Killigrew, Thomas (1612–83), English dramatist and theatre manager. Before the closing of the theatres in 1642 he had already written several tragi-comedies, including
The Prisoners (1635),
Claracilla,
The Princess; or,
Love at First Sight (both 1636), and
The Parson's Wedding (1641), based on a play by
Calderón. This last, when revived in 1664 with a cast consisting of women only, made even
Pepys blush. It is not, however, as a dramatist that Killigrew is important in the history of the English theatre, but as the founder of the present
Drury Lane, which he opened as the Theatre Royal in 1662 under a Charter granted by Charles II. With Sir William
Davenant, holder of a similar Charter for the Duke's House, later transferred to
Covent Garden, Killigrew thus held the monopoly of serious acting in Restoration London, his company including
Mohun, Hart, and, for a short while, Nell
Gwynn. He also established a training school for young actors at the Barbican, and in 1673 was appointed
Master of the Revels. He was, according to Pepys, a ‘merry droll’ and a great favourite at Court, but he was not as good a business manager as his rival Davenant and was often in financial difficulties. His brother
Sir William (1606–95) and his son
Thomas (1657–1719) both wrote plays, while another son,
Charles (1665–1725), took over the management of the Theatre Royal in 1671, assisted by his half-brother Henry.
