The Man of Mode
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Man of Mode, or, Sir Fopling Flutter is a Restoration comedy by George Etherege, written in 1676 and first performed March 2 of the same year. Brian Gibbons argues that the play "offers the comedy of manners in its most concentrated form". Despite the subtitle, the fop Sir Fopling is only a marginal character; the rake Dorimant is the protagonist.
The character of Dorimant may have been based on John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, though there is no concrete evidence of this. The part was first played by Thomas Betterton. Sir Fopling, the flamboyant flop of the hour, by William Smith. Freshly returned from being "cultured" in Paris, Fopling attempts to emulate the love 'em and leave 'em style of Dorimant. Meanwhile Dorimant has plans to use Fopling in a scheme to lose his current lover Miss Loveit in order to seek out a new conquest.
In 2007, the National Theatre produced a modern dress production of the play, starring Tom Hardy as Dorimant. Rory Kinnear received a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance as Fopling.
