The Country Wife

The Country Wife

Written by William Wycherley
Performed in English
1981

The Country Wife was performed for the first time in 1674/75. An instant success with the aristocratic audience for whom it was written, it is now generally considered the first, indeed one of the few, masterpieces of English Restoration Comedy.

The new comedy satirised the new morality; sexual liaisons on the either side of the matrimonial blanket were treated with a lack of sentimentality which alarmed future generations. The Country Wife was never played in its unexpurgated form until 1924.

Cheek by Jowl’s first production: William Wycherley’s The Country Wife was presented at the Edinburgh Festival in 1981, supported by a small Arts Council grant. The first performance of The Country Wife was on 17th August 1981 at St Columba’s by the Castle, Edinburgh.

Tis my maxim: he’s a fool that marries, but he’s a greater fool that does not marry a fool.
Act I, scene i

Cast and creative team

Cast

Name	Character
Kevin Burke	Horner
Michael Irwin	Harcourt/Mistress Squeamish
Nigel Leach	Sparkish
Simon Needs	Pinchwife
Jane Maud	Alithea/Lady Fidgit
Caroline Swift	Margery/Sir Jasper Fidgit

Creative Team

Role	Name
Director	Declan Donnellan
Designer	Nick Ormerod
Stage Manager	Caroline Donnellan

Previous performances

Previous Performances

Date (first performance)	Location	No. of performances
4 December 1981	Plymouth, Arts Centre, UK	2
2 December 1981	Oxford, Old Fire Station, UK	2
30 November 1981	Birmingham, Midlands Arts Centre, UK	1
27 November 1981	Horsham, Capitol Theatre, UK	2
26 November 1981	Oldham, Grange Arts Centre, UK	1
24 November 1981	Nelson, Nelson and Colne College, UK	1
21 November 1981	Stratton on Fosse, Downside Abbey, UK	1
20 November 1981	Huddersfield, Slaithwaite Hall, UK	1
17 November 1981	Guildford, Surrey University, UK	1
14 November 1981	Biggar, Biggar Arts Workshop, UK	1
12 November 1981	Stirling, MacRobert Centre, UK	2
10 November 1981	Dundee, Bonar Hall, UK	2
5 November 1981	St Andrews, Crawford Arts Centre, UK	3
30 October 1981	Whitehaven, Rosehill Theatre, UK	2
24 October 1981	Market Drayton, Headlands, UK	1
23 October 1981	Rugby, Macready Theatre, UK	1
22 October 1981	Dudley, Borough Council, UK	1
21 October 1981	Kidderminster, College of FE, UK	1
20 October 1981	Ellesmere, Ellesmere College, UK	1
19 October 1981	Hereford, RNCB, UK	1
16 October 1981	Chipping Norton, The Theatre, UK	2
14 October 1981	Oxford, Pegasus Theatre, UK	1
9 October 1981	Aldershot, West End Centre, UK	1
2 October 1981	Rutland, Theatre Uppingham, UK	2
25 August 1981	London, Theatrespace, UK	12
17 August 1981	Edinburgh, St Columba by the Castle, UK	12

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Programme for Cheek by Jowl’s first ever production, The Country Wife (version 1)

Cast

Creative Team

Previous Performances

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