| The Constant Couple | |
|---|---|
 Late 18th-century depiction of a scene from the play. | |
| Written by | George Farquhar |
| Date premiered | 28 November 1699 |
| Place premiered | Drury Lane Theatre,London |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Restoration Comedy |
The Constant Couple is a 1699 play by the Irish writerGeorge Farquhar. It is part of theRestoration comedy tradition, and is often described as asentimental comedy. It marked the first major success of Farquhar's career. A series of comic misunderstandings are triggered when three rivals vie for the hand of the wealthy heiress Lady Lurewell.
It was staged at theDrury Lane Theatre in London. The original cast includedRobert Wilks as Sir Harry Wildair,George Powell as Standard,John Mills as Vizard,Benjamin Johnson as Smugler,William Pinkethman as Clincher Senior,William Bullock as Clincher Junior, Henry Norris as Dicky,Joseph Haines as Tom Errand,Susanna Verbruggen as Lurewell,Jane Rogers as Angelica,Mary Powell as Lady Darling and Henrietta Moore as Parly. The hero and most popular character, therakish Sir Harry Wildair was revived for a sequelSir Harry Wildair in 1701.[1]
For several decades the part of Sir Harry was strongly identified with the actorRobert Wilks, and became his signature role. It was later taken over by the Irish actressPeg Woffington, who performed it as abreeches role.[2]Dorothea Jordan also played the part as didSamuel Foote. Actresses who have played the role of Lady Lurewell includedAnne Oldfield andHannah Pritchard.William Bullock appeared in the original run as Clincher.
Numerous revivals of the play have taken place over subsequent centuries.
The Constant Couple public domain audiobook atLibriVox | This article on a play from the 17th century is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
