author
Frederick Reynolds
1764–1841
A hugely prolific English dramatist, he wrote close to a hundred plays and became a familiar name on late Georgian and Regency stages. Though many of his comedies were written for the tastes of the moment, his memoirs still offer a lively window into theatrical life of the era.
1 Audiobook
The Dramatist; Or, Stop Him Who Can! A Comedy, in Five Acts
by Frederick Reynolds
About the author
Frederick Reynolds was an English dramatist born in London on November 1, 1764, and he died on April 16, 1841. He left legal training behind to pursue the stage, and over the course of his career he wrote nearly one hundred tragedies and comedies, with a number of them enjoying real popularity in their day.
He was especially associated with the busy commercial theater world of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. His work is often described as lively, sentimental, and closely tuned to contemporary fashions, which helped make him successful with audiences even if his reputation later faded.
Reynolds is also remembered for The Life and Times of Frederick Reynolds, a memoir that preserves vivid anecdotes about actors, managers, and playhouse culture. For listeners interested in theater history, he offers both the voice of a working playwright and a firsthand glimpse of London’s stage world.