Theatre West Four to Perform She Stoops To Conquer

New production of Goldsmith's play at Questors Studio Theatre

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Theatre West Four are to perform She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith.

The play, which is alternatively titled The Mistakes of a Night, was an immediate success for Goldsmith, his last literary triumph, when it opened on 15 March 1773 at the Covent Garden Theatre. The audience roared its approval and, within five days of it premiering, every copy of the published version of the play was sold.

poster for She Stoops To Conquer production

A perfect example of Goldsmith’s newly invented genre ‘laughing comedy’ concentrating on mirth, the exposure of human follies and using characters from the lower and middle classes with easy and natural dialogue.

The play opens with two gentlemen from London looking for the home of Mr Hardcastle with the intention of one of them to woo the young Kate Hardcastle. They are tricked into thinking that the home is an inn and conduct themselves accordingly, particularly with how boorishly they treat the ‘landlord’ and ‘staff’. Frolics and fun follow. Goldsmith’s major theme is exploring the follies of blindness to which all humans are prone. The decisions characters make and their perspectives on one another are all largely based on what class they are part of (and think others are part of). After poking fun at all the characters, the play ends on a note of discovery and self-discovery. The hero finds himself and discovers the meaning of true love.

Theatre West Four is an amateur company willing to stretch and challenge itself. In choosing Goldsmith’s punchy example of a newly formed genre of its time, they hope to bring a fresh and zesty production to West London audiences.

She Stoops to Conquer runs from 21– 25 November with performances at 7.30pm with a 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 25 November. Questors Studio Theatre is at 12 Mattock Lane, Ealing, W5 5BQ. For tickets go to their website or telephone the box office: 020 8567 5184


November 17, 2017

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