The Gadfly (play)

The Gadfly, a novel about a young man's embrace of revolutionary politics, had been an enormous success for Voynich. She had asked Shaw to create a dramatised version for copyright reasons, as she wished to retain control over dramatic versions of the book.^[1] Shaw had to write it very quickly to assert priority. Shaw said he undertook the task for an "ancient revolutionary comrade", referring to Voynich as a "female nihilist".^[1] Writing to Ellen Terry on 29 January 1898, he said he was overwhelmed with work: "What a week! Nay, a fortnight! Three first nights, two County Council election meetings, four Vestry committees, one Fabian committee, a pamphlet to write about the Southwark police business (just completed), an adaptation of a novel--, the Julius Caesar article, and one frightful headache. There's a program for you--!"^[2]

Arthur Burton is a devout Catholic who wishes to become a priest. While studying in Italy in the early stages of the Risorgimento he converts from Catholicism to radicalism, much to the dismay of his mentor in the priesthood. He travels to South America, and eventually returns to become a revolutionary writer under the pen name "the gadfly" .