The Clandestine Marriage

The Clandestine Marriage is a play co-written by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick. Premiering in 1766, it is described as a blend of sentiment and satire, and it remains a stage-worthy piece. George Colman the Elder was a prominent English comic dramatist and theatre manager known for his adaptations of Elizabethan plays and his satirical works, such as Polly Honeycombe, which poked fun at romantic novels. He also wrote The Jealous Wife, considered one of the best comedies of its era. Colman's theatrical career included managing Covent Garden and the Little Theatre in the Haymarket, where he aimed to elevate the standards of acting and drama. The play The Clandestine Marriage falls within the tradition of genteel comedy, a subgenre that, while sometimes artificial and sentimental, reflected the manners of the British upper class.12