The Recruiting Officer

Farquhar’s last two plays, The Recruiting Officer and The Beaux’ Stratagem, have been called ‘the last worthwhile comedies of the Restoration tradition’. Written during Farquhar’s stint in Shrewsbury as part of a recruiting mission in 1704-5, The Recruiting Officer is a buoyant, whimsical piece stocked by a fairly conventional cast of characters: the rake-hero and his spirited lady (who dons breeches in the course of the action), his sober friend and the heroine’s serious friend, the buffoon/coxcomb and his ill-fated amorous or heroic ventures. What makes the play entertaining is Farquhar’s light, humane touch; what makes it original is his depiction of a real-life provincial town and the impact that ongoing warfare (in this case the War of the Spanish Succession) had on its civilian society.