The Busie Body is a Restoration comedy written by Susanna Centlivre and first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1709.
It focuses on the legalities of what constitutes a marriage, and how children might subvert parental power over whom they can marry.
[2] The Busie Body was the most popular female authored-play of the eighteenth century, and became a stock piece of most anglophone theatres during the period.
[2][3] The original Drury Lane cast featured Robert Wilks as Sir George Airy, Richard Estcourt as Sir Francis Gripe, John Mills as Charles, William Bullock as Sir Jealous Traffick, George Pack as Marplot, Christopher Bullock as Whisper, Jane Rogers as Isabinda, Letitia Cross as Miranda, Margaret Saunders as Patch and Margaret Mills as Scentwell.
She is in love with Charles, but Sir Jealous plans to marry her to Seignior Diego Babinetto.
Marplot – The well-meaning but foolish busy-body of the title, meddles in the characters' romantic affairs with humorous results.
Sir George Airy is in love with two women: Miranda herself, and a mysterious 'incognita' who regularly meets him in disguise.
Whisper arrives, and tells Charles that Isabinda cannot meet him in the Park, but invites him to a clandestine rendezvous at her house when Sir Jealous is due to be out.
They discuss Isabinda's impending marriage to Seignior Diego Babinetto, a man she has never met.
Charles denies he is a spendthrift, observing that his miserly father doesn't give him any money to waste.
He also points out that he is entitled to his dead uncle's estate, which Sir Francis refuses to relinquish.
He praises the more modest customs of Spain, where ladies are veiled and don't display themselves in public.
Sir Jealous re-enters, and Whisper tries to cover by claiming he has entered the house in search of a lap-dog.
Charles promises to pay him back, as Sir George enters, greatly disappointed by his conversation with Miranda.
In an aside, she reveals her true motives: Sir George has in fact never loitered by the gate, but she hopes he will take the hint and come to her.
Outside Sir Jealous Traffick's house, Whisper gives Patch a letter for Isabinda from Charles, which is written in code.
Sir Jealous enters in a rage, accusing Isabinda of keeping up a secret correspondence, and demanding that she decipher the strange code.
She plays a tune on the spinet, while Charles enters the house through the balcony and opens the door from Isabinda's room.
Seeing the truth, he dismisses Patch from her post, and tells Isabinda he will move her into the back of the house, where there is no balcony.
He comforts Patch, saying he will look after her now she has been fired, and they hatch a plan together: Charles will impersonate Seignior Diego Babinetto, and marry Isabinda in his stead tomorrow.
Now that Miranda has secured written consent from Sir Francis, they plan to elope and marry immediately.
Sir Francis is eating an orange, and tries to throw the peel behind the chimney-board, so Miranda pretends she is keeping a pet monkey there.
Marplot begs to see the monkey, but Miranda protests and Sir Francis prevents it.
Sir Francis, Miranda and Scentwell re-enter, and Marplot claims that the monkey escaped.
She orders Scentwell to pack her things so she can leave the house before Sir Francis returns.
To get him out of the house, Miranda and Patch tell him about Isabinda's impending nuptials, which he agrees to go and witness with them.
Miranda reveals that she is married to Sir George, and hands Charles the papers to his uncle's estate.
The play ends with a dance, where Sir Jealous concludes: "By my Example let all Parents move, And never strive to cross their Childrens Love;
"[4]The play was very popular with audiences: there were 475 recorded performances during the eighteenth century, and in reality the number was probably far higher.
[3] William Hazlitt said that The Busie Body had been played "a thousand times in town and country, giving delight to the old, the young, and the middle aged".