This is the first biography of Thomas Harris (1738-1820), who presided over one of the most eventful periods in the history of the English stage as the man who controlled Covent Garden theatre for nearly five decades; one of only two venues in London allowed by law to perform spoken drama. Surprisingly, he has been almost unheard of until now. Uncovering his life and work provides new insights into landmark events in London's history. However, this career was only one of many: Harris became a philanthropist, a confidant of George III, a suspected sexual predator, and a brothel owner in the underworld of Covent Garden. He was deeply involved in Pitt the Younger's government, working as a 'spin doctor' to control the release of government news. While novelists created elaborate storylines with fictional intriguers lurking in the shadows, Harris was the real thing. In this lively recreation of the dangers and delights of late Georgian London, Harris's career intersects many of the hidden worlds of the eighteenth century, including the art of theatre and theatre management, the activities of the Secret Service, radical protest, and sexual indulgence. This volume brings together a hoard of newly discovered manuscripts to construct his numerous lives, and will interest cultural historians, specialists in theatre history, and anyone intrigued by how someone so influential could have disappeared from the historical narrative.