Details

Peele's play not only drew on recent events and the King of Portugal's failed attempt to reconquer Morocco, but also reflected contemporary diplomatic negotiations between England and Morocco and England and Portugal The battle secured the Moroccan throne for Muly Mahamet Seth, called Al-Mansur (the victorious), but the play begins with the rivalry for the throne between his brother, Abdelmelec, portrayed as a noble defender of law, and a devilish blackamoor, Muly Mahamet. The play features Captain Thomas Stukeley, the Englishman who was popular enough to have a play named after him. Stukeley fights alongside the King of Portugal and both are casualties in the battle. However, the perceived enemy is Spain not Morocco, and the play is anti-catholic rather than anti-Islamic. Rehearsed reading.

Creatives/Company

Author: George Peele