At the beginning of the eighteenth century, British theatre saw a shift from what critics call 'Restoration' to 'sentimental' comedy. Focusing on the career of the Irish dramatist George Farquhar (1678-1707), this book argues that experimentation was the basis for this change.

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, British theatre saw a shift from what critics call 'Restoration' to 'sentimental' comedy. Focusing on the career of the Irish dramatist George Farquhar (1678-1707), this book argues that experimentation was the basis for this change.