The Castle Spectre
Encyclopedia
The Castle Spectre is a 1797 dramatic romance in five acts by Matthew "Monk" Lewis. It is a Gothic
drama set in medieval Conway
, Wales
.
The Castle Spectre was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on 14 December 1797. In a period when very few plays reached ten performances in a season, it was staged forty-seven times before June, when the theatre closed for the summer. The play had a long run also in the following year and remained in the repertoire until the late 1820s, and was revived until the end of the century. It also toured the provincial theatres and went through eleven printed editions from 1798 to 1803.
Further evidence of its extraordinary popularity is given by the fact that it crossed the ocean and opened in New York on 1 June 1798. Moreover, it was turned into a prose romance in 1829 by Sarah Wilkinson.
A new adaptation of this play by Phil Willmott
was given its first performance at the Warehouse Theatre Croydon on 5th December 1997. It was directed by Ted Craig and designed by Peter Lindley. The cast was as follows -; Percy, son of the Earl of Caernavon - Damien Goodwin, Earl Osmond - Martyn Stanbridge, Angela - Mali Harries
, Old Allan/Reginald, Earl of Conwy - Frank Ellis, Muley - Nick Wilton
, Hassan - Clive Llewellyn.
Gothic fiction
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story"...
drama set in medieval Conway
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The Castle Spectre was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on 14 December 1797. In a period when very few plays reached ten performances in a season, it was staged forty-seven times before June, when the theatre closed for the summer. The play had a long run also in the following year and remained in the repertoire until the late 1820s, and was revived until the end of the century. It also toured the provincial theatres and went through eleven printed editions from 1798 to 1803.
Further evidence of its extraordinary popularity is given by the fact that it crossed the ocean and opened in New York on 1 June 1798. Moreover, it was turned into a prose romance in 1829 by Sarah Wilkinson.
A new adaptation of this play by Phil Willmott
Phil Willmott
Phil Willmott is a British director, playwright, arts journalist, teacher, and founder of London based theatre production company, The Steam Industry.He was the Artistic Director of the Finborough Theatre in London's Earl's Court from 1994 to 1999....
was given its first performance at the Warehouse Theatre Croydon on 5th December 1997. It was directed by Ted Craig and designed by Peter Lindley. The cast was as follows -; Percy, son of the Earl of Caernavon - Damien Goodwin, Earl Osmond - Martyn Stanbridge, Angela - Mali Harries
Mali Harries
Mali Harries is a Welsh actress and has been in the television industry since 1999 and is still ongoing in her work. She is renowned for her roles in several TV series, such as Holby City, The Bill and Doctors....
, Old Allan/Reginald, Earl of Conwy - Frank Ellis, Muley - Nick Wilton
Nick Wilton
Nick Wilton is an English actor and scriptwriter. His best known roles are playing Mr Lister in the BBC soap opera EastEnders a recurring character, making his first appearance on the 3 January 2008. He also appeared in Carrott's Lib, Fast Forward and Jackanory.-Early and personal life:Wilton was...
, Hassan - Clive Llewellyn.