An Introduction to The School for Scandal

'Stage pictures are used beautifully to communicate with the audience' TEACHING DRAMA MAGAZINE

The School for Scandal was written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, with a prologue by the famous actor David Garrick, and was first performed in 1777.

It’s the story of two brothers, one apparently a model citizen, the other a dissolute ne’er-do-well. But as the play progresses and the scandal-mongering backfires, the tables are turned on the siblings.

An enduring classic that still hits home today

With its themes of deceit, pride, love, gossip and capriciousness, The School for Scandal is one of the most enduring of all theatre classics. It showcases Sheridan’s mastery of farce, witty dialogue and delight in satirising upper-class pretension and affectation. Above all, it shows how appearances can be deceptive, and provides much else in terms of revelation and enjoyment along the way.

Often hailed as the best comedy of manners in English, The School for Scandal has been a crowd-pleaser for centuries. As a set text for students, it has the advantage over some older plays of language that’s more accessible (though exquisitely crafted).

In addition, its themes resonate even (or perhaps especially) today. As The New York Times said about one 2001 production: “The classy antidote one needs in a celebrity-crazed world where the invasion of privacy is out of control, but the art of gossip is nonexistent."

  The School for Scandal is now available to purchase on DVD or as paid downloads on YouTube 

Current plays available: The Duchess of Malfi, Doctor Faustus, Volpone and The School for Scandal.