The Wife's Secret

The Wife's Secret
Charles and Ellen Kean in their roles in 1848.
Written by	George William Lovell
Date premiered	12 October 1846
Place premiered	Park Theatre, New York City
Original language	English
Genre	Historical
Setting	Dorset, 1655

The Wife's Secret is an 1846 historical play by the British writer George William Lovell. The play takes place in Dorset during the rule of Oliver Cromwell after the English Civil War. It premiered at the Park Theatre in Manhattan on 12 October 1846 with Charles Kean in the lead. It made its London debut at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on 17 January 1848. The Haymarket cast included Charles Kean as Sir Walter Aymott, Henry Howe as Lord Arden, Ellen Kean as Lady Eveline Amyott, Benjamin Nottingham Webster as Jabez Sneed and Mary Anne Keeley as Maud. The Times praised Ellen Kean's performance, noting "the wife, is played to perfection".

Plot

Although certain aspects of the play differ depending on the latest version, the general plot remains the same:

Lady Eveline is hiding her brother, Lord Arden, in her house after he and his fellow Cavaliers are defeated in the English Civil War. Lady Eveline is afraid that her husband, Sir Walter, will discover Lord Arden and have him arrested. Sir Walter comes to suspect that Lady Eveline is keeping a lover hidden in the house, and and threatens to kill him. Lady Eveline reveals the truth and Sir Walter, although skeptical at first, comes to believe her, and decides to protect Lord Arden. Jabez Sneed, a servant that has been stealing money from Lady Eveline, attempts to escape arrest and flee aboard a ship, but is found out by Sir Walter, who plans to report him to the authorities.

Bibliography

• Nicoll, Allardyce. A History of Early Nineteenth Century Drama 1800-1850. Cambridge University Press, 1930.
• Pascoe, Charles Eyre. Our Actors and Actresses. The Dramatic List. David Bogue, 1880.
• Taylor, George. Players and Performances in the Victorian Theatre. Manchester University Press, 1993.