An action is brought against 'Wilful' for sexually assaulting Rose and 'he' finds 'himself' on trial before Sylvia's father Balance and his two fellow magistrates Scruple and Scale.

Meanwhile, Melinda continues to discourage Worthy, until going to a fortune teller (in fact Kite in disguise), where she is convinced to relent and accept his courtship.

However, by comparing the handwriting sample, Worthy discovers that the letter is in fact from Melinda's maid Lucy, who hopes to ensnare Brazen as a husband.

The rest of the cast included Robert Wilks as Plume, Theophilus Keene as Ballance, Thomas Kent as Scale, Joseph Williams as Worthy, Richard Estcourt as Kite, William Bullock as Bullock, Henry Norris as Costar Pearmain, Jane Rogers as Melinda, Anne Oldfield as Silvia and Susanna Mountfort as Rose.

Directed by William Gaskill, its cast which included Laurence Olivier as Brazen, Robert Stephens as Plume, Colin Blakely as Kite, Derek Jacobi as Worthy, Maggie Smith as Silvia and Mary Miller as Melinda.

[citation needed] The National Theatre staged the play again in 1991 with Desmond Barrit as Brazen, Alex Jennings as Plume and Ken Stott as Kite.

In 2012 Donmar Warehouse staged a revival starring Tobias Menzies as Captain Plume, Mark Gatiss as Brazen and Mackenzie Crook as Kite.

[8] American Players Theatre included The Recruiting Officer in its 2018 repertory season with Nate Burger as Plume, Marcus Truschinski as Brazen, Jefferson A. Russell as Kite and directed by William Brown.

The latter, of which only fragments are believed to survive,[10] was directed by David Giles, and starred Ian McKellen as Plume, Prunella Ransome as his sweetheart Sylvia, Jane Asher as Melinda, John Moffatt as Brazen, and Brian Blessed as Sergeant Kite.