Both entertaining and wise, these plays playfully celebrate the appeal of fiction, while never letting us forget how much it relies upon the everyday rituals of performance, both off-stage and on. The introduction and appendices examine: The interrelation of print and performance in 18th century England; The original performance casts, the nuanced and dubious reputation of fiction and circulating libraries, as well as a continuous comparison of the two heroines of the play. Sheridan's high profile elopement with Elizabeth Linley and the narrative possibilities set up by the physical and cultural settings of 18th century London.