About the work
„Nur keck!“ is a farce with songs in three acts, written by Johann Nestroy in 1855 after Dion Boucicault's comedy "London Assurance" (London, 1841). The play never reached the stage during Nestroy's lifetime; its stage premiere did not take place until 16 April 1928, performed posthumously by students of the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts under the direction of Rudolf Beer, a few weeks after a radio version had aired on Radio Wien.
Plot
A clause in a will ties a million-strong inheritance to prescribed marriages between a wealthy man, his nephew and their designated brides, leading to complications over unrequited affections. The quick-witted character Stegreif sees through the confusion and ultimately brings together the couples who truly belong.
Cultural significance
The manuscript was forgotten after Nestroy's death; it was not rediscovered in his papers until 1908, by the Nestroy scholar Otto Rommel, and a complete text appeared in the press in 1921. A reworked version with music by Hans Lang became a resounding success in 1943, with around 355 performances in a single season, and has since been regarded as a genuine actor's showpiece.