thomas Duffet (fl. 1673 – 1676), or Duffett, was an Irish playwright and songwriter active in England in the 1670s. He is remembered for his popular songs and his burlesques of the serious plays of John Dryden, Thomas Shadwell, Elkanah Set ...

(1673) * Furfante in ''

The Amorous Old Woman ''The Amorous Old Woman; Or, 'Tis Well If It Take'' is a 1674 comedy play by the English writer Thomas Duffet. It was originally staged by the King's Company at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre. It was part of the tradition of Restoration comed ...

'' by Thomas Duffett (1674) * Mirmilon in ''

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unt ...

'' by

Nathaniel Lee Nathaniel Lee (c. 1653 – 6 May 1692) was an English dramatist. He was the son of Dr Richard Lee, a Presbyterian clergyman who was rector of Hatfield and held many preferments under the Commonwealth; Dr Lee was chaplain to George Monck, afterw ...

(1674) * Proveditor in '' Love in the Dark'' by Francis Fane (1675) * Costard in '' Psyche Debauched'' by

(1675) * Leander in ''

Gloriana ''Gloriana'', Op. 53, is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten to an English libretto by William Plomer, based on Lytton Strachey's 1928 ''Elizabeth and Essex: A Tragic History''. The first performance was presented at the Royal Opera Ho ...

'' by

(1676) * Mr William in '' The Country Innocence'' by John Leanerd (1677) * Philip in ''

The Rival Queens ''The Rival Queens, or the Death Of Alexander the Great'' is a Restoration tragedy written by Nathaniel Lee . Regarded as one of his best tragedies, the play revolves around Alexander the Great and his two wives, Roxana Roxana (c. 340 BC � ...

'' by

(1677) * Vanlore in '' Wits Led by the Nose'' by William Chamberlayne (1677) * Sir Arthur Twilight in '' The Rambling Justice'' by John Leanerd (1678) * Andravar in '' Mithridates, King of Pontus'' by

(1678) * Nonsuch in '' The Man of Newmarket'' by Edward Howard (1678) * Sir Peregreen in '' Trick for Trick'' by

Thomas D'Urfey Thomas d'Urfey (a.k.a. Tom Durfey; 165326 February 1723) was an English writer and wit. He wrote plays, songs, jokes, and poems. He was an important innovator and contributor in the evolution of the ballad opera. Life D'Urfey was born in Devons ...

(1678) * Whigg in '' Sir Barnaby Whigg'' by

(1681) * Trebellius in ''

Sophonisba Sophonisba (in Punic, 𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 Ṣap̄anbaʿal) (fl. 203 BC) was a Carthaginian noblewoman who lived during the Second Punic War, and the daughter of Hasdrubal Gisco. She held influence over the Numidian political landscape, co ...

'' by

(1681) * Bakam in '' The Island Princess'' by

Nahum Tate Nahum Tate ( ; 1652 – 30 July 1715) was an Irish poet, hymnist and lyricist, who became Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate in 1692. Tate is best known for ''The History of King Lear'', his 1681 literary adaptation, adaptation ...

(1687) * Usher in ''

A Fool's Preferment ''A Fool's Preferment; Or, The Three Dukes Of Dunstable'' is a 1688 comedy play by the English writer Thomas D'Urfey. It is a reworking of John Fletcher's Jacobean work '' The Noble Gentleman''. It was first performed by the United Company at t ...

'' by

(1688) * Attorney in ''

The Squire of Alsatia ''The Squire of Alsatia'' is a 1688 comedy play by the English writer Thomas Shadwell. Alsatia was a nickname for the Whitefriars area of London, deriving from Alsace in northeastern France. A restoration comedy, it was performed at the Drury L ...

'' by

Thomas Shadwell Thomas Shadwell ( – 19 November 1692) was an English poet and playwright who was appointed Poet Laureate in 1689. Life Shadwell was born at either Bromehill Farm, Weeting-with-Broomhill or Santon House, Lynford, Norfolk, and educated at Bu ...

(1688)

References

Bibliography

* Highfill, Philip H, Burnim, Kalman A. & Langhans, Edward A. ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers & Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660–1800: Volume 12''. SIU Press, 1973. * Walking, Andrew R. ''Masque and Opera in England, 1656–1688''. Taylor & Francis, 2016. * Wilson, John Harold. ''Mr. Goodman the Player''. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1964. 17th-century English people English male stage actors 17th-century English male actors Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown {{England-stage-actor-stub