The Man of Mode

Blurb

The Man of Mode, or, Sir Fopling Flutter is a Restoration comedy by George Etherege, written in 1676 and first performed 2 March of the same year. The play is set in Restoration London, and follows the libertine Dorimant as he tries to win over the young heiress Harriet, and to disengage himself from his previous affair with Mrs. Loveit. Despite the subtitle, the fop Sir Fopling is only one of several marginal characters; 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 fop of the hour, by William Smith. 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.