English Literature, 1500 to 1799: Biographies

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Further reading

Cumberland, Richard

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre | 1996 | | Copyright

Cumberland, Richard (1732–1811), prolific English dramatist. He wrote a number of poor tragedies, including an adaptation of Timon of Athens with a new fifth act (1771), and new versions of Massinger's The Bondman and The Duke of Milan (both 1779), which have not survived. His best plays were sentimental domestic comedies such as The Brothers (1769) and The West Indian (1771), the latter proving his most successful work when produced by Garrick at Drury Lane. The only later play of interest was The Jew (1794), one of the first to plead the cause of Jewry on stage. It was frequently revived and translated into several languages. Cumberland, who was extremely sensitive to criticism, figures in Sheridan's The Critic (1779) as Sir Fretful Plagiary.

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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Cumberland, Richard." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Cumberland, Richard." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-CumberlandRichard.html

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Cumberland, Richard." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-CumberlandRichard.html

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Richard Cumberland

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2008 | Copyright

Richard Cumberland 1732-1811, English dramatist; great-grandson of the 17th-century philosopher Richard Cumberland. His family connections earned him a clerical position with the British board of trade. The author of over 40 plays, he was most successful with his sentimental comedies, the best of which are The Brothers (1769) and The West Indian (1771). He also wrote two seldom-read novels, Arundel (1789) and Henry (1795), and an autobiography (1806-7).

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"Richard Cumberland." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Richard Cumberland." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-CumberR1732.html

"Richard Cumberland." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-CumberR1732.html

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