John+Palmer

John Palmer (1742-1798) was a British eighteenth century actor. Throughout his career, he acted in over three hundred parts, including //Beggar’s Opera// as Ben Budge, Morton in //Countess of Salisbury//, Harcourt in //The Country Girl//, and many more. He was known for originating the role of Joseph Surface in //The School for Scandal//. **Early Life** Palmer was born to a private solider in St. Luke’s Parish in London, England. His father worked under the Marquis of Granby, and eventually became a bill-sticker and doorkeeper at Drury Lane Theatre. When Palmer was eighteen, he approached Samuel Foote and David Garrick, two theatre actors, playwrights, and managers at Drury Lane and performed in front of them. They found there to be no potential in him as an actor and they, along with his father, urged him to join in his father’s footsteps by enrolling in the army. Even though Foote and Garrick went as far as acquiring a military appointment for him, Palmer refused and instead obtained a job as a print seller on Ludgate Hill.

**Career** Palmer’s first appearance on the stage was on May 20, 1762 as Buck in the //English-man in Paris//. Foote commented that although Palmer’s acting in tragedy was not good, his comedy would be suited for “the little theatre in his Haymarket” (qtd. Stephen, 136). Foote then cast him as the original Harry Scamper in his play //Oracle// in the summer of 1762. Palmer then joined a country company and performed in Sheffield, England as Richmond in //Richard III//. He returned to London, where he performed as George Barnwell in //The London Merchant//. He later became involved with Foote again soon after, but was fired in the middle of the season. Garrick offered him a spot at Drury Lane, but the biggest role he performed in was as the Officer in //Richard III//. For his father’s benefit, Palmer was Dick in //Apprentice//. Palmer, frustrated with the small roles given to him at Drury Lane, and rejected when he tried to obtain a salary increase, moved on to the little theatre in Colchester under manager Mr. Hurst. Hurst was so unimpressed with Palmer that he attempted to remove him from the theatre. Mrs. Webb, an actress in the company who was held at a higher esteem, convinced Hurst to keep Palmer in the company. Palmer played in another show with the company and Hurst liked his performance so much, he advanced his salary. In 1766, he accepted an offer to work at Drury Lane, where he began as Sir Harry Beagle in //The Jealous Wife//. In the billing, he went under the name J. Palmer so as to not be confused with an older actor by the same name, known as Gentleman Palmer, who had a bigger role in theatre at the time. In the summer of 1767, Palmer returned to Haymarket and performed as Ben Budge in //The Beggar’s Opera// and Morton in //Countess of Salisbury//. In October of 1767, he was the original Wilson in Garrick’s production of //Peep Behind the Curtain, or the New Rehearsal//, and Furnival in //Widow’d Wife//. In early 1768, Palmer played Sir Harry Newburgh in //False Delicacy//, Captain Slang in //Absent Man//, Young Wilding in //The Liar//,and Colonel Tamper in //The Deuce is in Him//. When Gentleman Palmer died, in 1768, John Palmer’s salary increased and he advanced in the theatre scene. He took over the part of Harcourt in The Country Girl after Gentleman Palmer’s death. Palmer was unable to take the stage for a few months during an unspecified time due to an onstage accident with a dagger while acting as Dionysius in //The Grecian Daughter//. In 1776, he reappeared in Haymarket, and on May 8th, 1777 he originated the role of Joseph Surface in //The School for Scandal//. After falling into monetary difficulties and the public quarrel over Royalty Theatre, Palmer resided in his dressing room at Drury Lane Theatre and rarely left. In June 1789, he performed in Worchester and played Henri Du Bois in a play about the taking of Bastille. In November 1789, Drury Lane Theatre closed, and Palmer was imprisoned at Surrey gaol. He was eventually released at the demand of the public.

**Royalty Theatre** In 1785, Palmer began to build the Royalty Theatre in Wellclose Square, even though the only licenses he could obtain were by the governor of the Tower and the magistrates of the adjoining district. He opened the theatre with a production of As You Like It. Fearful of interference from the authorities, Palmer gave the representation for the benefit of the London Hospital and closed the theatre. The theatre reopened in July and presented pantomimes and “irregular pieces”. Palmer was never able to defeat the opposition from managers of the patent houses. Thus, a pamphlet war began, starting with a pamphlet for Palmer named “A Review of the present contest between the Managers of the Winter Theatres, the Little Theatre in the Haymarket, and the Royalty Theatre in Wellclose Square”. A new pamphlet came out as a response labeled “A very plain State of the Case or the Royalty Theatre verus the Theatres Royal”, and more were produced after that from both sides of the quarrel.

**Theatrical Reception** Critics warmly received the role of Joseph Surface that he originated. Charles Lamb, an English writer and essayist, was impressed with how Palmer approached the role of Joseph Surface. In “On the Artificial Comedy of the Last Century”, Palmer was as Joseph “twice an actor in this exquisite part” (qtd. Franklyn, 150). On the stage, Palmer had “gay boldness, the graceful solemn plausibility the measured step, the insinuating voice… the downright acted villany of the part”(qtd. Franklyn, 151). Lamb concluded that no actor would have approached the part in the way that Palmer did. As a result of Palmer’s performance, Lamb believes that the character of Joseph must be played in the way that Palmer did: “as a revolting villain- no compromise. His first appearance must shock and give horror” (qtd. Franklyn, 151). According to James Boaden, Palmer was “the same on and off the stage- he was constantly acting the man of superior accomplishments” (qtd. Deelman, 258). Palmer was given the nickname Plausible Jack due to his well-known hypocrisy. It is said that Sheridan had been thinking of Palmer when he first wrote the character, calling him Plausible in the first drafts. Thomas Harral says that the varying tones of Palmer made audiences admire and be disgusted by him; “admiration at the powers of the actor and disgust at the villainy of the character” (Harral, 4).

**Personal Life** When Palmer went to Norwich for another show, he met a young woman by the name of Miss Burroughs. She was said to have an ample amount of money, and although Palmer was not looking for a wife, he was financially in need. He proclaimed his love for her, and they subsequently got married. He was hoping to get into his aunt’s good favors and blessing, as they would inherit her money. But, when Burroughs’ aunt discovered that her niece had married an actor, she was outraged and altered her will, so that her money would be left to a stranger. Later on, Garrick offered Mrs. Palmer the opportunity to act on the stage, and was glad to work with him for twenty shillings a week. Palmer was said to have physically abused his wife. When Palmer heard the rumors that were going around about him, he called for his wife, who, allegedly was hiding bruises that had been inflicted by her husband and they walked around Liverpool together to reestablish him in English society. **Death** After performing in //The Castle Spectre//, Palmer traveled to Liverpool. It was announced that he would be performing in //The Stranger//, but his performance was deterred. He had recently lost his wife and son and was in a depressed state even with the support of his friends. In August of 1798, he finally attempted his part in the play. He performed through the first two acts, but during the fourth act, Palmer fell back on the stage and died. It was only after the performance was stopped and the body removed did the audience realize that Palmer was not acting but had passed away.

Works Cited Primary Sources: Franklyn, H. Mortimer, ed. //The Victorian Review//. Vol. 6. Victorian Review Publishing Company.

1832-1904, Stephen Leslie Sir. //Dictionary of National Biography Volume 43//. Place of Publication Not Identified: Hardpress, 2013.

Lee, Sidney. //Dictionary of National Biography: Index and Epitome//. New York: Macmillan, 1903.

Harral, Thomas, and Sarah Siddons. //A Monody on the Death of Mr. John Palmer, the Comedian. To Which Is Prefixed a Review of His Theatrical Powers: With Observations on the Most Eminent Performers on the London Stage//. Inscribed to Mrs. Siddons. London: Printed by George Cawthorn, 1798.

Secondary Sources Donaldson, W. //Theatrical Portraits; Or, The Days of Shakespeare, Betterton, Garrick, and Kemble//. London: Varnham, 1870.

Stewart, Jon. //Kierkegaard and the Renaissance and Modern Traditions: Literature, drama, and dance//. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate Pub., 2009.

Deelman, Christian. "The Original Cast Of The School For Scandal." //The Review of English Studies// XIII, no. 51 (1962): 257-66. doi:10.1093/res/xiii.51.257.