The Man of Mode

Introduction

Frontispiece to George Etherege's The Man of Mode (1676).

The Man of Mode, or, Sir Fopling Flutter is a Restoration comedy by George Etherege, written in 1676. The play is set in Restoration London and follows the womanizer Dorimant as he tries to win over the young heiress Harriet and to disengage himself from his affair with Mrs. Loveit. Despite the subtitle, the fop Sir Fopling is only one of several minor characters; the rake Dorimant is the protagonist.

The character of Dorimant may have been based on John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester; though there is no evidence of this. The part was first played by Thomas Betterton and Sir Fopling, the flamboyant fop of the hour, by William Smith. In 2007, the National Theatre produced a modern dress production of the play, directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Tom Hardy as Dorimant. Rory Kinnear received a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance as Fopling.


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