Richard Brinsley Sheridan - Linda Kelly

The first night of Sheridan's "The School for Scandal", on 8th May 1777, was one of the great dates in theatrical history. From then on, Sheridan was launched by his fame as a playwright into the "little great world" of 18th-century society. His comedies - and his comic opera "The Duenna" - were all written by the time he was 28.;For the next 30 years Sheridan was wholly involved in his twin careers as manager of the Drury Lane theatre and Member of Parliament. At a time when politics were dominated by a few aristocratic families, he rose above the inbuilt disadvantages of his poverty and Irish background to become one of the greatest parliamentary figures of the age - possibly greater, in the opinion of Prime Minister William Pitt, than his leader Charles James Fox.;In the theatre, Sheridan presided over one of the most brilliant periods in the history of the English stage. But his carelessness and unreliability about money were a byword, and his private life was as chaotic as his financial affairs.;Behind scenes, there were numerous crises; on stage, the level of entertainment reached new heights. Linda Kelly's biography, drawing on a wide variety of published and unpublished sources, gives a comprehensive picture of Sheridan's tempestuous career.