Michael Mohun (1616? – buried 11 October 1684) was a leading English actor both before and after the 1642–60 closing of the theatres.
Mohun began his stage career as aboy player filling female roles; he was part ofChristopher Beeston's theatrical establishment at theCockpit Theatre, "eventually becoming a key member ofQueen Henrietta's Men."[1]
For the period from 1642 to 1659, Mohun was an officer in military units loyal to theHouse of Stuart; he served in England, Ireland, and the Low Countries, and rose to the rank of major. He was seriously wounded atDublin, and was a prisoner of war for two extended periods.[2]
At the end of theEnglish Interregnum, Mohun was one of the men —George Jolly andJohn Rhodes were others — who attempted to restart dramatic performance. In 1659 Mohun performed with other pre-Commonwealth actors in an unlicensed troupe at theRed Bull Theatre. As the manager of the troupe, Mohun came to an agreement with theMaster of the Revels to pay fees for the privilege of performing; but eventually, like Jolly and Rhodes, he was out-manoeuvred byThomas Killigrew and SirWilliam Davenant. After a complex power struggle for the two companypatents issued byCharles II at theRestoration of the monarchy, Mohun became a full sharer in Killigrew'sKing's Company. Along withCharles Hart, the other leading male actor, Mohun was in a position of some authority, often signing official papers on behalf of the sharing actors. He remained a member of the King's Company until he left the stage on account of age and ill-health in the late 1670s.
Mohun regularly acted leading and major roles, mostly villains. His interpretations ofIago and of the title role inBen Jonson'sVolpone were famous, and he brought a sinister edge to the part of Pinchwife inWilliam Wycherley'sThe Country Wife. Mohun repeatedly seconded Charles Hart's leads, playing Iago to Hart's Othello, and Cassius to Hart's Brutus.
Mohun compiled a long list of noteworthy other roles in his career.[3] He played Bellamente inShirley'sLove's Cruelty both before 1642 and after 1660, and he acted in other revivals besides those named above. He played:
He took roles in contemporary Restoration dramas, byJohn Dryden —
— and by other playwrights:
Mohun retired from the stage in 1682, when the King's Company joined with theDuke's Company to form the United Company. He had trouble obtaining his pension; his petition to KingCharles II on the subject is valuable for the amount of autobiographical material it contains.[4]
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