Anne Marshall facts for kids

Anne Marshall (active from about 1661 to 1682), also known as Mrs. Anne Quin, was a very important English actress during the Restoration period. She was one of the first women ever allowed to perform on stage in England.

A Pioneer on the English Stage

Anne Marshall was one of the first female actors in England. Before her time, only men and boys performed in plays. This changed during the Restoration era, when women were finally allowed to act on stage.

Joining the King's Company

A writer named John Downes wrote in his book Roscius Anglicanus (published in 1708) that Anne Marshall was one of the first actresses hired by Thomas Killigrew. Killigrew managed a group called the King's Company. She joined them when they moved to a new theatre in 1660.

Her Famous Roles

Anne Marshall was especially praised for her roles in serious plays called tragedies. She was also known for "breeches roles," where she played a female character who dressed up as a boy. Some people even think she might have been the very first English actress to play Desdemona in the play Othello on December 8, 1660. She definitely played Desdemona in later shows. She was excellent at playing grand and dramatic heroines, which audiences loved during the Restoration period.

Key Performances with the King's Company

Anne Marshall is believed to have played Zempoalla in the play The Indian Queen in 1664. People said she performed wonderfully, even though her voice wasn't as sweet as another actress, Mary Betterton.

Here are some other roles she played with the King's Company:

• Celia in Jonson's Volpone
• The Lady in Beaumont and Fletcher's The Scornful Lady
• Evadne in The Maid's Tragedy
• Margarita in Fletcher's Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
• Edith in Rollo Duke of Normandy
• Celia in The Humorous Lieutenant
• Almeria in Dryden's The Indian Emperour
• Mrs. Double-Diligence in Wilson's The Cheats
• Celestina in Sir William Killigrew's The Siege of Urbin

Life Changes and Return to Stage

Anne Marshall married an actor named Peter Quin (or Gwyn) sometime after June 1665. After the terrible plague epidemic and the Great Fire of 1665–66, theatres reopened. Anne returned to acting as Mrs. Quin.

Returning as Mrs. Quin

When she came back to the stage in November 1666, she was treated almost like a new actress. She had a disagreement with the theatre management about her private dressing room, which had a fireplace. It had been taken from her, but she managed to get it back in May 1667.

After her return, she played these roles:

• Candiope in Dryden's The Maiden Queen
• Aurelia in An Evening's Love
• Alizia Pearce in Boyle's The Black Prince

Joining the Duke's Company

Anne Marshall stopped acting in 1668. However, she returned to the stage nine years later, this time with a different theatre group called the Duke's Company. This company was led by Thomas Betterton. Her first role with this new group was Angelica Bianca in Aphra Behn's play The Rover in March 1677.

She also played:

• Lady Knowell in Behn's Sir Patient Fancy
• Lady Squeamish in Otway's Friendship in Fashion
• Queen Elizabeth in Banks's The Unhappy Favourite
• Sunamira in Southerne's The Loyal Brother

Family Connections

Anne Marshall had a younger sister named Rebecca Marshall. Rebecca also became a well-known actress and joined her sister in the King's Company a few years later. Their father, Stephen Marshall, was a clergyman (a religious leader) and worked for Lord Gerard. Samuel Pepys often wrote about both Marshall sisters in his famous Diary. The sisters acted together at least once, in the play The Maiden Queen.

See also

• Catherine Coleman