She Stoops to Conquer

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, Oliver Goldsmith's classic comedy of manners, tells of the clever schemes and comic ruses that unfold one night at a country house. An ambitious step-mother, impassioned sweethearts, a pragmatic father and a pair of star-crossed suitors are sent spinning through a hilarious comedy of errors by one of the great characters of the stage, Tony Lumpkin.In its day, this eighteenth century masterpiece was considered so 'low' that it might never have reached the stage. When it was finally produced, it enjoyed immediate and lasting success, breaking the mould with its satirical swipe at polite society. Goldsmith made comedy funnier and more natural than the 'sentimental' stuff of his contemporaries - yet his characters burst with warmth as well as great wit. Max Stafford-Clark sets the story of the ultimate dysfunctional family in the hinterland of Lichfield. His triumphant production played to great acclaim at the National Theatre and on tour.