Paul Pry (play)
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| Paul Pry | |
|---|---|
| Written by | John Poole |
| Characters | Paul Pry |
| Date premiered | 13 September 1825 |
| Place premiered | Haymarket Theatre |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Farce |
Paul Pry (1825), a farce in three acts, was the most notable play written by 19th-century English playwright John Poole. It premiered in London on 13 September 1825[1] at the Haymarket Theatre and ran 114 performances.[2] The play continued to be popular until the early 1870s.
The storyline is centered on a comical, idle, meddlesome and mischievous fellow consumed with curiosity. Unable to mind his own business, he's an interfering busybody who conveniently leaves behind an umbrella everywhere he goes in order to have an excuse to return and eavesdrop. At the end, however, Pry becomes a hero for rescuing papers from a well that incriminate more serious troublemakers.[3][4][5] Cherry Ripe, the 17th-century English folk song to words by the English poet Robert Herrick, is adapted into the play.[2]
Analysis
Rumors abounded that the Pry character was based on the eccentric Thomas ("Tommy") Hill, editor of the Dramatic Mirror, who took daily walks with Poole at Kensington Gardens.[6] However, Poole was quoted in magazines as saying,
"The idea was really suggested by an old invalid lady who lived in a very narrow street, and who amused herself by speculating on the neighbors, and identifying them, as it were, by the sound of the knocks they gave... It was not drawn from an individual, but from a class. I could mention five or six persons who were contributors to the original play."[7]
