A Trick to Catch the Old One

Thomas Middleton (1580-1627), a bricklayer's son, rose to become one of the most eminent playwrights of the Jacobean period. Along with Ben Johnson he helped shape the dynamic course of drama in Renaissance England. His range is broad, as his work successfully covers comedy, tragedy, and history. Praised during his life as well as today, Middleton remains relevant and influential. "A Trick to Catch the Old One" (1608) is a delightful comedy following a young Thomas Witgood who has managed to squander his fortune and is now in debt to his uncle Pecunius Lucre. In order to manage and pay off his debts, an elaborate scheme to court a wealthy mistresses is devised. What ensues is a comedy of intrigue filled with wit and bawdy. In this play greed and seduction intertwine to create a smart comedy with latent social commentary.