Beeston, William

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre | 1996 | 700+ words | Copyright

Beeston, William (c.1606–82), English theatre manager, son of Christopher Beeston. On his father's death he took over Beeston's Boys and appeared with them at the Cockpit. In 1647 he also acquired Salisbury Court, which was wrecked by Commonwealth soldiers in 1649 after unauthorized productions during the Puritan Interregnum. Beeston, who was himself imprisoned, is suspected of being the ‘ill Beest’ who in 1652 betrayed to the authorities the actors who were appearing secretly. When the theatres reopened in 1660 Beeston refurbished Salisbury Court and leased it to several companies, running it in 1663–4 with a company which he trained himself. He probably passed on some of the traditions of Elizabethan stage business which he had learned from his father. The granting of royal patents to Davenant and Killigrew put him out of business.

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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Beeston, William." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Beeston, William." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-BeestonWilliam.html

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Beeston, William." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-BeestonWilliam.html

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