''The Double Dealer'' is a comic play written by
English
English usually refers to:
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* English people
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Peoples, culture, and language
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playwright William Congreve
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a mi ...
, first produced in
1693
Events
January–March
* January 11 – 1693 Sicily earthquake: Mount Etna erupts, causing a devastating earthquake that affects parts of Sicily and Malta.
* January 22 – A total lunar eclipse is visible across North and South Ame ...
.
Henry Purcell set it to music.
Characters and plot
This comedy sees character Mellefont, nephew and prospective heir of Lord Touchwood, about to marry Cynthia, daughter of Sir Paul Plyant. Lady Touchwood, a violent and dissolute woman, is in love with Mellefont, but as he rejects her advances, determines to prevent the match and ruin him in Lord Touchwood's esteem. In this design she finds a confederate in Maskwell, the Double Dealer, who has been her lover, pretends to be Mellefont's friend, and aspires to cheat him of Cynthia and get her for himself. To this end he leads Plyant to suspect an intrigue between Mellefont and Lady Plyant, and Touchwood an intrigue between Mellefont and Lady Touchwood; and contrives that Touchwood shall find Mellefont in the latter's chamber.
Mellefont is disinherited and Cynthia is to be made over to Maskwell. The latter's plot, however, here goes wrong. Lord Touchwood informs Lady Touchwood of Maskwell's intention to marry Cynthia. This awakens her jealousy. She finds Maskwell and rebukes him, and is overheard by Lord Touchwood, who now perceives Maskwell's treachery, and defeats his final attempt to carry off Cynthia.
[Cf. E.S. Rump, (ed.), ''The Comedies of William Congreve'', Penguin Classics (1986).]
Adaptations
On 14 May 1995,
BBC Radio 3 broadcast a production directed by
Phyllida Lloyd
Phyllida Christian Lloyd, (born 17 June 1957) is an English film director and producer, best known for ''Mamma Mia!'' (2008) and '' The Iron Lady'' (2011). Her theatre work includes directing productions at the Royal Court Theatre and Royal Na ...
and featuring Robin Bailey as Lord Touchwood, Sheila Gish as Lady Touchwood, Jonathan Cullen as Mellefont,
Clive Swift
Clive Walter Swift (9 February 1936 – 1 February 2019) was an English actor and songwriter. A classically trained actor, his stage work included performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but he was best known to television viewers for h ...
as Sir Paul Plyant,
Penelope Wilton
Dame Penelope Alice Wilton (born 3 June 1946), styled Penelope, Lady Holm between 1998 and 2001, is an English actress. She is known for starring opposite Richard Briers in the BBC sitcom ''Ever Decreasing Circles'' (1984–1989); playing H ...
as Lady Plyant,
Christopher Benjamin as Lord Froth,
Celia Imrie
Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author. She was described in 2003 as one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' f ...
as Lady Froth,
Claire Skinner
Claire Skinner (born 1965) is an English actress, known in the United Kingdom for her television career, particularly playing Sue Brockman from the BBC television series '' Outnumbered''.
Early life
Claire Skinner was born and brought up in ...
as Cynthia, Mark Lockyer as Brisk, Richard Bonneville as Careless and
Robert Glenister
Robert Lewis Glenister (born 11 March 1960 in Watford, Hertfordshire) is an English actor. The son of the television director John Glenister and the older brother of actor Philip Glenister, his roles include con man Ash "Three Socks" Morgan in ...
as Maskwell.
See also
*
Restoration comedy
Notes
References
*
Macaulay, Thomas Babington. ''The Comic Dramatists of the Restoration.'' London, Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1853.
*Rump, E. S., (ed.) ''The Comedies of William Congreve'', Penguin Classics (1986).
*Erskine-Hill, H., Lindsay, A. (eds), ''William Congreve: The Critical Heritage'', Routledge (1995).
*Henderson, A. G., ''The Comedies of William Congreve'', Cambridge University Press (1982).
External links
*.
*
*
Congreve's BiographyThe Library of William Congreve at the Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Double Dealer, The
1693 plays
Plays set in the 17th century
Restoration comedy
Plays by William Congreve