Jump to content

Masks and Faces (play)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

First book edition title page (1854)

Masks and Faces is a British historical comedy play written by Charles Reade and Tom Taylor which was first performed in 1852. It features the Irish actress Peg Woffington (1720–1760) as a major character. It proved popular, earning the writers £150.[1] The following year, to capitalize on the play's success Reade wrote a novel Peg Woffington which was also a major hit.

Adaptations

[edit]

The play and the subsequent novel provided inspiration for a number of films, mostly made during the silent era. These included Peg Woffington (1912), Masks and Faces (1917) and Peg of Old Drury (1935).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sutherland p.530

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Sutherland, John. The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction. Routledge, 2014.