About the work
Local farce in four parts by Johann Nestroy after Karl Gottlieb Prätzel's narrative 'Die Schlossmamsell' (1833), first performed on 8 October 1834 at the Carl-Theater in Vienna under Nestroy's own authorial pseudonym 'Herr von Dreger'. The premiere was delayed because in 1833 the theatre's schedule was tied up by the simultaneous hits 'Der böse Geist Lumpacivagabundus' and 'Robert der Teuxel'; an earlier, unperformed magic farce on the same material had been titled 'Das Verlobungsfest im Feenreiche'.
Plot
The wealthy Regina, who pretends to be younger than she is, and the vain Schladriwux make a wager: if they fail to find younger spouses within a year, they must marry their older suitors Hirschwald and Ursula instead. The penniless student Eduard is drawn into an unwanted marriage contract with the well-off Regina but escapes it through a series of complications, ultimately winning both a post as steward and the hand of the younger Amalie.
Cultural significance
Contemporary critics were divided, ranging from 'passable' to reviews that dismissed the piece as reeking of 'tavern brandy', though all praised the performances of Wenzel Scholz and Nestroy himself. Later scholarship, notably by Otto Rommel, read the play as a step from magic farce toward a socially critical comedy aimed at materialism and character flaws.