Plays 1676–1678: Volume 2, Plays 1676–1678

Aphra Behn's career in the Restoration theatre extended over nearly two full decades, and encompassed a remarkable generic range and diversity. The plays in this volume, published and performed between 1676 and 1678, include comedies set in London and Naples (The Town-Fopp and Sir Patient Fancy; The Rover), and two anonymously published plays long associated with Behn's name (The Counterfeit Bridegroom and The Debauchee). Collectively, Behn's plays of this period exemplify her skills in writing for individual performers, and exhibit both the topical political engagement with and sophisticated response to Restoration libertinism for which she is renowned. They also bear witness to Behn's popularity with theatre audiences during the politically difficult years of the 1670s. The present edition draws on recent scholarship on Restoration literary, theatrical and political history, and is also informed by the most up-to-date research in the field of computational attribution.

List of contents

Introduction; Editorial conventions; The Town-Fopp, edited by Claire Bowditch; The Debauchee, edited by Elaine Hobby; The Rover, edited by Elaine Hobby; The Counterfeit Bridegroom, edited by Jennie Challinor; Sir Patient Fancy, edited by Claire Bowditch.

Product details

• Authors: Aphra Behn
• Assisted by: Jennie Challinor (Editor)
• Publisher: Cambridge Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 31.12.2025
• EAN: 9781108471060
• ISBN: 978-1-108-47106-0
• Illustrations: Worked examples or Exercises
• Series: The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Aphra Behn
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Theatre Studies, Literary studies: general, Literary reference works, Literary studies: c 1600 to c 1800, Classic and pre-20th century plays