death_date death_place birth_place birth_date image article_title name occupation
30 october 1773 england england 24 june 1704 john ward by thomas beech.jpg john ward -lrb- actor -rrb-
 john ward actor
john ward -lrb- actor -rrb-

john ward -lrb- 24 june 1704 -- 30 october 1773 -rrb- was an english actor and theatre manager .
the founder of the warwickshire company of comedians -- a birmingham-based theatre company who toured throughout the west midlands and into wales during the mid to late eighteenth century -- he was the first of the kemble family theatrical dynasty , whose most notable member was his granddaughter sarah siddons .
ward was the first recorded performer of a shakespearian play in stratford-upon-avon , and is also notable as the author of the two earliest surviving prompt books of shakespeare 's `` hamlet '' , which reveal how the play was performed in eighteenth century england and also throw light on earlier practice .
