author
Isaac Bickerstaff
1735–1812
An Irish playwright and librettist whose comic operas helped delight 18th-century audiences, he is best remembered for lively stage works such as Love in a Village and The Padlock. His career mixed real theatrical success with a dramatic personal downfall, which eventually drove him abroad.
1 Audiobook
The spoil'd child: A farce, in two acts, as performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
by Isaac Bickerstaff, Sir Richard Ford, Prince Hoare, Dorothy Jordan
About the author
Born in Ireland in the 1730s, Isaac Bickerstaffe (also spelled Bickerstaff or Bickerstaffe) became known as a playwright and librettist during the busy, music-loving world of 18th-century theater. Sources agree that his comic operas and farces were widely popular, especially Love in a Village, The Maid of the Mill, and The Padlock.
Before his literary success, he served as a page to Lord Chesterfield and later held a commission in the Marines. His writing stood out for blending spoken comedy with songs in a way that appealed strongly to audiences of the time.
His life, however, did not keep the same easy comic tone as his plays. Biographical sources report that scandal ended his military career and pushed him to leave Britain, and he is generally said to have died abroad, probably in Italy, around 1812.