author
Sir John Falstaffe
A lively, elusive voice from 1720, this writer used the name “Sir John Falstaffe” for a short run of theatrical essays published in the wake of Richard Steele’s The Theatre. The real identity appears to be unconfirmed, which gives the work an extra layer of intrigue.
1 Audiobook
The Theater (1720)
by Sir John Falstaffe
About the author
“Sir John Falstaffe” appears to have been a pen name rather than a documented personal identity. The strongest source found here is the introduction reproduced by Project Gutenberg, which describes the author of The Theatre (1720) as anonymous and says he adopted the Falstaffe name while continuing and answering Richard Steele’s theatrical journalism.
That series began on April 9, 1720, and ran for eleven numbers through May 14, 1720. The essays were written in the tradition of lively periodical commentary, mixing wit, opinion, and theater-world observation in a way that would have felt timely to readers of the London stage.
Because the author’s real name is not confirmed in the sources reviewed here, the safest way to think of “Sir John Falstaffe” is as a literary persona: a playful, satirical mask borrowed from Shakespeare’s famous comic knight. For modern readers, that mystery is part of the appeal.