Author: KNIGHT (Edward):
Title: The Veteran: or, The Farmer's Sons: A Comic Opera. In Three Acts. As performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane, with the the most distinguished applause.
Description: London: Printed by W. Glindon, Rupert Street, Haymarket. 1822. FIRST AND ONLY EDITION. Tall 8vo, 119 x 1133 mms., pp. [v] vi -vii [viii Dramatis Personae], [9] - 68, with a playbill, 333 x 122 mms., printed in black and white, tipped in before the text,contemporary half calf, marbled boards (rubbed), with initials and decoration on the quarter calf; calf a bit rubbed, but an unusual printing of an uncommon play, with a playbill tipped in, the playbill being conspicuously relevant, as it is of the first production of the play printed in this book, The Veteran: or, The Farmer's Sons, which was performed at Drury Lane on February 23, 1822; the playbill lists one of the actors as E. Knight, i.e. the author of the play. Edward Knight (1774-1826) began his career as actor rather unpromisingly, as the Oxford DNB records: "He appeared accordingly at Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, as Hob in Hob in the Well, and was so complete a victim to stage fright that, despite the encouragement of a friendly audience, he ran off the stage and quitted the town." Later he was more successful. He worked in the northeast of England and Wales before moving to London in 1809, having a good deal of employment until he was overtaken by illness in 1826. He wrote at least two plays, and the Oxford DNB assesses one of them: "He was the author of a musical farce in two acts entitled The Sailor and Soldier, or, Fashionable Amusement, which was produced for his benefit in Hull in 1805. It is without merit." The Veteran was performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on 23 February 1822, and in his preface, Knight asserts that he "never witnessed a more flattering reception than that with which this Opera was honoured...." Library Hub locates four copies in the UK: BL, Bodleian, Cambridge, Kent.

Keywords: Drama association copy literature


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