Musical (1935)
A successful musical production - titled Rivals!, with songs by Herbert Hughes and lyrics by John Robert Monsell - was staged by Vladimir Rosing at London's Kingsway Theatre in October 1935. The musical ran for 86 performances.Queen Mary attended one of the performances.[4][5]
Maverick television adaptation (1958)
James Garner as MaverickRoger Moore in MaverickThe play was rewritten as a 1958 episode of the comedic Western television series Maverick, starring the remarkably similar-looking James Garner and Roger Moore, and was the only episode of the series in which Garner and Moore appeared together (Moore did not portray "Beau Maverick," Bret Maverick's cousin, until after Garner had left the series two seasons later). The Absolutes were renamed "Vandergelt" with Neil Hamilton as the wealthy father. Patricia "Pat" Crowley plays the leading lady, whose name is changed from the original play's "Lydia Languish" to "Lydia Lynley." The episode, telecast midway through the series' second season, was called "The Rivals" and the playwright Sheridan was given due credit.
Radio production
In 1962, a radio production by R. D. Smith for the BBC Third Programme featured Fay Compton as Mrs Malaprop, Baliol Holloway as Sir Anthony Absolute, Fenella Fielding as Lydia Languish, Hugh Burden as Captain Absolute and John Hollis as Thomas.[6] It was repeated on 23 December 1963 on the Home Service as part of the "National Theatre of the Air" series.[7]
Additional television productions
The play was adapted for Australian television in 1961.
The BBC produced a version which was broadcast in 1970 as part of their Play of the Month series, starring Jeremy Brett as Captain Jack Absolute. Another BBC production was broadcast in 1989 as part of their Theatre Night series, starring Donald Sinden as Sir Anthony Absolute.[8]
Jack Absolute novels (2003–2006)
The leading character of the play was taken to be the identity of the hero of a series of historic fictional adventure books by actor/novelist Chris Humphreys. These take place in Cornwall, London, Quebec, the American colonies during both the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution, and Portugal.
Jack Absolute Flies Again
A new adaptation written by Richard Bean and Oliver Chris titled Jack Absolute Flies Again was due to premiere at the National Theatre, London in April 2020, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the production eventually opened on 15 July 2022. The play has been updated to July 1940 to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
