Tom Jones was a foundling...a loser from birth..."born to be hung." Everthing he touched turned to
lead—or fell on his foot. This smooth-flowing dramatization of the famed 18th century novel
portrays the rowdy, bawdy, racy plot and raucous characters that made Henry Fielding famous and the
movie version a box-office champion.Tom, the illegitimate ward of Squire Allworthy, is in love with
his beautiful neighbor, Sophia. Although Sophia's father admires and envies Tom for his reputation as
a brawling, womanizing, thieving daredevil, he wouldn't consider allowing his daughter to marry such a
scoundrel. Instead, Sophia is betrothed to Blifil, Allworthy's sniveling heir. Since Tom is seduced by
most of the women and nearly murdered by all the men, it's not surprising to find him on the gallows at
the end of this fast-paced comedy.
This play can easily be cut to contest length. Please call for
special royalty quote. See also The History of Tom Jones 1-Act
adapted by Luis Muñoz & Dennis Maganza.
See also: Adaptations of the Classics