The Rivals is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts. It was first performed at Covent Garden Theater on January 17, 1775.
The Rivals was Sheridan’s first play. At the time he was a young newlywed living in Bath. At Sheridan’s insistence, upon marriage his wife Eliza (born Elizabeth Linley) had given up her career as a singer. This was proper for the wife of a “gentleman,” but it was difficult because Eliza had earned a substantial income as a performer. Instead the Sheridans lived beyond their means as they entertained the gentry and nobility with Eliza’s singing (in private parties) and Richard’s wit. Finally, in need of funds, Richard turned to the only craft gaining him the remuneration he desired in a short time: he began writing a play. He had over the years written and published essays and poems, and among his papers were numerous unfinished plays, essays, and political tracts, but never had he undertaken such an ambitious project as this. In a short time, however, he completed
The Rivals.
