Henry Mossop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Mossop
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| Born | 1729  |
| Died | 18 November 1773 (aged 43–44) |
Henry Mossop (born 1729 – died 18 November 1773) was a famous Irish actor from the 1700s. He was known for playing serious roles in plays, especially tragedies.
Contents
A Young Actor's Start
Henry Mossop was born in 1729 in a place called Dunmore, in County Galway, Ireland. His father was a clergyman, which means he worked for the church.
Henry discovered his love for acting early. He first appeared on stage in 1749. This happened at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin, a very important theatre at the time. His first role was playing Zanga in a play called The Revenge, which was a tragedy written by Edward Young.
Moving to London
In 1751, Henry Mossop moved to London, England, to continue his acting career. He worked under the direction of David Garrick, who was one of the most famous actors and theatre managers of that era.
Henry's first big role in London was playing Richard III. This was a very challenging part, and he performed it well. He quickly became known for his powerful acting style.
Theatre Management
After several successful years in London, Henry Mossop returned to Ireland in 1759. He had become very popular and wanted to try managing a theatre himself.
In 1760, he took over the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin. However, running a theatre was not easy. He faced strong competition from another theatre, the Crow Street Theatre, which was managed by an actor named Spranger Barry. This rivalry caused money problems for both theatres.
Later Life and Challenges
Henry Mossop continued to act and manage his theatre, but he faced many difficulties. In 1771, he traveled to London to find new actors for his theatre. While there, he ran into serious financial trouble and was arrested because of his debts. This meant he had to declare himself bankrupt.
To try and earn money, he traveled around Europe for about a year, performing wherever he could. Sadly, his health began to fail during this time. Henry Mossop died in poverty on 18 November 1773. Some records suggest he might have passed away in December 1774.
See also
- Samuel Reddish
