A Quick Guide to "The Beggar's Opera"

By Students' Academy

“The Beggar Opera” is said to have had the longest run in theatre history up to that time.

It is said to be Gay’s greatest success and it has been played ever since its first performance.

“The Beggar’s Opera” was revived in 1920, and it had phenomenal success. The play ran for 1,463 performances at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London. It was a record run for any play in the history of musical theatre up to that time.

In those days the Italian opera was very popular in London. “The Beggar’s Opera” satirized Italian opera.

A Quick Guide to "The Beggar's Opera"
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Background and Origin
Chapter Three: Plot Summary
Chapter Four: Characters
Chapter Five: Summary All Acts
Act I
Act II
Act III
Chapter Six: Thematic Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Aug 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301374489

Students' Academy

Easy study guides for the students of English literature.

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A Quick Guide to The Beggar's Opera

Students' Academy

Copyright

A Quick Guide to The Beggar's Opera

Students' Academy

Copyright@2013 Students' Academy

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Chapter One: Introduction

The Beggar’s Opera is a three act ballad opera. It was written by John Gay in 1728. The music for the opera was given by Johann Christoph Pepusch.

In the Augustan Drama, The Beggar’s Opera is said to be one of the watershed plays. There is no other example of such a satirical ballad opera which is popular even today.

The play was launched on 29th of January 1728 at the Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre, and there were sixty-two consecutive performances of the play.

The Beggar Opera is said to have had the longest run in theatre history up to that time.

It is said to be Gay’s greatest success and it has been played ever since its first performance.

The Beggar’s Opera was revived in 1920, and it had phenomenal success. The play ran for 1,463 performances at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London. It was a record run for any play in the history of musical theatre up to that time.

In those days the Italian opera was very popular in London. The Beggar’s Opera satirized Italian opera.

Chapter Two: Background and Origin

The author got the idea of this opera from Jonathan Swift, who had written a letter to Alexander Pope on 30th August 1716 asking for Pope’s views of Newgate pastoral among the thieves and whores there.

Gay was friend of Pope and Swift. He decided that it was going to be a satire rather than a pastoral opera.

In the original production, Gay had intended all the songs to be sung without any music, and it was a shock to the theatre goers. People began to pass their remarks, expressing their surprise at Gay’s conception.

Gay could not achieve what he had intended because a week or so before the opening night, the theatre director, John Rich, insisted that music should be provided by Johann Christoph Pepusch. Johann was already associated with his theatre.

A formal French overture was written and altogether Johann was told to arrange 69 songs.

However, there is no clear evidence to establish who the real arranger was. The play was published by Dover Books.

The play mocks at the interest of the upper classes who were passionately interested in Italian opera. It also aimed at politicians and criminals of the time.

The play also deals with social inequity on a broad scale. The play compares low class thieves and whores with their aristocratic and bourgeois betters.

Most of the songs used by Gay came from