author
George Colman
1732–1794
Best known as one of the leading comic dramatists of 18th-century England, he wrote lively, stage-ready works and helped shape London theatre from both the writer’s desk and the manager’s office. His best-known plays include The Jealous Wife and, with David Garrick, The Clandestine Marriage.
1 Audiobook
A Fairy Tale in Two Acts Taken from Shakespeare (1763)
by William Shakespeare, George Colman, David Garrick
About the author
Born in Florence in April 1732, George Colman was an English dramatist and essayist usually called George Colman the Elder to distinguish him from his son. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, trained in law, and was called to the bar before turning fully toward the theatre.
Colman made his name with witty, successful comedies, especially The Jealous Wife (1761). He later collaborated with David Garrick on The Clandestine Marriage (1766), which became one of his most famous works. Alongside writing original plays, he also worked as an editor and adaptor of earlier English drama.
He was more than a playwright: Colman also became an important theatre manager. He held a share in Covent Garden and later ran the Haymarket Theatre, giving him real influence over what London audiences saw on stage. He died in London on August 14, 1794, remembered as a central figure in Georgian theatrical life.