written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan adapted and directed by David Blakey4 to 13 June 2020 at 8pm Matinees Sunday 7 and Saturday 13 June at 2pm No evening performance Sunday 7 June No performance Monday 8 JuneHeralded as one of the funniest plays ever written, and only one of a handful of comedies from the 18th century still regularly performed. It’s a romance told with unconventional wit and emotion. Set in Bath, THE RIVALS tests just how far a group of society well-to-dos will go in order to capture the elusive magic of love. Miss Lydia Languish, an idealistic and wealthy young woman, insists on marrying a poor man for the sake of true love; as a result, the equally wealthy Captain Jack Absolute, who loves Lydia body and soul, must offer himself to her in the guise of a poor army officer. Filled with extravagant characters, exuberant energy and numerous farcical devices, THE RIVALS is a joyous romp that skewers marriage, class and wealth.
