| Contents |
1. The London theatre world in the 1690s -- 2. Origins of 'Humane Comedy': Farquhar, Congreve, Cibber and Vanbrugh -- 3. Experimentation at the turn of the century -- 4. Successful experimentation: The Recruiting Officer and The Beaux Stratagem -- 5. Farquhar's contributions and the post-1707 theatre -- Conclusion: Farquhar and Anglo-Irish drama. |
| Abstract |
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, British theatre saw a shift from what critics now call 'Restoration' to 'sentimental' comedy. Focusing on the career of the Irish dramatist George Farquhar (1678-1707), Heard argues that experimentation was the basis for this change. Farquhar's first play, "Love and a Bottle" (1698) relied on outdated plot devices and character types. By contrast, his final two plays, "The Recruiting Officer" (1706) and "The Beaux Stratagem" (1707) used creative new elements to connect with English audiences. Over ten years, Farquhar and his contemporaries experimented with characters, plot lines, and dialogue in an attempt to woo their audiences. In doing so they initiated a new era in British comedy. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Access restriction | Available only to authorized users. |
| Technical details | Mode of access: World Wide Web |
| Genre/form | Electronic books. |
| LCCN | 2010290624 |
| ISBN | 9781851969715 (hbk.) |
| ISBN | 1851969713 (hbk.) |
