The Rivals

Restoration comedy about social morals and hypocrisy. Mrs Malaprop, the infamous Queen of the Dictionary, is horrified. Her niece, the rich and beautiful Lydia Languish, is in love and wants to marry the penniless Ensign Beverley. Outraged, Mrs Malaprop demands that Lydia marry the eligible and dashing Captain Absolute who has arrived in Bath to court her. Little do they both know that the Ensign and the Captain are one and the same man…What follows is a delightful tangle of romance, fury and deception, making The Rivals one of the funniest and best loved comedies in the English language.