Now her Restoration play, The Amorous Prince, has been rescued from obscurity, after returning to the stage for what appears to be the first performance since 1671.
Most of the published female writers in Behn’s day wrote political pamphlets or religious reflections. There were other female playwrights – such as the Duchess of Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish – but they did not make a living from their work.
The Amorous Prince is a comedy of intrigue about mistaken identity and double-dealing. Its themes become evident a few minutes into the drama, when a courtier warns his princely master against leaving his romantic conquests “quite undone”. Audiences of the time would recognise that the character in question, Curtius, is making a serious accusation: “undone” is here a sexual euphemism. Curtius is urging the prince not to leave his lovers’ sexual reputation destroyed.
His master, Prince Frederick, brushes off the criticism. The conversation further reveals that his current squeeze is Curtius’ own sister (a familial connection the courtier has concealed). Once he is alone, Curtius vows to protect his sister and expose the prince.
Director Natalie Cox of the Canterbury Players brought this long-forgotten play back to the stage for a sold-out three-night run in the Anselm Theatre studio at Canterbury Christ Church University in July. It was important to Cox to use costumes and props that belong in the modern day, rather than the 1670s, so the cast were casually dressed and carried mobile phones.
This creative decision to go for a modernised production removes some of the barriers to audience engagement, making the contemporary resonances clear. The parallels are uncomfortably familiar. Prince Frederick, like a modern-day Harvey Weinstein, gets away with so much because his power is virtually unchecked.
Before the Restoration, female parts were typically performed by young boys, but the monarch Charles II preferred to see women take these roles. So it was by royal edict that the Duke’s Company, and Behn could explore female perspectives on gender politics.
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For the full article by Professor Elaine Hobby and Dr Catherine Gill visit the Conversation.
ENDS