In the spring of 1796 Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the owner of London’s Drury Lane Theatre, announced the premiere of a previously unknown play by William Shakespeare. Vortigern was believed to be an early work of Shakespeare’s, set in fifth-century Britain.

Sheridan had thought some of the writing a little clumsy when he first read Vortigern, but he had dismissed his doubts, telling himself that it was probably a very youthful work. He had recently rebuilt his theatre and was heavily in debt – he needed a runaway success, and a new play by Shakespeare could hardly fail to draw the crowds. The premiere was scheduled for 2 April 1796, and two of the most famous actors of the day, John Philip Kemble and his sister, Sarah Siddons, were given the leading roles.

Sheridan should have trusted his instincts. The real author of Vortigern was not Shakespeare ...



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