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A ‘comedy of manners’ where a cheeky alias causes confusion for two young lovers.

Knowing his lover Lydia Languish is a romantic at heart, Captain Jack Absolute assumes the persona of a poor army officer, Ensign Beverley.

Lydia is enthralled over the idea of eloping with him under the nose of her guardian, the moralistic Mrs Malaprop - whose misuse of language has given us the term ‘malapropism’.

How will Lydia react when she learns that impoverished Beverley is actually well-to-do Jack?

Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s drama is set in 18th century Bath, where the wealthy and fashionable went ‘to take the waters’.

Stars Dame Flora Robson, Christine Finn and Bernard Brown.

The drama was first performed on the London stage in 1775.

Mrs Malaprop .... Flora Robson
Sir Anthony Absolute .... Peter Pratt
Lydia Languish .... Christine Finn
Captain Absolute ....Bernard Brown
Bob Acres .... William Ingram
Julia .... Rosalind Shanks
Faulkland .... Peter Tuddenham
Sir Lucius O'Trigger .... Denys Hawthorne
Lucy .... Barbara Mitchell
Fag .... Christopher Bidmead
David .... Ronald Herdman
Thomas .... Alan Dudley
Boy/Maid .... Carol Marsh
Servant .... LeRoy Lingwood

Director: Betty Davies

First broadcast on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 in April 1968 as part of the Flora Robson Festival.

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