Mary Knep
Encyclopedia
Mary Knep also Knepp, Nepp, Knip, or Knipp, was an English
actress, one of the first generation of female performers to appear on the public stage during the Restoration
era.
"Primarily a singer and dancer, Mrs. Knep developed into a first-rate actress." She began her career with the King's Company
under the management of Thomas Killigrew
. She made her debut in the title role of Jonson's
Epicene
on 1 June 1664. (She was cast as Lucetta in Killigrew's 1664 planned production of his Thomaso
, with an all-female cast, which was cancelled before completion.) Knep played major and minor roles in a range of productions of the 1660s and 1670s, including:
In addition to playing these and other parts, Knep also sang and danced in plays and spoke Prologues and Epilogues. She never achieved the same fame as her younger contemporary Nell Gwyn
; Knep had the lead female role in The Assignation — but the play was a flop.
"Mrs. Knep was the wife of a Smithfield
horsedealer, and the mistress of Pepys" — or at least "she granted him a share of her favours." Scholars disagree on the full extent of the Pepys/Knep relationship; but much of what later generations have known about Knep comes from Samuel Pepys
' famous Diary. Pepys first met Knep on 6 December 1665; he described her as "pretty enough, but the most excellent, mad-humoured thing, and sings the noblest that I ever heard in my life." He called her husband "an ill, melancholy, jealous-looking fellow" and suspected him of abusing his wife. Knep provided Pepys with backstage access, and was a conduit for theatrical and social gossip. When they wrote notes to each other, Pepys signed himself "Dapper Dickey," while Knep was "Barbary Allen" (that popular song was an item in her musical repertory).
Mrs. Knep had at least one child, a son born in June 1666. She may have been a mistress of Sir Charles Sedley
. In the late 1670s she became the mistress of actor Joseph Haines
; Knep died in childbirth in 1681.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress, one of the first generation of female performers to appear on the public stage during the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
era.
"Primarily a singer and dancer, Mrs. Knep developed into a first-rate actress." She began her career with the King's Company
King's Company
The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 1660 to 1682.-History:...
under the management of Thomas Killigrew
Thomas Killigrew
Thomas Killigrew was an English dramatist and theatre manager. He was a witty, dissolute figure at the court of King Charles II of England.-Life and work:...
. She made her debut in the title role of Jonson's
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
Epicene
Epicoene, or the Silent Woman
Epicœne, or The silent woman, also known as The Epicene, is a comedy by Renaissance playwright Ben Jonson. It was originally performed by the Blackfriars Children, a group of boy players, in 1609...
on 1 June 1664. (She was cast as Lucetta in Killigrew's 1664 planned production of his Thomaso
Thomaso
Thomaso, or the Wanderer is mid-seventeenth-century stage play, a two-part comedy written by Thomas Killigrew, The work was composed in Madrid, c. 1654...
, with an all-female cast, which was cancelled before completion.) Knep played major and minor roles in a range of productions of the 1660s and 1670s, including:
- the Widow in Beaumont and FletcherBeaumont and FletcherBeaumont and Fletcher were the English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, who collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I ....
's The Scornful LadyThe Scornful LadyThe Scornful Lady is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, and first published in 1616, the year of Beaumont's death...
, 1666 - Guiomar in FletcherJohn Fletcher (playwright)John Fletcher was a Jacobean playwright. Following William Shakespeare as house playwright for the King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early Restoration, his fame rivalled Shakespeare's...
and Massinger'sPhilip MassingerPhilip Massinger was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The City Madam and The Roman Actor, are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and social themes.-Early life:The son of Arthur Massinger or Messenger, he was baptized at St....
The Custom of the CountryThe Custom of the Country (1647 play)The Custom of the Country is a Jacobean stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, originally published in 1647 in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio.-Date and sources:The play is usually dated to c. 1619–23...
, 1667 - Alibech in Dryden'sJohn DrydenJohn Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
The Indian EmperourThe Indian EmperourThe Indian Emperour, or the Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, being the Sequel of The Indian Queen is an English Restoration era stage play, a heroic drama written by John Dryden that was first performed in the Spring of 1665...
, the 1667 revival - Asteria in Dryden's The Maiden QueenThe Maiden QueenSecret Love, or The Maiden Queen is a 1667 tragicomedy written by John Dryden. The play, commonly known by its more distinctive subtitle, was acted by the King's Company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane . The premiere occurred on 2 March, and was a popular success...
, 1667 - Beatrix in Dryden's An Evening's LoveAn Evening's LoveAn Evening's Love, or The Mock Astrologer is a comedy in prose by John Dryden. It was first performed before Charles II and Queen Catherine by the King's Company at the Theatre Royal on Bridges Street, London, on Friday, 12 June 1668...
, 1668 - Aminta in Fletcher and Massinger's The Sea VoyageThe Sea VoyageThe Sea Voyage is a late Jacobean comedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. The play is notable for its imitation of Shakespeare's The Tempest.-Performance and publication:...
, 1668 - Nakar and Felicia in Dryden's Tyrannick LoveTyrannick LoveTyrannick Love, or The Royal Martyr is a tragedy by John Dryden in rhymed couplets, first acted in June 1669, and published in 1670. It is a retelling of the story of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and her martyrdom by the Roman Emperor Maximinus, the "tyrant" of the title, who is enraged at...
, 1669 - Ladt Flippant in Wycherly's Love in a Wood, 1671
- Hyppolita in Dryden's The AssignationThe AssignationThe Assignation, or Love in a Nunnery is a Restoration comedy written by John Dryden. The play was first acted late in 1672, by the King's Company at their theatre at Lincoln's Inn Fields, but was not a success with its audience....
, 1672 - Lady Fidget in Wycherly's The Country WifeThe Country WifeThe Country Wife is a Restoration comedy written in 1675 by William Wycherley. A product of the tolerant early Restoration period, the play reflects an aristocratic and anti-Puritan ideology, and was controversial for its sexual explicitness even in its own time. The title itself contains a lewd pun...
, 1675 - Eliza in Wycherly's The Plain Dealer, 1676
- Mrs. Dorothy in d'Urfey'sThomas d'UrfeyThomas D'Urfey was an English writer and wit. He composed plays, songs, and poetry, in addition to writing jokes. He was an important innovator and contributor in the evolution of the Ballad opera....
Trick for Trick, 1678 — her last known role.
In addition to playing these and other parts, Knep also sang and danced in plays and spoke Prologues and Epilogues. She never achieved the same fame as her younger contemporary Nell Gwyn
Nell Gwyn
Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn was a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England. Called "pretty, witty Nell" by Samuel Pepys, she has been regarded as a living embodiment of the spirit of Restoration England and has come to be considered a folk heroine, with a story echoing the rags-to-royalty tale of...
; Knep had the lead female role in The Assignation — but the play was a flop.
"Mrs. Knep was the wife of a Smithfield
Smithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
horsedealer, and the mistress of Pepys" — or at least "she granted him a share of her favours." Scholars disagree on the full extent of the Pepys/Knep relationship; but much of what later generations have known about Knep comes from Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
' famous Diary. Pepys first met Knep on 6 December 1665; he described her as "pretty enough, but the most excellent, mad-humoured thing, and sings the noblest that I ever heard in my life." He called her husband "an ill, melancholy, jealous-looking fellow" and suspected him of abusing his wife. Knep provided Pepys with backstage access, and was a conduit for theatrical and social gossip. When they wrote notes to each other, Pepys signed himself "Dapper Dickey," while Knep was "Barbary Allen" (that popular song was an item in her musical repertory).
Mrs. Knep had at least one child, a son born in June 1666. She may have been a mistress of Sir Charles Sedley
Charles Sedley
Sir Charles Sedley, 5th Baronet was an English wit, dramatist and politician, ending his career as Speaker of the House of Commons.-Life:...
. In the late 1670s she became the mistress of actor Joseph Haines
Joseph Haines
Joseph Haines or Jo Haines was a 17th-century actor, singer, dancer, guitar player, fortune teller, and author.The Life of the Late Famous Comedian, Jo...
; Knep died in childbirth in 1681.