Nicholas Udall

Nicholas Udall was an English playwright, cleric, translator, and schoolmaster active in the first half of the 16th century. He is remembered above all as the author of Ralph Roister Doister, a play generally regarded as the first surviving comedy written in English.

Educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Udall built a career in teaching and classical learning, later serving at major schools including Eton and Westminster. His writing reflects that strong humanist background, drawing on Latin comedy and the educational culture of Tudor England.

Alongside his drama, he worked as a translator and was connected with court and church life. That mix of scholarship, performance, and public life makes him an important figure in early English literature, especially for readers interested in how school drama and Renaissance learning helped shape the English stage.