John O'Keeffe
John O'Keeffe was a prominent playwright of the 18th century known for his significant contributions to both the London and Irish theatrical scenes. Active from 1747 to 1798, he wrote nearly sixty plays, spanning various genres including comedies, farces, and operas, showcasing the diversity of popular entertainment during that era. O'Keeffe began his career in Dublin, where he started with acting and eventually wrote short farces and comic sketches, with his first plays staged in 1767. His move to London in 1778 marked a turning point, as his works gained substantial popularity, especially at renowned venues like Covent Garden and the Haymarket Theatre.
Among his successful productions, "Wild Oats: Or, The Strolling Gentleman" is often noted as his best, blending humor with complex narratives. Despite his achievements, O'Keeffe's legacy has faded over time, and he remains relatively unknown to contemporary audiences. His personal life was marred by tragedy, including the loss of his children and estrangement from his wife, compounded by health issues that left him nearly blind. He spent his later years living in seclusion with his daughter until his death in 1833. O'Keeffe's work, particularly his enduring play "Wild Oats," reflects the rich tradition of theatrical storytelling in his time.
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Subject Terms
John O'Keeffe
Playwright
- Born: June 24, 1747
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
- Died: February 4, 1833
Biography
John O’Keeffe was one of the most prolific playwrights to contribute to the London stage or, for that matter, the Irish stage. From 1747 to 1798, nearly sixty of his plays were produced. He wrote an additional fifteen plays that never were produced and are presumed to be lost. His many remaining plays include virtually every form of popular entertainment that was performed on the the eighteenth century stage: comedies, farces, ballad operas, comic operas, pantomimes, melodramas, afterpieces, and entr’actes.
O’Keeffe began his career acting, singing, and dancing on the stages of his native Dublin and the Irish provinces and eventually began to compose short farces and comic sketches. His first plays were staged in Dublin, Cork, and Belfast, Ireland, beginning in 1767. By 1778, his plays were being performed in London, chiefly at Covent Garden and the Haymarket. He moved to London in 1778 and developed a close association with George Colman the Elder, manager at the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket. Samuel Arnold and William Shield joined the team as composers for the comic operas O’Keeffe was writing and Colman producing.
Remarkably, there were very few failures among O’Keeffe’s plays, and five or six were enormously successful. His successes include: Airs, Duetts, Trios, and Etcetera in the Musical Farce of the Son-in-Law, Performed at the Theatre-Royal in the Hay-Market, Songs, Duets, and Etcetera in the Poor Soldier, a Comic Opera: As Performed at the Theatre- Royal, in Covent-Garden, and Songs, Chorusses, and Etcetera in the New Musical Farce Called the Agreeable Surprise, as It Is Performed at the Theatre Royal in the Hay-Market. Another very popular production was his full-length piece of musical theater, Songs, Duets, Trios, and Etcetera in the Comic Opera of The Castle of Andalusia. As Performed at the Theatre- Royal in Covent-Garden; this play was full of melodramatic effects in dark moonlit scenes.
Despite his prodigious output and many successes, O’Keeffe today is largely forgotten. Nevertheless, one of his plays continues to be produced, thanks in part to its revival by the Royal Shakespeare Company: Wild Oats: Or, The Strolling Gentleman. A Comedy in Five Acts, as Performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent-Garden. This play, first performed in 1791, derives its hilarity from its complex entanglements, mistaken identities, secrets, subplots, and the device of a play-within-a-play. It deftly balances outrageous farce and gentle good humor. Some scholars consider the play O’Keeffe’s best work.
In contrast to the freewheeling humor of his many farces, O’Keeffe experienced several unfortunate reversals and sorrows in his life. His infant son, Gerald, died in1777, and his son, John Tottenham, died in 1804; his brother, Daniel, died in 1787. Convinced that his wife, Mary, had been unfaithful, he alienated himself from her in 1781 and apparently never saw her again. A serious illness left him nearly blind. He sold rights to some of his most successful plays to George Colman the Elder at the Haymarket. When he later found himself in financial straits and sought to restage his earlier productions, George Colman the Younger, who had taken over from his father, was disinterested in his work. Colman the Younger also rejected the few plays he wrote after 1798. O’Keeffe left London in 1798 and led a life of seclusion in the company of his daughter, Adelaide, until his death in 1833.