The Irish Widow
Encyclopedia
The Irish Widow is a play
by David Garrick
first staged at Drury Lane Theatre
on 23 October 1772. It was written in less than week by Garrick and resembled the plot of Le Mariage forcé by Molière
. A comedy, it depicts an elderly man who falls in love with his nephew's fiancée, the young Irish Widow Brady, and uses his control over his nephew's inheritance to end the relationship setting off a train of events. The play was a success and was performed frequently until the 1820s.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by David Garrick
David Garrick
David Garrick was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson...
first staged at Drury Lane Theatre
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
on 23 October 1772. It was written in less than week by Garrick and resembled the plot of Le Mariage forcé by Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
. A comedy, it depicts an elderly man who falls in love with his nephew's fiancée, the young Irish Widow Brady, and uses his control over his nephew's inheritance to end the relationship setting off a train of events. The play was a success and was performed frequently until the 1820s.