author
Dorothy Jordan
1761–1816
Celebrated on the British stage for her lively comic performances, this Anglo-Irish actress became one of the best-known performers of her day. Her life also drew lasting attention because of her long relationship with the future King William IV.
1 Audiobook
The spoil'd child: A farce, in two acts, as performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
by Isaac Bickerstaff, Sir Richard Ford, Prince Hoare, Dorothy Jordan
About the author
Born Dorothea Bland near Waterford, Ireland, in 1761, she built her career under the name Dorothea Jordan, often called Dorothy or Dora Jordan. She first appeared on stage in Ireland and then in England, where her natural style and high spirits quickly made her popular with audiences.
She was especially admired in comedy and in breeches roles, and became a major star at Drury Lane. Contemporary and later accounts alike remember her for an energetic, warm, unforced way of acting that stood out at a time when stage performance could be highly formal.
Jordan is also remembered for her long relationship with Prince William, Duke of Clarence, who later became King William IV; together they had ten children surnamed FitzClarence. After financial and personal difficulties, she spent her final years in France, where she died in 1816.