Anne Bracegirdle

Anne Bracegirdle was an English stage actress active in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Celebrated for her performances in Restoration comedy, she became a leading member of the United Company.

William Congreve: An English playwright whose Restoration comedies include The Way of the World and Love for Love. Bracegirdle became closely associated with his comedies and created leading roles in them.
Millamant: A witty heiress in William Congreve's comedy The Way of the World. Bracegirdle originated this role, one of her best-known comic performances.
Restoration theatre: English professional theatre after the monarchy's restoration in 1660, marked by reopened playhouses and women performers. Bracegirdle built her career within this newly reopened theatrical culture.
Restoration comedy: A comic drama popular in England after 1660, known for witty dialogue and intrigue around courtship and social conduct. Bracegirdle's reputation rested especially on performances in this theatrical genre.
Thomas Betterton: An English actor and theatre manager who led the United Company and later managed the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre. As a leading actor and manager, he worked alongside Bracegirdle in London companies.
Angelica (Love for Love): A spirited heiress in William Congreve's comedy Love for Love. Congreve wrote Angelica for Bracegirdle, whose performance helped define the part.
United Company: A London acting company formed in 1682 by the merger of the King's Company and the Duke's Company. Bracegirdle became one of the company's principal performers.
Actresses in early modern England: Women who performed professionally on the English stage after actresses replaced boys in female roles following 1660. Bracegirdle belonged to the first generations of women established as professional stage performers.
Colley Cibber: An English actor, playwright, and theatre manager active in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Cibber's memoirs preserve accounts of Bracegirdle's reputation and stage presence.
Belinda (The Provoked Wife): A lively young woman in John Vanbrugh's comedy The Provoked Wife. Bracegirdle played Belinda in the play's early London performances.

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Susanna CentlivreRelated: Bracegirdle performed in Centlivre’s plays, connecting the dramatist with a leading actress.