Rover: Or The Banish'd Cavaliers

The Rover, or, The Banished Cavaliers is a popular play by Aphra Behn, first performed in 1677. It follows the wild exploits of a group of English gentlemen in Naples at Carnival time and subverts Restoration comedy tropes. It made Behn one of the first women to earn a living by their pen.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 28 April 2021
Publisher: Renard Press Ltd

The Rover, or The Banished Cavaliers, is a renowned play by the Restoration playwright and spy, Aphra Behn, which made its debut in 1677. Despite her brief career as a spy for Charles II, which was cut short by a spell in debtor's prison, Behn remained a staunch Royalist, and the title alludes to the supporters of Charles who were exiled on the Continent. In the spirit of Restoration comedy, the play chronicles the misadventures of a group of English gentlemen in Naples during Carnival time. While it employs many traditional tropes of the genre, Behn subverts them to a significant degree, causing a stir in the theatrical world. Behn's character, the notorious libertine Willmore, was an instant hit, and The Rover propelled her to overnight fame and financial success. This achievement made her one of the earliest women to earn a livelihood through her writing.

Weight: 148g
Dimension: 255 x 274 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913724061