George Macfarren

George Macfarren (1788–1843) was a playwright and the father of composer George Alexander Macfarren.

He was born in London 5 September 1788. He was the son of George Macfarren. He was educated chiefly at Archbishop Tenison's school in Castle Street, Leicester Square, and while there he wrote a tragedy which was privately played by his school-fellows, with the support of Edmund Kean, then a boy of their own age. Macfarren was also something of a musician, and according to his son, Sir G. Macfarren, "he could sustain either of the parts in a violin quartet," and "had he not met with a fashionable teacher of dancing, named Bishop, who offered to make him a gentleman instead of a fiddler, he would have adopted music as his profession".

He was the first teacher of James Oury the violinist, and while still under twenty years of age he opened a dancing academy of his own. In 1816, he visited Paris, where he had lessons in dancing from the best teachers. His natural bent was, however, towards the stage, and on 28 September 1818, his first publicly performed dramatic work, "Ah! what a Pity, or the Dark Knight and the Fair Lady," was given at the English Opera House (for the benefit of John Pritt Harley); from this date almost every year witnessed the production of some piece or other from his pen.

In February 1831, he took over the management of the theatre in Tottenham Street, which he called the Queen's Theatre, in honour of Queen Adelaide, and here he remained until July of the following year, producing, among numerous other works, a dramatic version of Handel's "Acis and Galatea," for which Cipriani Potter wrote additional accompaniments. Macfarren seems to have laid special stress upon accuracy of detail and naturalness in staging the plays which he produced. Robert Elliston, successively lessee of Drury Lane, the Olympic, and Surrey Theatres, stated that "no such perfect pictures as he saw at the Queen's Theatre had ever been put on the stage." Macfarren left the Queen's on being appointed stage-manager of the Surrey. He afterwards went to the Strand.

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