Roister Doister Written, probably also represented, before 1553. Carefully edited from the unique copy, now at Eton College

Step into one of the earliest English comedies, a lively two‑day farce set in bustling London. The play opens with a colourful cast: a bombastic soldier, his scheming friend, a widowed lady of some means, and a host of servants and suitors, each introduced in a witty, almost theatrical roll‑call. Written in the mid‑16th century, the work blends Latin‑inspired verse with plain speech, offering a glimpse of Tudor drama before Shakespeare’s rise.

From the first scene, the swaggering soldier boasts of his valor and immediately sets his sights on the widow, hoping to secure both love and wealth. His rival, a modest gentleman, counters his advances with clever repartee, while the servants provide a chorus of slap‑stick misunderstandings. The clash of egos and the tangled courtship promise a cascade of jokes and mistaken identities that drive the early action.