Sarah Cooke (died 1688) was an English stage actress of the seventeenth century. She 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 1642, London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 166 ...

, based 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 ...

. She played a number of lead roles during the 1680s. Her aunt was the governess to the

maids of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Tudors and Stuarts Traditi ...

of the

Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal courtesy title held by the wife of the Duke of York. Three of the eleven Dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, while two of the Dukes married twice; therefore, th ...

in the 1660s. After some time working in this role alongside her aunt, Cooke was discovered by the

Earl of Rochester Earl of Rochester was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1652 in favour of the Royalist soldier Henry Wilmot, 2nd Viscount Wilmot. He had already been created Baron Wilmot, of Adderbury in the Co ...

, who promoted her theatrical career. In hear early years with the King's Company she mostly appeared on tour or with the nursery company, devoted to developing new talent. It was likely during this time she was under the management of

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. H ...

. In 1677 she played her first known role at Drury Lane in ''

The Country Innocence ''The Country Innocence; Or, The Chamber-maid Turn'd Quaker'' is a 1677 comedy play by the English writer John Leanerd. It was originally performed by the King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount ...

'' and acted for the King's Company united 1682 when 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 ...

was formed and she was frequently employed by it until her death six years later.Highfill, Burnim & Langhans p.473-75 As with many actors of the era, the full number of her roles is unknown due to poor records.

Selected roles

* Gillian in ''

'' by

John Leanerd John Leanerd () was a British playwright who is known for plagiarising. Works * ''The Country Innocence, The Country Innocence; or, the Chambermaid turn'd Quaker'', London, a comedy acted at the London Theatre Royal in Lent, 1677, by the younger ...

(1677) * Flora in ''

The Rambling Justice ''The Rambling Justice; Or, The Jealous Husbands'' is a 1678 comedy play by the English writer John Leanerd. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane by the King's Company. The original Drury Lane cast included Martin Powell Mar ...

'' by

(1678) * Livia in ''

Sir Barnaby Whigg ''Sir Barnaby Whigg; Or, No Wit Like A Womans'' is a 1681 comedy play by the English writer Thomas D'Urfey. It was first staged by the King's Company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. A song for the play was composed by Henry Purcell. The origi ...

'' by Thomas D'Urfey (1681) * Countess of Rutland in '' The Unhappy Favourite'' by John Banks (1681) * Semanthe in '' The Loyal Brother'' by

Thomas Southerne Thomas Southerne (12 February 166026 May 1746) was an Irish dramatist. Biography Thomas Southerne, born on 12 February 1660, in Oxmantown, near Dublin, was an Irish dramatist. He was the son of Francis Southerne (a Dublin brewer) and Margare ...

(1682) * Serena in ''

Constantine the Great Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

'' 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 ...

(1683) * Erminia in '' The Disappointment'' by

(1684) * Aminta in '' A Commonwealth of Women'' by Thomas D'Urfey (1685) * Dona Elvira in '' The Banditti'' by Thomas D'Urfey (1686) * Lady Lovemore in ''

The Devil of a Wife ''The Devil of a Wife, or A Comical Transformation'' is a 1686 comedy play by the English writer and actor Thomas Jevon. It was first performed by the United Company at the Dorset Garden Theatre in London. The original Dorset Garden cast include ...

'' by

Thomas Jevon Thomas Jevon (1652–1688) was an English playwright, and one of the first English Harlequins. He began his career as a dancing master, but worked his way onto the stage, and played leading low-comedy parts in London between 1673 and 1688. His br ...

(1686) * Elvira in '' The Emperor of the Moon'' by

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; baptism, bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration (England), Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writ ...

(1687)

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: Cabanel to Cory''. SIU Press, 1975. * Van Lennep, W. ''The London Stage, 1660–1800: Volume One, 1660–1700''. Southern Illinois University Press, 1960. 17th-century English actresses Year of birth unknown 1688 deaths {{England-stage-actor-stub