The Recruiting Officer

The NHB Drama Classics series presents the world's greatest plays in affordable, highly readable editions for students, actors and theatregoers. The hallmarks of the series are accessible introductions (focussing on the play's theatrical and historical background, together with an author biography, key dates and suggestions for further reading) and the complete text, uncluttered with footnotes. The translations, by leading experts in the field, are accurate and above all actable. The editions of English-language plays include a glossary of unusual words and phrases to aid understanding.

The Recruiting Officer is a Restoration Comedy with a real heart and soul.

Captain Plume arrives in Shrewsbury to recruit new soldiers. He falls for Sylvia - against her father's wishes. Rather than be sent away, Sylvia disguises herself as a man and so learns more about Plume than he would really like.

Edited and introduced by Simon Trussler.