Combined in this volume are three of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's most loved works. "The School for Scandal" is Sheridan's classic comedy that pokes fun at London upper class society in the late 1700s. Often referred to as a "comedy of manners", "The School for Scandal" is one Sheridan's most performed plays and a classic of English comedic drama. "The Rivals" was Sheridan's first play and while at first it was not well received it would go on to prove to be a great success and establish Sheridan as a major talent. "The Rivals" satirizes the pretentiousness of English society in the late 18th century. As witty and accessible today as when it was first written, "The Rivals" sparkles with the humor that Sheridan and his writing are known for. In "The Critic" Sheridan turns his attention to satirize the theatre and all the people engaged in the business of it in late 18th century England. The critic of the story is a man by the name of Mr. Dangle and the play that is the subject of criticism is a horribly written production named "The Spanish Armada". Fans of Sheridan will delight in this lesser known work. Together these works make a great introduction to the works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.
Über den Autor Richard Brinsley Sheridan
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Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) Dublin-born playwright and theatre manager, who produced three classic comedies within a five-year writing career. "Whatever Sheridan has done or chosen to do," Lord Byron wrote, "has been, par excellence, the best of its kind." He was the son of the Irish actor-manager Thomas Sheridan and his wife Frances, a popular novelist. In 1775 the double success of Sheridan's first great comedy, The Rivals, and his comic opera The Duenna allowed him to buy Garrick's share in Drury Lane; he became manager in 1776 and sole owner two years later. Another brilliant comedy of manners, The School for Scandal, opened in 1777 at Drury Lane to universal acclaim. He also wrote a burlesque of heroic drama, The Critic (1779). All are high comedies, featuring such memorable characters as Mrs Malaprop, Lady Teazle, and Mr Puff. Unfortunately he was not so brilliant in his management of Drury Lane. His love of extravagant spectacles almost led to bankruptcy, and he constantly became embroiled in legal action against managers of unlicensed theatres. In 1794 he rebuilt his theatre to such vast proportions that Mrs Siddons called it "a wilderness of a place". In 1780 Sheridan abandoned the theatre to enter parliament, where he gained a reputation as a fine orator (on one occasion speaking for over five hours). When Drury Lane caught fire in 1809 he drank a leisurely glass of wine at the Great Piazza coffee house, watching the flames consume his theatre and remarking "A man may surely be allowed to take a glass of wine at his own fireside." He died in poverty.
