''London Assurance'' (originally titled ''Out of Town'') is a five-act comedy by
Dion Boucicault
Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...
. It was the second play that he wrote but his first to be produced. Its first production was by
Charles Matthews and
Madame Vestris's company and ran from 4 March 1841 at the
Theatre Royal, Covent Garden
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...
. It was Boucicault's first major success.
Characters
![Harper's Theatre - Grand dramatic inauguration, Dec](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Harper%27s_Theatre_-_Grand_dramatic_inauguration%2C_Dec._5%2C_1878.jpg)
*Sir Harcourt Courtly, cultured 57-year-old fop
*Charles Courtly, his dissolute son
*Dazzle, Charles's equally dissolute companion
*Max Harkaway, country squire
*Grace Harkaway, Max's 18-year-old niece, betrothed to Sir Harcourt
*Lady Gay Spanker, horse-riding virago
*Mr. Adolphus "Dolly" Spanker, her ineffectual husband
*Mark Meddle, lawyer
*Pert, Grace's maid
*Cool, Charles's valet
*James (Simpson)
*Martin, servant to the Courtlys
*Solomon Isaacs, moneylender, in pursuit of Charles
Plot
Act 1
Charles and Dazzle arrive at Sir Harcourt's London home after a night on the town and manage to avoid Harcourt with Cool's help; Harcourt still believes that Charles is a clean-living innocent. Max arrives to make the final arrangements for Harcourt's marriage to Max's niece Grace. Max has made Grace's inheritance contingent on her marrying Harcourt; if she does not, it will pass to Charles. In return, Harcourt has financially helped him. Harcourt leaves and Dazzle bumps into Max, gaining himself an invitation to Oak Hall in Gloucestershire, Max's country house, and Charles will accompany him on the trip.
Act 2
At Oak Hall, Grace tells her maid Pert about her acceptance of marriage to the aged Sir Harcourt and explains her view of love as an "epidemic madness". Charles and Dazzle arrive; Charles does not know of his father's marriage plans and immediately starts courting Grace. Harcourt arrives and Charles tells him that he is actually named Augustus Hamilton and merely bears a remarkable likeness to Charles. His father is convinced for a time.
Act 3
Lady Gay Spanker and her husband "Dolly" arrive, and Sir Harcourt immediately falls in love with the former. Grace begins to fall in love with Charles/Augustus in spite of herself. When Lady Gay interrupts their courtship, Charles easily persuades the lady to distract Sir Harcourt from marriage to Grace by apparently accepting his affections. Charles leaves as 'Augustus', returning as Charles to tell Grace that 'Augustus' has been killed, to see if she really loves him, whilst Lady Gay and Sir Harcourt plan to elope.
Act 4
The elopement is frustrated by Max, Dolly and the local lawyer Meddle. Dolly challenges Sir Harcourt to a duel. Sir Harcourt realises he has been duped and resolves to release Grace from their marriage contract.
Act 5
Max prevents the duel and Grace insists on going through with the marriage to Sir Harcourt, as a ruse to force Charles's hand. Charles's creditors catch up with him. Dolly forgives Gay and Sir Harcourt finds out his son's true nature as well as acceding to Charles's marriage to Grace.
Style
The play is considered an intermediate point between the 18th-century comedies of
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as ''The Rivals'', ''The Sc ...
and
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, dramatist and poet, who is best known for his novel ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766), his pastoral poem ''The Deserted Village'' (1770), and his pl ...
on the one hand and
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
’s ''
The Importance of Being Earnest
''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
'' on the other.
Production history
The play's first production ran for three months, with
Madame Vestris as Grace Harkaway and
Charles Mathews
Charles Mathews (28 June 1776, London – 28 June 1835, Devonport) was an English theatre manager and comic actor, well known during his time for his gift of impersonation and skill at table entertainment. His play ''At Home'', in which he pla ...
as Dazzle, and was soon followed (from 11 October 1841, at the
Park Theatre) by its first New York production, with
Charlotte Cushman
Charlotte Saunders Cushman (July 23, 1816 – February 18, 1876) was an American stage actress. Her voice was noted for its full contralto register, and she was able to play both male and female parts. She lived intermittently in Rome, in an expa ...
as Lady Gay Spanker.
According to casting notes from Methuen & Co Ltd's 1971 publication of the play, the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
produced the show with director
Ronald Eyre
Ronald Eyre (13 April 1929 – 8 April 1992) was an English theatre director, actor and writer.
Biography
Eyre was born at Mapplewell, near Barnsley, Yorkshire and he taught at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn and Giggleswick Sch ...
. The first performance was on June 23, 1970, and featured
Donald Sinden
Sir Donald Alfred Sinden (9 October 1923 – 12 September 2014) was a British actor.
Sinden featured in the film ''Mogambo'' (1953), and achieved early fame as a Rank Organisation film star in the 1950s in films including ''The Cruel Sea (195 ...
as Sir Harcourt Courtly,
Michael Williams as Charles,
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
as Grace and
Barrie Ingham
Barrie Stanton Ingham (10 February 1932 – 23 January 2015) was an English actor, performing on stage and "in a handful of films." He was perhaps most widely known as "a prolific television actor". His notable work includes '' A Challenge for ...
as Dazzle which transferred to the
Albery Theatre Albery is a name. It may refer to:
;People by given name
*Albery Allson Whitman (1851−1901), African American poet, minister and orator
;People by surname:
*A. S. Albery, British politician
*Bronson Albery (1881−1971), English theatre director ...
in London and had a run at the
Palace Theatre on Broadway in New York. Eyre was nominated for a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
for his directing and Sinden was the first recipient of the Broadway
Drama Desk Special Award
The Drama Desk Special Award is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements by an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway ...
.
[Who's Who in the Theatre, 17th edition (1981)] A 1974 production saw
Roger Rees
Roger Rees (5 May 1944 – 10 July 2015) was a Welsh actor and director, widely known for his stage work. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. He also rece ...
take on the role of Charles, and
Dinsdale Landen
Dinsdale James Landen (4 September 1932 – 29 December 2003) was an English actor. His television appearances included starring in the shows ''Devenish'' (1977) and ''Pig in the Middle'' (1980). ''The Independent'' named him an "outstanding ac ...
play Dazzle.
In 1976, the play was adapted for television by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
as Charles Courtly and Landen reprising his role of Dazzle. It also featured
as Sir Harcourt) later transferred to London. Its cast also included
as Adolphus. Other productions include one at the
, which toured to Guildford.
In 1991, the play was adapted for radio and directed by Sue Wilson on
as Lady Gay. A live performance was simulcast to cinemas around the world through their ''NTLive!'' program.