Captain Plume, weary from the triumphant battle of Blenheim, returns to Shrewsbury to recruit men for his regiment and women for his bed. But the recently enriched Silvia Balance wants him for herself alone, and mixes up the two forms of recruiting in a plot bordering on the farcical.

A range of comic characters from Justice Balance to Costar Pearmain portrays - with gentle satire - the huge differences in wealth and social standing in an 18th century town: and Farquhar portrays the very human weaknesses of military "heroes".

"The Recruiting Officer" was an immediate hit when it opened at Drury Lane in 1706: it became the most frequently performed play of the 18th century. This production aims to be fun for all concerned.

At the Sydney Cove penal colony in 1789, a young lieutenant directs rehearsals of the Restoration comedy "The Recruiting Officer". With only two copies of the text, a cast of convicts, opposition from sadistic officers, and a leading lady about to be hanged, the production is in trouble from the start...

Based on an historical incident and on Thomas Kenneally's novel "The Playmaker", Timberlake Wertenbaker's inspirational play, shows us the redemptive, transcendental power of theatre with great elegance and passion.

Now recognised as a modern classic, and an A-level set text, it was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London in 1988, winning the Laurence Olivier Award that year.

• The Director's approach:
  • Jeremy Cooper on "The Recruiting Officer"
  • Rosemary Hill on "Our Country's Good"

• Set design
  • photos of set models
  • "Designing Our Country's Good" and "The Recruiting Officer" by Alex Eales, Designer

• Production photographs
  • "Our Country's Good" - taken during the technical rehearsal, and dress rehearsal
  • "The Recruiting Officer" - taken during the final performance

• "Our Country's Good" by Timberlake Wertenbaker, Methuen Student Edition, 1995
• "The Recruiting Officer" by George Farquhar, edited by John Ross, New Mermaids, 2nd edition, 1991

• "Letters to George" by Max Stafford-Clark, Nick Hern Books, 1997

• "The Playmaker" by Thomas Keneally, Sceptre, 1988

• "The Playmaker - Thomas Keneally: A Students Guide", Donhan Books, 1999

The key text for historical background to "Our Country's Good" is

• "The Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes, Harvill Press 1997, Pan Books Ltd 1988.

• A site about Farquhar and his works: thanks to Walt at the Moonstruck Bookstore for this link.