About
Born in Dublin, Richard Brinsley Sheridan was an Irish-born British playwright and Whig politician. Son of an actor and a novelist, he achieved success with comedies such as The Rivals (1775) and The School for Scandal (1777), widely regarded as a masterpiece of the comedy of manners. He managed the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and entered Parliament in 1780 as MP for Stafford, where he became renowned for his oratory, notably in the impeachment of Warren Hastings. His later life was marred by financial troubles, worsened by the burning of his theatre in 1809. He died in London in 1816 and was buried in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey.
* 1751-10-28 — † 1816-07-07
Major works
- The Rivals (1775)comedy
- The Duenna (1775)comic opera
- The School for Scandal (1777)comedy of manners
- The Critic (1779)farce
Key milestones
- 1776Co-purchased the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with Thomas Linley and James Ford.
- 1780Elected Whig MP for Stafford in the British Parliament.
- 1809The fire at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane contributed to his financial ruin.
Themes
Social satireMarriage and moralityHypocrisyTheatre and stagingPolitics and oratory
Sources: dib.ie · britannica.com · westminster-abbey.org