Mary Kent

Mary Kent was a London actress whose career lasted from 1692 to 1718, the wife of Drury Lane actor Thomas Kent. Her times of birth and death are not known. She appeared in many playbills from 1692 onwards, playing minor parts in the United Company up to the company's tumultuous breakup in 1695. She and her husband remained with the depleted parent troupe when the senior actors walked out and set up their own cooperative company, and during the consequent brief actor shortage at Drury Lane, she played some more important parts, notably Flareit in Colley Cibber's Love's Last Shift and Tom Fashion (as a breeches role) in John Vanbrugh's The Relapse.

She continued to appear in minor roles at Drury Lane up to 1710, and had her first and only taste of female lead roles at the theatre operated by William Penkethman at Greenwich during the summer season of 1710. After this experience she did not return to supporting roles, but instead worked at a puppet theatre from 1710 to 1714. Only when John Rich opened his new theatrical enterprise in Lincoln's Inn Fields in December 1714 did she return to the stage, appearing in playbills for Rich's company up to 1718.