A Letter from Mr. Cibber to Mr. Pope

In this vivid edition you’ll hear a personal letter penned by the celebrated actor‑manager Colley Cibber to his long‑time adversary, the poet Alexander Pope. The missive opens a window onto the theatrical and literary quarrels of early 18th‑century London, where Cibber’s self‑styled charm collides with Pope’s razor‑sharp satire. Accompanying the text is a concise scholarly introduction that untangles decades of myth and shows how each man crafted his public image.

Cibber recounts two incidents that likely sparked Pope’s infamous attacks: a jealous dispute over a revived play and a scandalous night at a bawdy house. Through candid detail and a wry tone, the letter reveals both the humor and the hurt behind their rivalry, while hinting at the deeper personal stakes that later fed into Pope’s Dunciad. Listening to this piece invites a fresh appreciation of how personal slights shaped some of the era’s most celebrated literature.