Richard Wroughton facts for kids

Richard Wroughton (1748–1822) was a famous British actor. He performed mostly in London at the Covent Garden (now the Royal Opera House) and Drury Lane (now the Theatre Royal). He also acted sometimes in Bath, the city where he was born. Wroughton was known for his hard work and dedication to acting.

Becoming an Actor at Covent Garden

Richard Wroughton was born in 1748. He moved to London to start his acting career. He married a young milliner who had followed him to the city. She helped him recover from a serious illness.

His first known performance was at Covent Garden. This happened on September 24, 1768. He played the character Zaphna in a play called ‘Mahomet’. During his first season, he also appeared in plays like ‘Richard III’ and ‘The Fair Penitent’.

Richard Wroughton did not become a great actor right away. He improved a lot through hard work and practice. He spent seventeen years acting at Covent Garden. During this time, he played many main roles. These included characters in comedies, tragedies, and romantic plays. Some of his roles were Frederick in ‘The Miser’ and Claudio in ‘Measure for Measure’. He also played Florizel in ‘The Winter's Tale’ and Sebastian in ‘Twelfth Night’.

Performing in Liverpool

In the summers of 1772 and 1773, Richard Wroughton traveled to Liverpool. He performed in many plays there. Some of his most important roles included Lear, King John, and Henry V. He also played Romeo and Othello.

Returning to Covent Garden

After his time in Liverpool, Wroughton returned to Covent Garden. He continued to take on many different roles. These included Shore in ‘Jane Shore’ and Laertes in ‘Hamlet’. He also played Oakly in ‘The Jealous Wife’ and Bassanio in ‘The Merchant of Venice’.

Wroughton also created many new characters in plays. For example, he was Prince Henry in ‘Henry II, King of England’ in 1773. He also played Douglas in Hannah More's play ‘Percy’ in 1777. This role became one of his best performances. Around this time, he also owned a part of Sadler's Wells Theatre. He sold his share about twelve years later in 1790.

Acting at Drury Lane Theatre

In 1787, Richard Wroughton moved to the Drury Lane theatre. He made his first appearance there on September 29, 1787. He played Douglas in ‘Percy’ again. He stayed at Drury Lane for most of the rest of his acting career.

At Drury Lane, he added many new characters to his list. He played the Ghost and Hamlet in ‘Hamlet’. He also took on roles like Antonio in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ and Leontes in ‘The Winter's Tale’. Other roles included Sir Peter Teazle and Leonato.

He also created new characters in plays at Drury Lane. He played Gomez in ‘Regent’ in 1788. He was also Charles Ratcliffe in ‘Jew’ in 1794. Another important role was Fitzharding in ‘Iron Chest’ in 1796.

Retirement and Final Performances

Richard Wroughton retired from acting in 1798. He moved to Bath to live a quiet life. However, he returned to the stage in 1800. This happened because another actor, John Palmer, had died. Also, another actor, Aikin, was ill.

His return to acting did not help his reputation much. He was quite tired by the time he finally left the stage for good. On March 9, 1815, Wroughton presented his own version of ‘Richard II’. He had added parts from other Shakespeare plays to it. He did not act in this play himself.

His very last performance was on July 10, 1815. He played his old role of Withers in a play called ‘World’.

Richard Wroughton was known as a "sterling, sound, and sensible performer." Even though he was not considered handsome, he moved easily on stage. He was always prepared for his roles. He worked very hard and was never fake. He was also a close friend of another actor named Bannister.

Several pictures of Richard Wroughton exist. One portrait by Samuel De Wilde shows him as Sir John Restless. Another portrait by Robert Laurie was made in 1779. There are also pictures of him in different characters in John Bell's British Theatre.

Personal Life

Richard Wroughton passed away on February 7, 1822. He was believed to be 74 years old. He died in Howland Street, London. He left behind his wife and was buried in St. George's, Bloomsbury.

Images for kids

• Richard-wroughton-as-edward-the-black-prince.jpg

  Richard Wroughton as The Black Prince.