Mary Russell Mitford (1787–1855)

Mary Russell Mitford (1787–1855) wrote poetry, drama, and prose over her long lit- erary career, while, as a dramatist, she successfully staged four historical tragedies between 1823 and 1834 at London’s Covent Garden and Drury Lane theatres. She also published numerous short dramatic sketches in literary journals and annuals in the 1830s. During the time spent in her early to middle teens at a boarding school in Chelsea, she regularly attended Drury Lane, where she admired the performances of the leading actors of the day, such as John Kemble (1757–1823) and Sarah Siddons (1755–1831). Nowadays, along-side her poetic career as a rural writer, her dramatic works have been rediscovered, but, from critical and editorial perspectives, she still remains a neglected and lesser-known Romantic author. However, this selection from her Introduction testifies to her direct involvement in the theatrical life of her time, in terms of both theatrical practice and dramatic theory. Mitford’s poetry and plays merit further study in the context of her literary period in order to fully understand her significant contribu- tions to generic innovation, political discourse, and dramatic practice.