Woodward, Harry

Woodward, Harry (1717–77), English actor, who made his first appearance on the stage as a child, playing small parts with a juvenile company in London. A year later he was engaged by John Rich for Covent Garden where, as an excellent dancer and mime, he was known as Lun junior. In 1738 he went to Drury Lane where he remained for 20 years, writing a number of pantomimes for Garrick in which he himself played Harlequin. Other parts in which he excelled included Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Touchstone in As You Like It, Petruchio in Garrick's version of The Taming of the Shrew, Bobadil in Jonson's Every Man in His Humour, and Marplot in his own adaptation of Mrs Centlivre's The Busybody. In 1758 he went to Dublin, and with Macklin (who soon withdrew) and Spranger Barry took over the management of the Crow Street Theatre, where they ruined themselves. Returning to London in 1763, Woodward went back to Covent Garden, where in 1775 he created the part of Captain Absolute in Sheridan's The Rivals. He remained on the stage until he died and was the last of the great Harlequins, before Grimaldi made Clown the chief figure in the pantomime.