Who introduced the role that John Rich played from 1717 to 1760?
John Rich (producer) John Rich (1692–1761) was an important director and theatre manager in 18th-century London. He opened the New Theatre at Lincoln's Inn Fields (1714), which he managed until he opened the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden (1732). He managed Covent Garden until 1761, putting on ever more lavish productions. He introduced pantomime to the English stage and played a dancing and mute Harlequin himself from 1717 to 1760 under the stage name of "Lun." Rich's version of the servant character, Arlecchino, moved away from the poor, disheveled, loud, and crude character, to a colorfully-dressed, silent Harlequin, performing fanciful tricks, dances and magic. The British idea of the Harlequin character was heavily inspired by Rich’s idea of a silent character. Rich’s choice of being a silent character was influenced by his unappealing voice, which he was well aware of.
Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (19 August 1590 (baptised) – 9 March 1649), known as The Lord Kensington between 1623 and 1624, was an English courtier, peer and soldier. A member of the influential Rich family, he was the son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick, and his wife, Penelope Devereux, and the younger brother of Robert, 2nd Earl of Warwick.