Whilst not the best of her plays, this one has plenty to recommend it. There is some beautifully astute stuff about the late 18th century society for whom and about whom she is writing. Some of the characterisations are glorious and the dialogue, as I have come to expect from Mrs Inchbald, is accurate, witty and very fast paced. She doesn't mince or waste her words at all.
What lets it down slightly is the play's plotting and dramatic structure. It promises much and then delivers slightly less than it promised. Almost inevitably the Establishment on whom she was dependent for patronage and success was not to be upset and so the play has a happy ending where one would really want it to press home its critical points. This is disappointing but I have found that in production there are ways to mitigate this deficiency and get to what was really concerning the writer. For anyone with enough money to do the play justice, it could be a valuable addition to the 18th century restored dramatic canon.
What lets it down slightly is the play's plotting and dramatic structure. It promises much and then delivers slightly less than it promised. Almost inevitably the Establishment on whom she was dependent for patronage and success was not to be upset and so the play has a happy ending where one would really want it to press home its critical points. This is disappointing but I have found that in production there are ways to mitigate this deficiency and get to what was really concerning the writer. For anyone with enough money to do the play justice, it could be a valuable addition to the 18th century restored dramatic canon.
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