Thomas Southerne

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Southerne, Thomas (1660–1746), English dramatist, a friend of Dryden, for whose plays he wrote a number of prologues and epilogues, and of Aphra Behn, two of his plays, The Fatal Marriage; or, The Innocent Adultery (1694) and Oroonoko (1695), being based on her novels. His tragedies, which include his first play The Loyal Brother; or, The Persian Prince (1682), The Fate of Capua (1700), and The Spartan Dame (1719), show a mingling of heroic and sentimental drama which had some influence on the development of 18th-century tragedy as exemplified by Nicholas Rowe. He was also the author of three comedies which enjoyed some success when first produced: Sir Anthony Love; or, The Rambling Lady (1690), The Wives' Excuse; or, Cuckolds Make Themselves (1691), and The Maid's Last Prayer; or, Any, Rather than Fail (1693). They contain some witty scenes, but are weak in construction and overloaded with detail and have not been revived. It was on Southerne's recommendation that Colley Cibber's first play Love's Last Shift; or, The Fool in Fashion was produced at Drury Lane in 1696.