''Scanderbeg, A Tragedy'' is a 1733

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

by the British writer William Havard. It is based on the life of

Skanderbeg Gjergj Kastrioti (17 January 1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanians, Albanian Albanian nobility, feudal lord and military commander who led Skanderbeg's rebellion, a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, ...

who led a rebellion against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

in the fifteenth century. Another play about him

George Lillo George Lillo (3 February 1691 – 4 September 1739) was an English playwright and tragedian. He was also a jeweller in London. He produced his first stage work, ''Silvia, or The Country Burial'', in 1730, and a year later his most famous play, ...

's '' The Christian Hero'' was produced two years later. It was staged at the

Goodman's Fields Theatre Two 18th century theatres bearing the name Goodman's Fields Theatre were located on Alie Street, Whitechapel, London. The first opened on 31 October 1727 in a small shop by Thomas Odell, deputy Licenser of Plays. The first play performed was ...

Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...

, which was at that time attempting to challenge the dominant two

patent theatre The patent theatres were the theatres that were licensed to perform "spoken drama" after the Restoration of Charles II as King of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1660. Other theatres were prohibited from performing such "serious" drama, but ...

s at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

and

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

by producing new and ambitious works. The original cast included Henry Giffard as Scanderberg,

William Giffard William Giffard (), was the Lord Chancellor of William II and Henry I, from 1093 to 1101, and Bishop of Winchester (1100–1129). Family and early life Giffard was the son of Walter and Ermengarde, daughter of Gerard Flaitel. Giffard w ...

as Abdalla,

Dennis Delane Dennis Delane (died April 1750) was an Irish stage actor who appeared for many years at the leading London theatres. Beginnings in Dublin Delane was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and originally intended to become a lawyer.Highfill, Burni ...

as Amurat,

Richard Winstone Richard Winstone (1699–1787) was a British stage actor of the eighteenth century. In 1732 Winstone joined Henry Giffard's Goodman's Fields Theatre. After this he worked at several London theatres including Lincoln's Inn Fields, Haymarket Thea ...

as Selim, James Rosco as Heli,

Charles Hulett Charles Hulett (c.1700-1735) was a British stage actor. His name is sometimes written as Charles Hulet. Hulett was the son of John Hulett, a Yeomen of the Guard and Steward (office), Steward to the George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, Earl of ...

as Hali-Vizem, Anna Marcella Giffard as Deamira and Sarah Hamilton as Zaida.

References

Bibliography

* Baines, Paul & Ferarro, Julian & Rogers, Pat. ''The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Eighteenth-Century Writers and Writing, 1660-1789''. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. * Burling, William J. (1992). ''A Checklist of New Plays and Entertainments on the London Stage, 1700-1737''. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. . 1733 plays Plays by William Havard British tragedy plays Plays set in the 15th century Fiction set in 15th-century Ottoman Empire Plays set in the Ottoman Empire Plays set in Albania Biographical plays about military leaders Cultural depictions of Skanderbeg {{1730s-play-stub