Susanna Verbruggen
Encyclopedia
Susanna Verbruggen (c. 1667–1703), aka Susanna Mountfort, was an English
actress working in London. Her first recorded stage appearance may have been as early as 1681 in D'Urfey
's Sir Barnaby Whig. In 1686 she married the actor William Mountfort
, and after Mountfort's infamous murder in 1692, she married the actor John Verbruggen
.
She was a successful and popular comedian, known especially for her breeches role
s. Her greatest success was as the main character Lucia in Thomas Southerne
's Sir Anthony Love, where Lucia partakes of the freedom of the roistering Restoration
rake
by disguising herself as "Sir Anthony". Both men and women in the audience loved her performance in these types of roles.
She was one of the leading actresses at the United Company, but when the company split in two in 1695 (see Restoration comedy
) she was, however, not offered a share in the actors' cooperative, but merely a salary. This may have been the biggest tactical mistake the actors' company made: both the Verbruggens were dissatisfied with the offer, reasonably so since Susanna was extremely versatile and popular with audiences, and returned to the parent company, thereby substantially improving its odds in the competition between the companies (see The Relapse
).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress working in London. Her first recorded stage appearance may have been as early as 1681 in D'Urfey
Thomas d'Urfey
Thomas D'Urfey was an English writer and wit. He composed plays, songs, and poetry, in addition to writing jokes. He was an important innovator and contributor in the evolution of the Ballad opera....
's Sir Barnaby Whig. In 1686 she married the actor William Mountfort
William Mountfort
William Mountfort , English actor and dramatic writer, was the son of a Staffordshire gentleman.His first stage appearance was with the Dorset Garden company about 1678, and by 1682 he was taking important parts, usually those of the fine gentleman. Mountfort wrote a number of plays, wholly or in...
, and after Mountfort's infamous murder in 1692, she married the actor John Verbruggen
John Verbruggen
John Baptista Verbruggen, d. 1708, was an English actor working in London. Verbruggen is first mentioned as a member of the United Company in a Lord Chamberlain's warrant in 1688. His name does not appear in any cast lists until October 1690...
.
She was a successful and popular comedian, known especially for her breeches role
Breeches role
A breeches role is a role in which an actress appears in male clothing .In opera it also refers to any male character that is sung and acted by a female singer...
s. Her greatest success was as the main character Lucia in Thomas Southerne
Thomas Southerne
Thomas Southerne , Irish dramatist, was born at Oxmantown, near Dublin, in 1660, and entered Trinity College, Dublin in 1676. Two years later he was entered at the Middle Temple, London....
's Sir Anthony Love, where Lucia partakes of the freedom of the roistering Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
rake
Rake (character)
A rake, short for rakehell, is a historic term applied to a man who is habituated to immoral conduct, frequently a heartless womanizer. Often a rake was a man who wasted his fortune on gambling, wine, women and song, incurring lavish debts in the process...
by disguising herself as "Sir Anthony". Both men and women in the audience loved her performance in these types of roles.
She was one of the leading actresses at the United Company, but when the company split in two in 1695 (see Restoration comedy
Restoration comedy
Restoration comedy refers to English comedies written and performed in the Restoration period from 1660 to 1710. After public stage performances had been banned for 18 years by the Puritan regime, the re-opening of the theatres in 1660 signalled a renaissance of English drama...
) she was, however, not offered a share in the actors' cooperative, but merely a salary. This may have been the biggest tactical mistake the actors' company made: both the Verbruggens were dissatisfied with the offer, reasonably so since Susanna was extremely versatile and popular with audiences, and returned to the parent company, thereby substantially improving its odds in the competition between the companies (see The Relapse
The Relapse
The Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger is a Restoration comedy from 1696 written by John Vanbrugh. The play is a sequel to Colley Cibber's Love's Last Shift, or, Virtue Rewarded....
).