The Greatest Playwright of the 17th Century (after Shakespeare) | Elaine Hobby

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Elaine Hobby is one of the foremost experts in the work of Aphra Behn: the greatest playwright of the Restoration, and one of the greatest woman writers of all.

In this conversation, Jack and Milo talk to Elaine specifically about Aphra Behn's theatre: how did it differ from her contemporaries; what made it so great; how did a woman who began her career as a spy in the employ of Charles II find her way to the stage; and what was the secret to her enduring popular success?

The discussion also covers the history of the Restoration stage, returning as it did from the ban under Cromwell's Commonwealth. How did women end up acting, a profession once restricted to men? How did Charles II's personal tastes influence the theatre? We also analyse the types and plots used by Behn in her plays, and the way she bends traditional structure to her art. Was her theatre entirely comic? Or does it contain a pathos, or even a subversive character?

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Topics discussed:

Elaine Hobby's fascination with Aphra Behn and her period

Women on the stage

The backstory of Aphra Behn

Her travels and her espionage

The nature of the Restoration Stage

Behn's early hits

The Lucky Chance

The Feigned Courtesans

The Rover, her biggest and most enduring hit

The Emperor of the Moon

Rakes, racounteurs, and clever women

Aphra Behn's ideas on marriage and friendship

If you enjoyed the conversation, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment telling us your favourite Behn play - or if you're planning on reading her after watching!

0:00 Introduction

7:09 Elaine Hobby Arrives

15:21 Feminism and the Rediscovery of Women Writers

22:40 Charles II, the Restoration, and Women on Stage

33:04 The Mysterious Early Life of Aphra Behn

38:02 Espionage, Antwerp and the Surinam Question

48:05 What Made Behn’s Plays Different?

55:05 The Rover: Sex, Money, Women

1:10:53 Behn and the Marriage Comedy

1:17:30 Reading and Performing Restoration Drama Today

1:24:00 The Emperor of the Moon and Theatrical Spectacle

1:42:59 Why Behn Still Matters

The music used is Fanny Hensel's Piano Trio, performed by the Claremont Trio under the following license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/