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Spranger Barry (23 November 1719 – 10 January 1777) was an Irish
Westminster Abbey commemoration
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Spranger 1719 births 1777 deaths British male stage actors Irish male stage actors 18th-century Irish male actors Male actors from Dublin (city) Irish emigrants to Kingdom of Great Britain
Spranger Barry (23 November 1719 – 10 January 1777) was an Irish 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. ...
.
Life
He was born in Skinner's Row,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 ...
, the son of a silversmith, to whose business he was brought up. He took over the business but was not successful.
His first appearance on the stage was at the Theatre Royal, Smock Alley, Dublin, on 5 February 1744, and his engagement at once increased its prosperity. His first 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 ...
appearance was made in 1746 as Othello 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 ...
. Here his talents were speedily recognized, and in ''Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' and ''Macbeth
''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
'' he alternated with David Garrick, arousing the latter's jealousy by his success as Romeo
Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lord Montague, Lord Montague and his wife, Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lady Montague, Lady Montague, he ...
. This resulted in his leaving Drury Lane for the Covent Garden Theatre in 1750, accompanied by Mrs Cibber, his Juliet. Both houses now at once put on ''Romeo and Juliet
''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' for a series of rival performances, and Barry's Romeo was preferred by the critics to Garrick's.
In 1758, Barry opened and managed the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin (1758-66), and later a new Theatre Royal in Cork (1761). He staged many successful productions but seems to have lived beyond his means. In 1767 he returned to London to play at the Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...
, then under the management of Foote. As his second wife, he married in 1768 the actress Mrs Dancer (1734–1801), and he and Mrs Barry played under Garrick's management, Barry appearing in 1767, after ten years absence from the London stage, in '' Othello'', his greatest part. In 1774 they both moved to Covent Garden, where Barry remained until his death.
His son Thomas Barry became an actor at the Theatre in Cork in 1761. In 1766, he left Thomas in charge of the Theatre, but his management was heavily attacked in the press. The following year, Thomas appeared alongside his father at the Haymarket in London, before his sudden death brought an end to career. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Notes
References
*Westminster Abbey commemoration
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Spranger 1719 births 1777 deaths British male stage actors Irish male stage actors 18th-century Irish male actors Male actors from Dublin (city) Irish emigrants to Kingdom of Great Britain