Sedos Reads: The Critic

The Critic was first staged at Drury Lane Theatre in 1779. Sheridan’s comedy is a burlesque on acting, play production, and a parody of tragic drama conventions. Misadventures arise when the playwright, Puff, invites theatre critics Dangle and Sneer to a rehearsal of his play The Spanish Armada.

Sheridan wrote his first play, The Rivals, in 1775, to huge success. In 1777 he wrote A School For Scandal and followed it with The Critic in 1779. From 1780 he abandoned writing and became a controversial figure as an MP advocating press freedom, and later well-known as the owner of the Drury Lane theatre.

The performance of The Critic (lasting approximately an hour) is on Thursday 18 February at 7.30pm. Email audience@sedos.co.uk to watch the show.

See the cast list here.