Edition Critic Lying Valet by Oxberry William (1 results)

12mo. Wells and Lilly. William Oxberry (1784-1824) was a struggling bookseller who became enamored with theatre. He began to publish the New English Drama in 1818 and by 1822, his plays were published on both sides of the Atlantic. The plays in this volume are Sheridan's The Critic (1822); Garrick's The Lying Valet (1823); Bickerstaff's Love in a Village (1822); Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer (1822); and John O'Keeffe's Wild Oats, or the Strolling Gentleman. What distinguishes his editions is that he has faithfully marked with the stage directions as it is performed at the theatres royal. The Charleston Mercury on July 8, 1822 described a London drunken brawl where William Oxberry was attacked but survived when his friends threw the inebriated attacker down the steps. Later the same paper in October of 1822 noted they had Oxberry's Plays in stock. All rebound into one volume of 3/4 cloth over gilt decorated paper over board, hand lettered gilt titles on red cloth attached to spine, marbled endpapers.