In Oliver Goldsmith’s classic comedy of manners, two young men set out to woo the alluring and upper-crust Kate and Constance. But is anybody in this rural estate truly who they seem? Bawdy hijinks and popped pretensions are the hallmarks of this romping frolic that’s kept audiences laughing for over two centuries. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles in June 2010 Adapted for radio and directed by Martin Jarvis Producing Director Susan Albert Loewenberg Rosalind Ayres as Mrs. Hardcastle Adam Godley as Tony Lumpkin Julian Holloway as Elder Marlow/Stingo James Marsters as Charles Marlow Christopher Neame as Roger Paula Jane Newman as Bet Bouncer/Pimple Ian Ogilvy as Mr. Hardcastle Moira Quirk as Constance Neville Darren Richardson as Diggory/Jeremy Joanne Whalley as Kate Hardcastle Matthew Wolf as George Hastings Associate Producers: Jennifer Brooks, Christina Montaño Recording Engineer, Sound Designer, Mixer: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood Sound Effects Artist: Teresa Arrison Music Supervisor: Scott Willis
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"I had to check the dictionary more often compared to when reading regular books. And sometimes, the dictionary doesn't even contain the words from this 1700's comedy! Other than that, it was pretty funny. I bet that it's more hilarious when performed. (Got to check out if there's some on YouTube.)"
— Marceline (4 out of 5 stars)
" Okay, but rather one-note and labored. It doesn't have the delicious wit of The School for Scandal. "
— Katharine, 2/18/2014" This was ok, but not my favorite. I struggled to understand sometimes, but that problem was probably my own and not the book. :) "
— Meg, 2/1/2014" Hilarious! A well written comedy that should be performed on the stage more. "
— Jenny, 1/30/2014" My dad lent this book to me as a quick read with a cute story. It was definitely a fast read, and the story was enjoyable if extremely silly. Goldsmith really enjoys writing about ridiculous people (see The Vicar of Wakefield). "
— Julie, 1/28/2014" One of the more entertaining required reads from high school, and a lot more light-hearted than most of the things we read. Remember enjoying this quite a bit. "
— Caroline, 1/17/2014" A nice light romantic one "
— Divya, 1/12/2014" More restoration comedy. Predictable plot, characters, etc. "
— Scroutch, 1/7/2014" This eighteenth-century British play is full of slapstick. "
— Frederick, 1/5/2014" Cute play. We watched a performance in class that was quite funny! "
— Lauren, 1/5/2014" Unlike other writers smith has a very special way of appealing to his reader "
— Emmanuel, 12/23/2013" Jane Austen meets Oscar Wilde? But I think they didn't quite get along as well as i'd hoped. Still, I was entertained. A good stage performance might improve it. "
— Corrie, 12/17/2013Oliver Goldsmith (1731–1774), an Irish-born poet, playwright, essayist, and novelist, was noted for his graceful and lively writing style and for being a member of Dr. Samuel Johnson’s literary circle. Among his best known works are The Vicar of Wakefield; The Deserted Village, a pastoral poem; and The Good-Natur’d Man, a play.
Whitney Dykhouse has worked as a stage actress starring as Annie Sullivan in Master Arts Theatre’s production of The Miracle Worker. She is also an audiobook narrator and has read titles by Donna Jo Napoli and Steve Watkins.
Moira Quirk, a British actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator, co-narrated Ben Bova’s Mercury and has narrated other popular audiobooks for which she received Audie Award nominations. She is a successful comedian and can be heard on Nickelodeon’s cartoon My Life as a Teenage Robot as well as in The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, The Wild Thornberrys Feature, and Serendipity, among others. She has also lent her voice to several video games, including Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction and Haunting Ground.
James Marsters, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, graduated from Davis High School and attended Juilliard, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and the American Conservatory Theatre. After spending ten years doing stage work, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. He got his big break as Spike in Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He is also a talented musician; his band Ghost of the Robot has released three albums: Mad Brilliant, B-Sider, and Murphy’s Law.
Rosalind Ayres is a leading English actress whose many movies include the Oscar-winning Gods and Monsters and Titanic. Her audio performances have won awards in both Britain and the United States, including AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Dennis Boutsikaris is a two-time OBIE award winner. He has received five Audie Awards and seven Golden Earphone Awards for his work in over 100 audiobooks and was voted one of the Best Voices of the Year by AudioFile magazine. He has appeared in numerous Broadway, television, and film roles. He played Mozart on Broadway in Amadeus and has appeared on television shows including Shameless, The Good Wife, House M.D., Grey’s Anatomy, ER, and Law & Order.
Matthew Wolf has worked extensively as a voice, theater, radio, and television actor. He has appeared in many productions on the London stage, including the title role in a sell-out production of Macbeth alongside Twilight star Robert Pattinson. He is also the official voice of Thor for Mavel Studios’ animated films Hulk Vs. Thor and Thor: Tales of Asgard. He lives in Los Angeles, where he is also producing with his production company, Cool Hand International.
Adam Godley has performed extensively both on screen and on stage. Among his many accolades are a Tony Award nomination and three Olivier Award nominations. He has worked with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as the BBC.