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Bickerstaff had first arrived in London in 1755 and worked as a playwright. His years growing up in Dublin, a cultural hub at the time, had greatly influenced his views on writing and the arts. He developed a view that the
English language was totally unsuited for singing operas in, however skilled
472:
In early August 1772, it was reported that "Bickerstaff...who lately absconded for a detestable crime, died miserably a few days ago in Sussex". However this again appears to have been a false report, as records indicate he was still receiving his army half pay in 1808. "It seems he may have died
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He intended to become a writer, but his first work was published but not performed and he soon ran into financial difficulties. By March 1758, he was so short of money that he joined the Marine Corps as a lieutenant stationed at
331:(1756), a dramatic poem, was a failure. While critically well received by two reviewers, it had not been set to music and performed and was widely ignored. Bickerstaff also hurt his chances of success by publicly criticising
166:
269:, which allowed him to mix with fashionable Dublin society. When Chesterfield was replaced in the position in 1745 he arranged for Isaac to be given a commission in the army. In October 1745, Bickerstaff joined the
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433:(1768), based on "The Jealous Husband" in Cervantes' Novelas (this included the character Mungo, a negro servant played by Dibdin, one of the earliest comic black roles in English drama). He also wrote
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where he was working. It had its opening night at Covent Garden on 28 November 1760. The play was performed repeatedly in London and soon spread around
Britain and across the
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first performed at Drury Lane in
February 1760. He went on to produce many successful comedies based on Marivaux and other French playwrights and opera librettos.
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In 1770, a newspaper published a false report that in a fit of despair, he had thrown himself into the sea in the south of France, and perished.
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which was an enormous success. It is possible that
Bickerstaff simply wrote the play and approached Arne with it or sent it to the
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and tennis courts. The office was abolished in 1745, and he received a pension from the government for the rest of his life.
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66:
This article is about the authentic Irish playwright. For the hoax pseudonym used by Swift, Steele, and
Addison, see
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the composer, and that
Italian was the natural language. Later in life, he was to challenge this view.
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However, in March 1772, it was reported that he was writing a small piece, which was to be called the
293:
in
England. Having recently come into some money, Isaac resigned his commission in August and went on
838:
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408:
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462:. The remainder of his life seems to have been passed in penury and misery, but little is known.
250:
held a government position overseeing the construction and management of sports fields including
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In 1772, Bickerstaffe fled to the
Continent, suspected of homosexuality. The actor-producer
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until 1746, when he was promoted to
Lieutenant. The regiment, under the command of
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In 1760, while still serving in the marine corps, Bickerstaff collaborated with
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plays to music. These setbacks forced him to return to military service.
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London July 31, Bath
Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 6 August 1772, p1.
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819:
Bickerstaff, Isaac John; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
24:
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he was honourably discharged as the Corps was reduced in size.
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and others, was also very successful. Bickerstaffe also wrote
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The Dramatic Cobbler: The Life and Works of Isaac Bickerstaff
808:
The Dramatic Cobbler: The Life and Works of Isaac Bickerstaff
469:
and would be performed at the Haymarket theatre that summer.
251:
215:(26 September 1733 – after 1808) was an Irish playwright and
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London, October 19, Chester Courant, 23 October 1770, p2.
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Long after Bickerstaffe's disappearance, his colleague
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known as the Northumberland Fusiliers. He served as an
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A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature
325:
In London he initially struggled, and his first work
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in Ireland. In March 1755, the regiment was moved to
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He Wou'd If He Cou'd; or, An Old Fool Worse Than Any
480:was frequently accused of plagiarising his songs.
657:
936:
879:
916:
174:"Oh, What a Charming Thing's a Battle!", from
970:19th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights
955:18th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights
452:was implicated in the scandal by the lampoon
872:, London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via
848:(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
810:, Brucknell University Press, 1971, p249.
788:London, Derby Mercury, 27 March 1772, p1.
246:, on 26 September 1733, where his father
832:
776:
627:The Sultan; or, A Peep into the Seraglio
487:
226:
49:of all important aspects of the article.
375:. They subsequently worked together on
990:Irish LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights
937:
912:. Vol. 3 vols. New York: Garland.
858:
663:
45:Please consider expanding the lead to
980:Irish male dramatists and playwrights
907:
882:The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi
556:(1767), better known as adapted into
346:, the leading British composer, on a
160:Oh, What a Charming Thing's a Battle!
18:
928:Ireland and the Classical Tradition
242:Isaac John Bickerstaff was born in
13:
884:. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd.
148:
14:
1016:
483:
880:McConnell Stott, Andrew (2009).
852:
257:In his early years, Isaac was a
195:Problems playing this file? See
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23:
1005:18th-century Irish male writers
1000:19th-century Irish male writers
965:19th-century Irish LGBTQ people
826:
813:
800:
791:
782:
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394:, considered the first English
37:may be too short to adequately
16:Irish playwright and librettist
995:Gay dramatists and playwrights
910:The Plays of Isaac Bickerstaff
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714:
705:
696:
687:
678:
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637:(1792) (authorship questioned)
47:provide an accessible overview
1:
748:Profile of Isaac Bickerstaffe
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222:
7:
925:
898:
839:"Bickerstaffe, Isaac"
363:. It was also performed in
231:Bickerstaff's first patron
10:
1021:
975:Writers from Dublin (city)
903:. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
593:Doctor Last in his Chariot
435:The Life of Ambrose Guinet
421:Pedro Calderon de la Barca
388:In 1762 he and Arne wrote
316:
267:Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
237:Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
65:
960:18th-century LGBTQ people
926:Stanford, W. B. (1984) .
921:. Lewisburg: Bucknell UP.
512:; or, The Sailor's Return
309:. In 1763, following the
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84:
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908:Tasch, Peter A. (1981).
440:
178:and Isaac Bickerstaff's
917:Peter A. Tasch (1971).
899:Smith, William (1955).
845:Encyclopædia Britannica
608:The Recruiting Serjeant
305:and served through the
181:The Recruiting Serjeant
89:Isaac John Bickerstaffe
767:McConnell Stott, p. 80
496:
407:(1765), with music by
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115:playwright, librettist
491:
415:versions of plays by
404:The Maide of the Mill
357:Covent Garden Theatre
230:
152:
138:The Maide of the Mill
860:Cousin, John William
621:A School for Fathers
540:The Maid of the Mill
271:5th Regiment of Foot
864:Bickerstaffe, Isaac
581:Lionel and Clarissa
283:Irish Establishment
729:Tasch p. 26, 40–42
534:Daphne and Amintor
497:
473:soon after this."
240:
209:Isaac Bickerstaffe
154:
79:Isaac Bickerstaffe
985:Irish gay writers
901:Early Irish Stage
891:978-1-84767-761-7
634:The Spoil'd Child
587:The Royal Garland
527:Love in a Village
494:Love in a Village
417:William Wycherley
391:Love in a Village
373:Kingston, Jamaica
285:and was based in
263:Lord Chesterfield
233:Lord Chesterfield
206:
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133:Love in a Village
92:26 September 1733
68:Isaac Bickerstaff
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554:Love in the City
547:The Plain Dealer
510:Thomas and Sally
455:Love in the Suds
425:Love in the City
352:Thomas and Sally
307:Seven Years' War
248:John Bickerstaff
184:(1770). Sung by
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127:Thomas and Sally
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279:Alexander Irwin
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32:This article's
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836:, ed. (1911).
834:Chisholm, Hugh
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484:Selected works
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478:Charles Dibdin
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361:British Empire
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235:who served as
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176:Charles Dibdin
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41:the key points
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777:Chisholm 1911
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574:The Hypocrite
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492:A scene from
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457:
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451:
450:David Garrick
446:
438:
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409:Samuel Arnold
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333:David Garrick
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281:, was on the
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112:Occupation(s)
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55:December 2021
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40:
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827:Bibliography
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186:Leon Lishner
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121:Notable work
72:
52:
36:
34:lead section
950:1812 deaths
945:1733 births
738:Tasch p. 43
693:Tasch p. 28
664:Cousin 1910
654:Tasch p. 24
600:The Captive
566:The Padlock
430:The Padlock
413:bowdlerised
396:comic opera
348:light opera
344:Thomas Arne
337:Shakespeare
213:Bickerstaff
939:Categories
874:Wikisource
675:Tasch p.25
642:References
223:Early life
217:librettist
197:media help
107:after 1808
862:(1910), "
502:Leucothoé
328:Leucothoé
98:, Ireland
39:summarize
559:The Romp
467:Coterie,
437:(1770).
427:(1767),
383:oratorio
303:Plymouth
295:half-pay
423:. His
317:Success
291:Bristol
287:Kinsale
930:. IAP.
888:
857:
629:(1775)
623:(1772)
617:(1771)
611:(1770)
603:(1769)
595:(1769)
589:(1768)
583:(1768)
577:(1768)
569:(1768)
550:(1766)
542:(1765)
536:(1765)
530:(1762)
522:(1761)
519:Judith
514:(1760)
505:(1756)
378:Judith
365:Dublin
275:Ensign
265:, the
244:Dublin
140:(1765)
135:(1762)
130:(1761)
96:Dublin
441:Exile
381:, an
252:bowls
886:ISBN
419:and
401:His
371:and
259:page
104:Died
85:Born
866:",
458:by
261:to
211:or
941::
842:.
398:.
367:,
297:.
219:.
894:.
779:.
666:.
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57:)
53:(
43:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
