ABSTRACT
With Charles Dibdin as composer, librettist Isaac Bickerstaff (1733—c.1808) adapted this from Farquhar’s play of the same name. Like Farquhar, Bickerstaff had some direct experience of the military, having served as an ensign in the Northumberland Fusiliers, and as a second lieutenant in the marines. In contrast to Farquhar, Bickerstaff told a much simpler tale, with even more emphasis on the hardship recruiting parties could cause to families. The plaintive airs sung by the countryman’s wife and mother highlighted the evils of enlistment, though they did little to sway their beloved husband/son. The play was originally performed at Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens the previous summer, but was subsequently revised in this printed version for performance at the Royal Theatre of Drury Lane with the addition of a ballet, chorus, and additional scene. Dibdin played the ‘Country-man’ in the Drury Lane production, and his conversation with the sergeant about the horrors of battle and the honour of agricultural work contrasted with the more positive view of the army that characterised Dibdin’s later work.
