The London Merchant

First performed in 1731, George Lillo’s The London Merchant tells the story of a young apprentice led astray by a courtesan. It marked an exceptional departure for Lillo and created a new genre of theatre which concentrated on the struggles of the working classes. Prior to this the theatre of the period had predominantly focused on stories relating to the upper classes, biblical or classical themes. The new ‘bourgeois drama’ became popular across Europe, and gave Lillo a notable place in dramatic history.