Robert Copeland (Theatre Manager)
Encyclopedia
Robert Copeland was a theatre manager who managed the Dover
theatre circuit in England
in the early part of the 19th Century. The circuit initially included the theatres at Dover
, Sandwich
and Deal
but in 1802 he added the Theatre Royal, Margate. Copeland was business like and practical and he managed to turn round the fading fortunes of the Theatre Royal. In Copeland's first season he hired the services of the distinguished actors Mrs Jordan and George Frederick Cooke
.
The season of 1803 saw the Theatre Royal, Margate requisitioned by the army to be used as auxiliary barracks. Copeland's management of the Theatre Royal ended in 1810.
Through his descendants Copeland left quite a mark on British theatre. His daughter Fanny went on to become the famous actress Mrs Fitzwilliam
. His daughter Isabella also became an actress and became the wife of the actor, playwright and theatre manager John Baldwin Buckstone
. The Buckstone's went on to have children who became prominent actors both here and in the United States. His son William Robert Copeland
followed in his father's footsteps by managing theatres in London
and Liverpool
.
Other stars of the stage such as Fay Compton
and Vesta Tilley
also married Copeland's descendants.
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
theatre circuit in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the early part of the 19th Century. The circuit initially included the theatres at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, Sandwich
Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....
and Deal
Deal, Kent
Deal is a town in Kent England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town...
but in 1802 he added the Theatre Royal, Margate. Copeland was business like and practical and he managed to turn round the fading fortunes of the Theatre Royal. In Copeland's first season he hired the services of the distinguished actors Mrs Jordan and George Frederick Cooke
George Frederick Cooke
George Frederick Cooke was an English actor. As famous for his erratic habits as for his acting, he was largely responsible for initiating the romantic style in acting that was later made famous by Edmund Kean.-Career:Although he claimed to have been born in Westminster, it seems likely that he...
.
The season of 1803 saw the Theatre Royal, Margate requisitioned by the army to be used as auxiliary barracks. Copeland's management of the Theatre Royal ended in 1810.
Through his descendants Copeland left quite a mark on British theatre. His daughter Fanny went on to become the famous actress Mrs Fitzwilliam
Fanny Fitzwilliam
Frances "Fanny" Elizabeth Fitzwilliam was the actress daughter of Robert Copeland, manager of the Dover theatrical circuit....
. His daughter Isabella also became an actress and became the wife of the actor, playwright and theatre manager John Baldwin Buckstone
John Baldwin Buckstone
John Baldwin Buckstone was an English actor, playwright and comedian who wrote 150 plays, the first of which was produced in 1826....
. The Buckstone's went on to have children who became prominent actors both here and in the United States. His son William Robert Copeland
William Robert Copeland
William Robert Copeland was an English theatre manager. He was born in Deal, Kent, the son of Robert Copeland who managed the Dover theatre circuit...
followed in his father's footsteps by managing theatres in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
Other stars of the stage such as Fay Compton
Fay Compton
Fay Compton was an English actress from a notable acting lineage; her father was actor/manager Edward Compton; her mother, Virginia Bateman, was a distinguished member of the profession, as were her sister, the actress Viola Compton, and her uncles and aunts. Her grandfather was the 19th-century...
and Vesta Tilley
Vesta Tilley
Matilda Alice Powles , was an English male impersonator. At the age of 11, she adopted the stage name Vesta Tilley becoming the most famous and well paid music hall male impersonator of her day...
also married Copeland's descendants.