(Sheridan)
Act I, Scene 2 (omitting from the entry of Julia to the entry of Mrs. Malaprop)
Act III, Scene 3
Act IV. Scene 2
Act V. Scene I (from the entry of Lydia and Maid)

The wittiest play of one of the wittiest men who ever wrote tor the English stage, The Rivals was first produced at Covent Garden in January, 1775. It was Sheridan's first play, and it failed. Four years later, when he was manager of the Drury Lane, he put it on again, with better success. It has now passed into the repertory of stage classics, and one of the most notable revivals took place at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, a few years ago. With its romantic young lady and her very practical lover, and so famous a trio of characters as Mrs. Malaprop, Bob Acres, and Sir Lucius O'Trigger (one of the few stage Irishmen really credibly drawn), and its humour culminating in the unforgettable duel scene, The Rivals is a comedy of manners that will always appeal to anybody who can appreciate either humour or wit.