THE WAYWARD GENTLEMAN: John Theophilus Potter & The Smock Alley Theatre

Set in the latter half of the 18th century, this is the story of Theo, a young Irish gentleman who rebels against everything he has been raised to be, and in 1773, at the age of twenty one, becomes an actor -- or ‘gentleman player’ as such gentlemen actors were known -- with the famous Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin. His mentor is Thomas Sheridan, father of Richard Brinsley Sheridan; his manager, the famous comedic actor, Thomas Ryder; and one of his friends, actor and playwright, John O’Keeffe. In the course of his career here -- a life of adventure, humour, tragedy and love -- Theo shares in the trials and tribulations of all actors at during this period. In addition, he is also not only subjected to the foibles and petty jealousies of his fellow actors, but to the sometimes cruel prejudice of his gentry peers, whose conviction is that gentlemen do not degrade themselves by becoming actors. Although this story is a work of fiction, Theo was a real person, and a real actor, but, other than that he was born in Dublin in 1752, nothing further is known about his life until he arrived in the Welsh town of Haverfordwest in1778, along with a troupe of actors from Dublin. From this date on, we know all about who he was and what he did, and that he was a highly educated and literary man of great charm, charisma, wit, ability and energy. The sequel to this book: “THE WAYWARD GENTLEMAN: John Theophilus Potter & The Town of Haverfordwest”, is a biographical novel based on his life in this town.