Thomas Holcroft
Thomas Holcroft (born December 10, 1745 in London , † March 23, 1809 ibid) was an English writer and translator.
Life
Holcroft came from a humble background; his father was a shoemaker. After just a few years of attending school, Holcroft joined an acting company. After many years with various ensembles, he got an engagement at the Drury Lane Theater in London in 1778 .
During this time he also made the acquaintance of the writers and philosophers Thomas Paine and William Godwin through his work at the theater . The three of them tried to spread the ideas of the French Revolution in England early on . This led to an arrest and a charge of treason in 1794 ; Holcroft was not convicted, however. From 1805 Holcroft was also active as the editor of the Theatrical Recorder .
Thomas Holcroft died in London on March 23, 1809 at the age of 63.
In his literary work, Holcroft repeatedly addresses demands for political freedom and social justice. In his translations and adaptations of French theater plays, social criticism is exaggerated and mostly gives way to utopian idealism. Holcroft helped bring melodrama to the London stage, especially with translations of Pixérécourt's early plays.
After his death, his wife married the English playwright James Kenney .
Works
- Alwyn or the gentleman comedian (1780)
- Anna St. Ives (1792)
- The deserted daughter (1795)
- Duplicity (1781)
- The follies of the day (1784)
- Hugh Trevor (1794)
- Love frailties (1794)
- Memoirs of Bryant Perdue (1805)
- The road to ruin (1792)
- The school of arrogance (1791)
- Seduction (1787)
- The tale of mystery (1802)
literature
- Holcroft, Thomas . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 13 : Harmony - Hurstmonceaux . London 1910, p. 582 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).
Web links
- Literature by and about Thomas Holcroft in the catalog of the German National Library
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Holcroft, Thomas |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English writer and translator |
DATE OF BIRTH | December 10, 1745 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
DATE OF DEATH | March 23, 1809 |
Place of death | London |