Mary Knep

Who was Mary Knep?

Mary Knep, also Knepp, Nepp, Knip, or Knipp, was an English actress, one of the first generation of female performers to appear on the public stage during the Restoration era.

"Primarily a singer and dancer, Mrs. Knep developed into a first-rate actress." She began her career with the King's Company under the management of Thomas Killigrew. She made her debut in the title role of Jonson's Epicene on 1 June 1664. Knep played major and minor roles in a range of productions of the 1660s and 1670s, including:

the Widow in Beaumont and Fletcher's The Scornful Lady, 1666

Guiomar in Fletcher and Massinger's The Custom of the Country, 1667

Alibech in Dryden's The Indian Emperour, the 1667 revival

Asteria in Dryden's The Maiden Queen, 1667

Beatrix in Dryden's An Evening's Love, 1668

Aminta in Fletcher and Massinger's The Sea Voyage, 1668

Nakar and Felicia in Dryden's Tyrannick Love, 1669

Ladt Flippant in Wycherly's Love in a Wood, 1671

Hyppolita in Dryden's The Assignation, 1672

Lady Fidget in Wycherly's The Country Wife, 1675

Eliza in Wycherly's The Plain Dealer, 1676