Mary Davys, Plays

Martha F. Bowden (Kennesaw State University)
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Mary Davys (1674[?]-1732), left Ireland for London in about 1699. We know nothing about her life between 1704, when she left London and went to York, and 1716, when she arrived back in London in modest triumph with a successful play. The Northern Heiress was performed at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields on April 27 and 28. On May 1 it achieved the critical third performance—traditionally the author's benefit night—at which her profits were £71 19s. She probably believed that she was on the road to fame and fortune, or at least a living, because she wrote a second play, The Self-Rival. This was never performed however, nor was it even published separately. Its only appearance in print is in …

2658 words

Citation: Bowden, Martha F.. "Plays". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 October 2006 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=20617, accessed 24 November 2024.]

20617 Plays 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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