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From Kotzebue to Austen: Staging Elizabeth Inchbald’s Forgotten Masterpiece

Guest contribution by Kate Glover, London (Artistic Director, Historia Theatre Company)

ABSTRACT

Elizabeth Inchbald’s “Lover’s Vows”, adapted from August von Kotzebue’s “Das Kind der Liebe”, returns to the stage at Brockley Jack Theatre. This compelling drama intertwines themes of homelessness, illegitimacy, class struggles, and women’s rights, resonating strongly with contemporary concerns. Its influence extends to Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park”, where it catalyses emotional tensions. Staged by Historia Theatre Company, this revival highlights Inchbald’s nuanced storytelling, rich characterisation, and societal critique. By addressing enduring issues through an engaging narrative, this production breathes new life into a historically significant play that remains powerfully relevant today.


The Reconciliation: „Lover’s Vows“, Historia Theatre Company
Kate Glover as Agatha Friburg, Harry Sacks as Baron Wildenheim, and Matthew Thomas as Frederick.
Production photographs by Paddy Gormley, 2025.

„Lover’s Vows“ by Elizabeth Inchbald is having a rare outing at The Brockley Jack Theatre FROM 21ST January until 1st February. There are 6 performances a week including 2 Saturday matinees. It is an adaptation (one of 4) of August von Kotzebue‘s Das Kind der Liebe” (1790; literally ‘Love Child’). It was the hit of the season at Covent Garden in 1798, and we have evidence that there were several productions of it in Bath between 1801 and 1806 when Jane Austen was actually living there. So the fact that it plays such an important part in Austen’s „Mansfield Park“ is unsurprising. It may be remembered that the young people decide to put on „Lover’s Vows“, and in do doing, begin to get quite emotionally involved with each other. This is stopped by Sir Thomas Bertram, but the ramifications of such attachments dominate the remainder of the novel.

A brief synopsis of „Lover’s Vows“ may be helpful. Frederick, on leave from military service, finds his mother Agatha destitute on the streets and close to death. To secure her survival, he draws his sword on a wealthy Baron but is quickly captured and imprisoned. The penalty for his actions is death.

Baron Wildenhaim has further troubles of his own. His daughter Amelia refuses his choice in marriage, and pursues instead her tutor, Anhalt. Will Amelia get her way? Will Frederick escape his fate? And what happens to Agatha?

The Dungeon: „Lover’s Vows“, Historia Theatre Company,
Emma Riches as Amelia and Matthew Thomas as Frederick.
Production photographs by Paddy Gormley, 2025.

And who was Elizabeth Inchbald? What connections did she have with German literature? Very few as far as we can see. Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821), was the 8th of 9 children of a Suffolk farmer. Despite having a stammer, she defied her parents, by following her elder brother to London, to become an actress at the age of 17. She married fellow Catholic Joseph Inchbald, and they went on tour with a theatre company for 4 years, meeting Elizabeth Siddons and John Philip Kemble along the way. She really only started writing after her husband’s death in 1779. 19 of her comedies got London productions. She also wrote 2 novels. Anne Plumptre (22 February 1760 – 20 October 1818), whose own adaption of the Kotzebue piece was never staged due to Inchbald’s success, was understandably sniffy. She criticised Inchbald’s depiction of Amelia the heroine by describing her as “a forward country hoyden.” See what you think!

And why did Historia Theatre Company decide to stage this piece? The Company was founded in 1997 and quickly became a registered Charity, with the aim of staging plays that have their source in or inspiration from history. Thus, the educational remit of the company was established (with the theatrical element being paramount). The company has staged many new plays by writers such as Kate Glover and Saly Sheringham. Many of these coincided with anniversaries. „Queen Anne”, for example, was staged in 2014, 400 years exactly since the death of the Queen. „Magna Carta” in 2015 commemorated 800 years since the signing of the charter, while „Fire and Phoenix” 2016 coincided with an enormous display of dramatic and commemorative events by the City of London. Sally Sheringham’s play “The Sound of Breaking Glass” highlighted the bravery of the Suffragettes, and we toured it in 2012-13, 100 years after the Suffragettes began their campaign. This was one of the plays that also went into schools. Our decision to stage „Lover’s Vows“ – not “new writing“ by any stretch of the imagination – came about because many of us are also members of North London Actors which stages rehearsed readings of plays which have been neglected. Kate Glover took advice from her husband John Price, a former lecturer at Edinburgh University in English literature, and decided to direct „Lover’s Vows“ as a rehearsed reading just over a year ago. It went so well that we decided it merited a full blown production.

And what about the challenges of making it accessible to a 21st century audience (not as daunting as it would seem as Kotzebue and Inchbald between them have created a rollicking good story with well drawn characterisation). The story line powers on, but along the way, themes and problems which are still with us crop up. Agatha is homeless. Why? Through no fault of her own, she becomes sick and has to give up work (after successfully raising her illegitimate son). The same son on his return from the army is shocked to see his mother in this condition and swears to protect her. Homelessness and illegitimacy are with us today – as is the whole issue of women’s rights. Agatha was seduced by her patrician lover, but his feisty daughter has the courage to refuse the man chosen by her father and picks her own. And who does this happen to be? The parson of the local church, who is socially much inferior to Amelia herself. Thus, homelessness, seduction, poverty, illegitimacy, class struggle and the insistence on female rights are themes which are foregrounded in this play. And, in our view, very much of a piece with our concerns today.

The best way to book tickets is online www.brockleyjack.co.uk (no booking charge) If you prefer to book by phone you can – on 0333 666 3366 (but they will charge you a small booking fee of £1.80.


OpenEdition schlägt Ihnen vor, diesen Beitrag wie folgt zu zitieren:
Gastautor*in (25. Januar 2025). From Kotzebue to Austen: Staging Elizabeth Inchbald’s Forgotten Masterpiece. Kotzebue International. Abgerufen am 17. März 2025 von https://doi.org/10.58079/135v3


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