Lovingly ripped off from the Roman comedies of Plautus, Vice Versa is saucy, rip-roaring romp of a play. It depicts the downfall of General Braggadocio, a pompous windbag who has kidnapped the Grecian beauty, Voluptua, to keep as his concubine. However, he is unaware that Voluptua is truly in love with Valentin, who has followed her to Rome and moved in next door with the aged lawyer, Philoproximus. Valentin’s former servant, Dexter, is now also enslaved by Braggadocio and she has been responsible for arranging secret rendez-vous between the lovers. However, when another slave, Feclus, spots Voluptua with Valentin it looks like their game is up. But Dexter has finally had enough. She hatches a plan (involving a fake identical twin and a sixty year old pregnant prostitute) that will free Voluptua, reunite the loving couple, and earn herself an escape route from the vile General. Putting her plan into action, Dexter works on convincing Braggadocio that he is adored by another--Voluptua’s outrageous twin sister, Drusila--and persuades him to release Voluptua once and for all. Abandoned and left without servants or a woman to disgust, the bedraggled General consoles himself that at least he still has the best thing...himself!
Vice Versa guide sections
