Thomas Southerne (1660–1746) scored great successes with his sprightly comedy, Sir Anthony Love (1690), and his tragedies, The Fatal Marriage (1694) and Oroonoko. His other plays were less successful, though his dark and innovative comedies, The Wives' Excuse (1691) and The Maid's Last Prayer (1693), have won modern admirers, the former being successfully staged at Stratford in 1994. Via John Hawkesworth's 1759 revision, Southerne's Oroonoko substantially influenced 'Biyi Bandele's Oroonoko, which premiered at Stratford in 1999. Coincidentally, all Southerne's hits were inspired by Behn's prose fiction (Sir Anthony Love by The Lucky Mistake and The Fatal Marriage by The History of the Nun).

The principal actors in Oroonoko were:

• John Verbruggen (d. 1708), Oroonoko. Verbruggen was one of the leading young actors of his generation, especially after the actors' secession in 1695. He created the part of Mirabell in Congreve's The Way of the World.

• George Powell (1668?–1714), Aboan. Powell was one of the leading actors of his generation, though he was a difficult man with a drink problem and some reputation for hamming.

• Joseph Williams (b. c. 1663), Lieutenant Governor. Williams was a star actor with a large range. Although he predominantly played heroes in tragedy and comedy, he could also play villains in the former and fools in the latter.

• Jane Rogers (d. 1718), Imoinda. She specialized in virtuous, vulnerable, and sentimental roles.

• Frances Maria Knight (fl. 1682?–1724), Widow Lackitt. She excelled at playing scheming or passionately lustful beauties, both in comedy and tragedy. The present casting is unusual.

• Susanna Verbruggen (c. 1667–1703), Charlot Welldon. She was the wife of John Verbruggen and the widow of the murdered actor William Mountfort (d. 1692). A vivacious and versatile comedienne, she often took breeches roles, although she did not quite have the figure for them.