ABSTRACT
The theatre was the one place in London where social and ethical issues were discussed publicly, and Samuel Foote was the foremost social critic and wit of his time. He wrote and acted in twenty plays satirizing corrupt colonial officials, hypocritical clergymen, social climbers, and others. At times, the persons being lampooned were in the audience. Foote’s braggadocio led to a personal disaster, which however had a happy ending. After boasting of his riding ability to the Duke of York at a country party, Foote was put on a spirited horse, which immediately threw him. The injury required a painful amputation of his leg, but the contrite duke helped Foote obtain a license to manage the Haymarket theatre during the summer months, adding a third London theatre for a decade.
