Jack Absolute Flies Again

A hilarious new comedic adaptation of Sheridan's Restoration comedy The Rivals which relocates the action to 1940 and the Battle of Britain.

What will happen in England after we have won this war?Bunting! Bunting everywhere!After the bunting has been taken down.They will never take down our bunting! July 1940. After an aerial dog fight, Pilot Officer Jack Absolute flies home to win the heart of his old flame, Lydia Languish. Back on British soil, Jack’s advances soon turn to anarchy when the young heiress demands to be loved on her own, very particular, terms. Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s classic comedy of manners, The Rivals, is given an uproarious Battle of Britain update by Richard Bean and Oliver Chris. In 2011, Richard Bean became the first playwright to win the Evening Standard Award for Best Play for two plays, The Heretic and One Man, Two Guvnors. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at the National Theatre, London, in July 2022.