In the early months of 1787, young John Thelwall (1761-1834) submitted the manuscript of a two-act farce to George Colman, the well-known playwright and manager of the Haymarket Theatre. A sharp satire of British commercial spirit, institutions and urban culture, the play was silently dismissed, and only returned to its author in 1814. Its tremendously popular subject, however, was reshaped into one of the most successful comic operas of its time, _Inkle and Yarico_, which was penned by the manager’s son, George Colman the Younger, and premiered on August 4 of that same year at Haymarket. In this essay, I will consider how Thelwall’s brief and incisive play encapsulates John Thelwall’s radical politics, exposing the inconsistencies underlying British mercantile ethos, and questioning its very foundations.
Radical Reversals: Commerce and Natural Rights in John Thelwall's Farce _Inkle and Yarico, or Ingratitude Rewarded_ (1787)
Franca Dellarosa
2022-01-01
Abstract
In the early months of 1787, young John Thelwall (1761-1834) submitted the manuscript of a two-act farce to George Colman, the well-known playwright and manager of the Haymarket Theatre. A sharp satire of British commercial spirit, institutions and urban culture, the play was silently dismissed, and only returned to its author in 1814. Its tremendously popular subject, however, was reshaped into one of the most successful comic operas of its time, _Inkle and Yarico_, which was penned by the manager’s son, George Colman the Younger, and premiered on August 4 of that same year at Haymarket. In this essay, I will consider how Thelwall’s brief and incisive play encapsulates John Thelwall’s radical politics, exposing the inconsistencies underlying British mercantile ethos, and questioning its very foundations.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
