Rafael Galves Amandi’s La escuela de la murmuración (1861): A Spanish theatrical adaptation of Sheridan’s The School for Scandal

Abstract

Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s most outstanding comedy, The School for Scandal, was premièred in London in 1777. It became an instant success and was repeatedly staged, edited and translated into a variety of languages. Its popularity with audiences did not wane over the course of the nineteenth century, but remained high. In 1861 Rafael Galves completed a Spanish version of the play. Aware of the comedy’s specific ideological, cultural and stylistic features, he thoroughly adapted it to the Spanish stage. It is the aim of this article to assess to what extent the structural, thematic and stylistic features of his free version catered to the taste and sensibility of its target audience.