The Maid of the Oaks

The Maid of the Oaks is a comedy play by the British playwright and soldier General John Burgoyne, known as Gentleman Johnny.

Burgoyne was the uncle of the groom and in charge of the lavish masquerade and garden fête, which took place at Lord Stanley's hunting lodge, The Oaks near Epsom, Surrey.

For the event, which took place 9 June 1774, no costs were spared and Burgoyne enlisted the help of two of his close friends, the actor-manager David Garrick and the architect Robert Adam.

[3] The Oaks itself was too small a building to entertain the large number of invited guests, therefore Robert Adam created a temporary "magnificent salon ... illuminated and decorated with the utmost elegance and proportion".

Burgoyne and Garrick decided to capitalize on this by creating a highly profitable stage version, for which the original libretto of the masque was stretched from two to five acts by including additional songs, dances and theatrical interludes to recapture the spirit of the enchanting rural entertainment.