Thomas Holcroft

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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

Web links

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