John O'Keefe (British writer)
Encyclopedia
John O'Keeffe was an Irish
actor
and dramatist. He wrote a number of farces and amusing dramatic pieces, many of which had great success. Among these are Tony Lumpkin in Town
(1778), Wild Oats (1791), Love in a Camp
, and Omai
(1785), an account of the voyages of the Tahitian explorer Omai
.
at an Academy in Dublin, but grew increasingly more interested in the theatre. After a two year trip to London, where he became an admirer of David Garrick
, he settled on a career as an actor and playwright. O'Keeffe wrote his first play The She Gallant when he was twenty, and it was performed in Dublin at the Smock Alley Theatre. In 1774 O'Keeffe was married to Mary Heaphy.
. The following year he wrote Tony Lumpkin in Town
a sequel
to Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer
and sent it to the manager of the Haymarket Theatre
. The play was successfully produced, and O'Keefe regularly wrote for the Haymarket thereafter.
Between 1782 and 1796 O'Keefe wrote around 28 plays and comic opera
s. The Poor Soldier
(1783), a comic opera with words and lyrics by O'Keeffe and music by William Shield
, was a musical farce about the lives of British soldiers returning home after the American War of Independence. O'Keeffe also wrote The Son-in-Law, Agreeable Surprise which includes the lyrical poem Amo, Amas, and Castle of Andalusia.
O'Keefe had problems with his eyes ever since he had fallen into the River Liffey
in his youth. From the mid-1770s O'Keefe increasingly lost his sight, and from 1781 his plays had to be dictated by him. In spite of this he was a prolific writer and was the most produced playwright in London in the last quarter of the 18th century. Some of his songs set to music by Arnold and Shield, such as I am a Friar of Orders Grey, and The Thorn
, are still popular.
In 1800 a benefit
performance was staged for him at Covent Garden. In 1826 O'Keefe wrote his memoirs which covered his life experiences and various interactions with the leading artistic figures of his day. The memoirs were dictated to his daughter Adelaide O'Keefe (1776-1865) who oversaw their publication. The same year he was awarded a pension
by George IV
. He died in 1833 in Southampton
and was buried there.
described O'Keeffe as the "English Molière
" observing "in light, careless laughter and pleasant exaggeration of the humorous, we have no equal to him".
Wild Oats was revived successfully by the Royal Shakespeare Company in London in the fall of 1976, with Alan Howard as the leading character, strolling actor Jack Rover. Ben Cross and Jeremy Irons were also in the cast. This production led to many revivals at regional theatres across the UK, the US, and Canada. The Royal National revived it again in the 1990s.
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and dramatist. He wrote a number of farces and amusing dramatic pieces, many of which had great success. Among these are Tony Lumpkin in Town
Tony Lumpkin in Town
Tony Lumpkin in Town is a 1778 British play by John O'Keeffe. It was intended as a sequel to the 1773 play She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith. It is centred around the character Tony Lumpkin. It ran successfully at the Haymarket Theatre in London....
(1778), Wild Oats (1791), Love in a Camp
Love in a Camp
Love in a Camp is a 1786 British play by John O'Keeffe. It was a sequel to the hit 1783 play The Poor Soldier with the characters now serving in the Prussian army.-Bibliography:...
, and Omai
Omai (play)
Omai is a 1785 pantomime written by John O'Keeffe with music by William Shield. It depicts the voyage of Omai, a Tahitian royal, to marry Londina the fictional daughter of Britannia. It was loosely inspired by the real visit of Omai to Europe in the 1770s and the final voyage of the explorer...
(1785), an account of the voyages of the Tahitian explorer Omai
Omai
Mai , mistakenly known as Omai in Britain, was a young Ra'iatean man who became the second Pacific Islander to visit Europe, after Ahu-toru who was brought to Paris by Bougainville in 1768...
.
Early life
O'Keeffe was born in Dublin in 1747 to Roman Catholic parents and was educated by the Jesuits. After showing a talent for drawing he studied artArt
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
at an Academy in Dublin, but grew increasingly more interested in the theatre. After a two year trip to London, where he became an admirer of David Garrick
David Garrick
David Garrick was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson...
, he settled on a career as an actor and playwright. O'Keeffe wrote his first play The She Gallant when he was twenty, and it was performed in Dublin at the Smock Alley Theatre. In 1774 O'Keeffe was married to Mary Heaphy.
Success
In 1777 O'Keefe moved to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The following year he wrote Tony Lumpkin in Town
Tony Lumpkin in Town
Tony Lumpkin in Town is a 1778 British play by John O'Keeffe. It was intended as a sequel to the 1773 play She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith. It is centred around the character Tony Lumpkin. It ran successfully at the Haymarket Theatre in London....
a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer
She Stoops to Conquer
She Stoops to Conquer is a comedy by the Irish author Oliver Goldsmith, son of an Anglo-Irish vicar, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a great favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in Britain and the United States. It is one of the few plays from the 18th...
and sent it to the manager of the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
. The play was successfully produced, and O'Keefe regularly wrote for the Haymarket thereafter.
Between 1782 and 1796 O'Keefe wrote around 28 plays and comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
s. The Poor Soldier
The Poor Soldier
The Poor Soldier is a 1783 British play by John O'Keeffe. It was a comedy set around Irish soldiers returning home after fighting in the British army in the American War of Independence which formally ended that year with the Peace of Paris. One of the redcoats must fight for the love of Norah with...
(1783), a comic opera with words and lyrics by O'Keeffe and music by William Shield
William Shield
William Shield was an English composer, violinist and violist who was born in Swalwell near Gateshead, the son of William Shield and his wife, Mary, née Cash.-Life and musical career:...
, was a musical farce about the lives of British soldiers returning home after the American War of Independence. O'Keeffe also wrote The Son-in-Law, Agreeable Surprise which includes the lyrical poem Amo, Amas, and Castle of Andalusia.
O'Keefe had problems with his eyes ever since he had fallen into the River Liffey
River Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
in his youth. From the mid-1770s O'Keefe increasingly lost his sight, and from 1781 his plays had to be dictated by him. In spite of this he was a prolific writer and was the most produced playwright in London in the last quarter of the 18th century. Some of his songs set to music by Arnold and Shield, such as I am a Friar of Orders Grey, and The Thorn
The Thorn
The Thorn is a comic, religious satire movie released on 1974 May 24 as The Divine Mr. J. It was first shown as The Greatest Story Overtold at the Detroit Institute of Art in 1971. It was released on video in the early 1980s as The Thorn. It was written, directed and produced by Peter Alexander...
, are still popular.
In 1800 a benefit
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
performance was staged for him at Covent Garden. In 1826 O'Keefe wrote his memoirs which covered his life experiences and various interactions with the leading artistic figures of his day. The memoirs were dictated to his daughter Adelaide O'Keefe (1776-1865) who oversaw their publication. The same year he was awarded a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
by George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. He died in 1833 in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and was buried there.
Legacy
In the 19th century the essayist William HazlittWilliam Hazlitt
William Hazlitt was an English writer, remembered for his humanistic essays and literary criticism, and as a grammarian and philosopher. He is now considered one of the great critics and essayists of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. Yet his work is...
described O'Keeffe as the "English Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
" observing "in light, careless laughter and pleasant exaggeration of the humorous, we have no equal to him".
Wild Oats was revived successfully by the Royal Shakespeare Company in London in the fall of 1976, with Alan Howard as the leading character, strolling actor Jack Rover. Ben Cross and Jeremy Irons were also in the cast. This production led to many revivals at regional theatres across the UK, the US, and Canada. The Royal National revived it again in the 1990s.
Selected works
- The Dutchman Outwitted (1767)
- The She Gallent (1767)
- The Giant's Causeway (1770)
- The ShamrockThe ShamrockThe Shamrock is a 1777 Irish play by John O'Keeffe. It was first staged on 15 April 1777 at Crow Street Theatre in Dublin. Several of the characters and airs were re-used in O'Keefe's more successful 1783 play The Poor Soldier.-Bibliography:...
(1777) - Tony Lumpkin in TownTony Lumpkin in TownTony Lumpkin in Town is a 1778 British play by John O'Keeffe. It was intended as a sequel to the 1773 play She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith. It is centred around the character Tony Lumpkin. It ran successfully at the Haymarket Theatre in London....
(1778) - The Son-in-Law (1779)
- The Banditti (1781)
- The Agreeable SurpriseThe Agreeable SurpriseThe Agreeable Surprise is a 1781 British play by John O'Keeffe. It was one of the most performed plays in London theatres in the last quarter of the 18th century. The music was composed by Samuel Arnold.-Bibliography:...
(1781) - The Castle of AndalusiaThe Castle of AndalusiaThe Castle of Andalusia is a 1782 comic opera by John O'Keeffe with music by Samuel Arnold. It was a heavily rewritten version of the 1781 work The Banditti which had been a failure....
(1782) - Harlequin Teague (1782)
- The Lord Mayor's Day (1782)
- The Poor SoldierThe Poor SoldierThe Poor Soldier is a 1783 British play by John O'Keeffe. It was a comedy set around Irish soldiers returning home after fighting in the British army in the American War of Independence which formally ended that year with the Peace of Paris. One of the redcoats must fight for the love of Norah with...
(1783) - The Young Quaker (1783)
- Peeping Tom (1784)
- OmaiOmai (play)Omai is a 1785 pantomime written by John O'Keeffe with music by William Shield. It depicts the voyage of Omai, a Tahitian royal, to marry Londina the fictional daughter of Britannia. It was loosely inspired by the real visit of Omai to Europe in the 1770s and the final voyage of the explorer...
(1785) - The Blacksmith of Antwerp (1785)
- Love in a CampLove in a CampLove in a Camp is a 1786 British play by John O'Keeffe. It was a sequel to the hit 1783 play The Poor Soldier with the characters now serving in the Prussian army.-Bibliography:...
(1786) - The Siege of Curzola (1786)
- The Farmer (1787)
- Wild Oats (1791)
- The Wicklow Mountains (1795)
External links
- The Poor Soldier: A Comic Opera, in Two Acts: with all the original songs, by John O'Keefe (O'Keeffe). A prompter's copy of the dialog and lyrics (no music) digitized from the collections of the New York State LibraryNew York State LibraryThe New York State Library is part of the New York State Education Department. The Library and its sister institutions, the New York State Museum and New York State Archives, are housed in the Cultural Education Center...
.