In The Grub Street Opera the main storyline involves two men and their rival pursuit of women.
Additionally, it linked to Fielding's previous attacks on the London theatre and inept writers.
The revision had a puff piece in the 21 May 1731 Daily Post saying, "We hear that the Grubstreet Opera, written by Scriblerus Secundus, which was to have been postponed till next Season, will, at the particular Request of several Persons of Quality, be perform'd within a Fortnight, being now in Rehearsal at the New Theatre in the Hay-market.
Fielding responded with claims of piracy and was upset that his satirical attack, primarily upon Walpole's administration, became public knowledge.
[7] However, it is possible that it was not actually printed until June 1755, shortly after Fielding's death, by his friend Andrew Millar.
[12] The play describes the Apshinken family and the pursuits in love of Owen and his butler, Robin.
To separate the two, Owen forges a letter which works until Robin's virtue proves his own devotion to Sweetissa.
[17] Similarly, the play focuses on problems within the literary community; the title links the play with the Grub Street Journal, a periodical that satirised inept writers that frequent Grub Street.
It also links the play with Fielding's previous attacks on the London theatre and inept writers.
Traditionally, female servants were depicted in comedic works as those lacking virtue and sexually willing towards their masters.
Unlike those later novelists, Fielding incorporates the humorous juxtaposition to allow for a mixture of humour and truth.
[20] Betrand Godgar believed that, in the play, "Fielding unambiguously jeered at politicians and court figures, reducing them to the level of a Welsh family with its domestic squabbles.
"[23] Although the play was never performed, its revisions reflect how Fielding sought to cater to what the audiences saw was popular in the earlier version, The Welsh Opera, which included adding more songs.
[26] Other views focused on other aspects, including the possible topical statements; John Loftis argues that "this afterpiece in the form of ballad opera seems, in its rendering of Court gossip, to be a dramatization of Lord Hervey's Memoirs".