Book cover for The Rivals

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Drama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price



One of the best known eighteenth century comedies of manners, Sheridan's first play, and still his most popular.



Lydia Languish, a young woman from a good family, holds to an impossible romantic ideal of love, and resolves only to marry a pauper. So Jack Absolute pretends to be a poor soldier in order to win her hand. Meanwhile, Jack's father is attempting to procure the match through the proper channel of Lydia's guardian, and Jack becomes a rival to himself, before he is finally challenged to duels by rival suitors in both his identities...



Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play The Rivals was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre, London, in 1775.



This edition of the play, in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series, is edited and introduced by Colin Counsell.
  • ISBN10 1306334918
  • ISBN13 9781306334914
  • Publish Date 1 January 2012 (first published December 1925)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Out of Print 25 February 2015
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Dover Publications
  • Language English