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''The Grub Street Opera'' is a play by Henry Fielding that originated as an expanded version of his play ''The Welsh Opera''. It was never put on for an audience and is Fielding's single print-only play. As in ''The Welsh Opera'', the author of the play is identified as Scriblerus Secundus. Secundus also appears in the play and speaks of his role in composing the plays. In ''The Grub Street Opera'' the main storyline involves two men and their rival pursuit of women. The play is Fielding's first truly political play and first ballad opera. Unlike ''The Welsh Opera'', the play deals with morality from the beginning. Additionally, it linked to Fielding's previous attacks on the London theatre and inept writers. Fielding also used the virtue of female servants as a point of humour and to discuss morality, while using the effeminacy and dominance by women to mock various characters and discuss the issue of gender roles. Critics viewed ''The Grub Street Opera'' positively, noting it to be a definite improvement on ''The Welsh Opera''. ==Background== Fielding created three theatrical versions of ''The Grub Street Opera''.〔Rivero 1989 p. 76〕 Of these, one was performed at a Haymarket theatre, but only in rehearsals. The play originates as an expanded version of ''The Welsh Opera''. The revision had a puff piece in the 21 May 1731 ''Daily Post'' saying, "We hear that the Grubstreet Opera, written by Scriblerus Secundus, which was to have been postponed till next Season, will, at the particular Request of several Persons of Quality, be perform'd within a Fortnight, being now in Rehearsal at the New Theatre in the Hay-market."〔Hume 1988 qtd p. 96〕 Later, it was advertised again in the 5 June 1731 ''Daily Post'' as being rehearsed, but the 11 June edition stated that one of the performers was sick and the 14 June edition said that the play would be postponed indefinitely.〔Hume 1988 pp. 96–97〕 It was never produced, and ''The Grub-Street Opera'' is the only play by Fielding that existed only as a printed play.〔Rivero 1989 p. 88〕 It is unknown as to why the play was never put on for an audience, but it is possible that it was not performed because Fielding was either legally prevented to perform it by the British government or he was bribed to not perform it.〔Goldgar 1976 p. 113〕 John Henley, a defender of Robert Walpole and Walpole's government, discussed the incident in his poem "''Hay-Market'' Actors ''of the design'd'' Grub-street ''Opera''" (published in the 8–15 June 1731 edition of his newspaper, ''Hyp-Doctor''). In it, he gloated over the play being kept from performance and stated that the government did not accept the play. He followed this in the 15–22 June edition with an attack upon Fielding.〔Battestin and Battestin 1993 pp. 118–119〕 Like E. Rayner's printing of ''The Welsh Opera'', Rayner printed ''The Genuine Grub-Street Opera'' without Fielding's knowledge in August 1731. The print edition was based on the second script. Fielding responded with claims of piracy and was upset that his satirical attack, primarily upon Walpole's administration, became public knowledge. Fielding eventually printed his own version of the play, dated 1731.〔Rivero 1989 pp. 88–89〕 However, it is possible that it was not actually printed until June 1755, shortly after Fielding's death, by his friend Andrew Millar. Regardless of the date, the connection of Fielding to the edition establishes this later version as the only authoritative edition.〔Morrissey 1973 pp. 19–23〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Grub Street Opera」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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