Richard Perkins (actor)
1585–1650) was a prominent early seventeenth-century actor,[4] most famous for his performance in the role of Barabas in Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta.Perkins remained with that company until the theatres were closed at the start of the English Civil War in 1642, and became their leading man and star.He was also involved in most of the troupe's productions during its 1625–42 lifetime, including Heywood's The Fair Maid of the West (he played Mr. Goodlack), Shirley's The Wedding (playing Sir John Belfare) and The Lady of Pleasure (Sir Thomas Bornwell), Davenport's King John and Matilda (Fitzwater), Nabbes's Hannibal and Scipio (Hanno), and Ford's Love's Sacrifice (Duke Caraffa).It was through such plays and roles that Perkins achieved his reputation as "a versatile, self-possessed and graceful actor whose skills would have been well-suited to a private theatre such as the Phoenix.Webster may have designed the role of Romelio in his The Devil's Law Case for Perkins, and may have written the play for the premier of Queen Anne's Men at their new Phoenix playhouse in 1617.