Bodleian Libraries, Playbill of Drury Lane Theatre, Tuesday, Sept

''The Jealous Wife'' is a 1761

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

play by

George Colman the Elder George Colman (April 1732 – 14 August 1794) was an English dramatist and essayist, usually called "the Elder", and sometimes "George the First", to distinguish him from his son, George Colman the Younger. He also owned a theatre. Early lif ...

. A

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

, it was first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre on 12 February 1761 and ran for 19 performances in its first season and 70 by the end of the century. It was translated into French and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

. Colman was indebted to

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English novelist, irony writer, and dramatist known for earthy humour and satire. His comic novel ''Tom Jones'' is still widely appreciated. He and Samuel Richardson are seen as founders ...

's novel '' Tom Jones'' as an inspiration for several characters and incidents and is an early example of a dramatisation of a popular novel. An Advertisement preceding ''The Jealous Wife'' in Colman's Dramatick Works of 1777 reveals that he also developed ideas for the play from

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...

, The Connoisseur and The Adelphi of Terrance. David Garrick helped Colman to work on the

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...

and cut down its length.Nettleton p.669

References

Bibliography

* Nettleton, George H. & Case, Arthur E. ''British Dramatists from Dryden to Sheridan''. Southern Illinois University Press, 1975.

External links

* Full text of ''The Jealous Wife'' Plays by George Colman the Elder 1761 plays {{18thC-play-stub