Thomas Shadwell (1642–1692) wrote a number of comic plays during his life. His drama featured broadly-based, coarse humor, and is filled with crude-but-vibrant characters drawn from the streets of Restoration London, individuals such as sharpers, whores, and eccentrics. His work is essentially plotless, but reeks with the odor of real people. Frank J. Morlock has created a composite drama (with plot!) from Shadwell's many works, but particularly employing pieces of The Woman Captain, The Squire of Alsatia, The Sullen Lovers, and The Virtuoso. The result is an hilarious masterpiece that's as timeless and as entertaining as the best of modern comedy.
