Popular dramatist, born at Dublin in 1747. Though educated for a painter, he exhibited from an early age a decided passion for the drama. At the age of sixteen he had composed a play; at the age of eighteen he wrote a comedy, which was acted on the stage; and shortly afterwards he became a member of the company of the Smock-alley Theatre, Dublin. His active brain, however, did not find scope enough in the position of a mere player. While performing at the Irish capital, or strolling during the summer through the provinces, he produced several little pieces which met with success on the stage. At length, in 1778, his farce entitled Tony Lumpkin in Town, was played with applause at the Haymarket; and the career of a dramatist was opened up to O’Keeffe. Abandoning the profession of an actor, and settling in London in 1781, he commenced, amid an increasing attack of blindness, to support his family by his pen. Comedies and operatic farces followed each other in quick succession, and were variously brought out by Colman of the Haymarket, and Harris of Covent Garden. Their genial and vivacious sentiment, and broad and whimsical humour, atoned for their poverty of incident and want of individual characters; the great majority of them had a long run of success; and many of them were acted over again at the command of Royalty. It was about 1798 that O’Keeffe, then almost blind, ceased to have connection with the stage. The rest of his life was spent under pecuniary embarrassments. An edition of 21 of his plays, which was published in 1798, scarcely paid the expenses; and a small annuity, which he bought in 1800, and two royal pensions, which were respectively conferred upon him in 1803 and 1826, afforded him but an inconsiderable pittance. His death took place at Southampton in 1833. O’Keeffe, during his long life, had produced no fewer than 68 plays. Of these, Wild Oats, The Agreeable Surprise, The Poor Soldier, The Highland Reel, and some others, still retain their footing on the stage. (Recollection of the Life of John O’Keeffe, written by himself, in 2 vols. London, 1826.) See also “I Am a Friar of Orders Gray”; Literary Criticism.
