| Vortigern and Rowena | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | William Henry Ireland |
| Date premiered | 2 April 1796 |
| Place premiered | Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Historical |
Vortigern and Rowena, or Vortigern, an Historical Play, is a play that was touted as a newly discovered work by William Shakespeare when it first appeared in 1796. It was eventually revealed to be a Shakespeare hoax, the product of prominent forger William Henry Ireland and part of his wider series of forgeries.[1] Its first performance was on 2 April 1796, when it was ridiculed by the audience. Its titular protagonists, Vortigern and Rowena, are figures from Britain's traditional history.
- ^ Ashe, Geoffrey (1991). "(Samuel) William Henry Ireland". In Lacy, Norris J. (ed.). The New Arthurian Encyclopedia. New York: Garland. p. 244.