Fanny's First Play is a 1911 play by George Bernard Shaw. It was first performed as an anonymous piece, the authorship of which was to be kept secret. However, critics soon recognised it as the work of Shaw. It opened at the Little Theatre in the Adelphi in London on 19 April 1911 and ran for 622 performances.<ref>T.F. Evans, ed., George Bernard Shaw: The Critical Heritage (Psychology Press, 1976) p11</ref> The mystery over the authorship helped to publicise it. It had the longest run of any of Shaw's plays. A second production opened on Broadway on September 16, 1912 for 256 performances. The play toured the provinces in England in the same year. It features a play within a play. The framing play is a satire of theatre critics, whose characters were based upon Shaw's own detractors, in some cases being caricatures of real critics of the day. The main play is a pastiche of the drawing room comedies in vogue at the time. Characters and original cast Prologue and epilogue Servant – A. E Filmer Cecil Savoyard – Lewis Sealy Count O'Dowda – Harcourt Williams Fanny O'Dowda – Christine Silver Mr Trotter – Claude King Mr Vaughan – S. Creagh Henry Mr Gunn – Reginald Owen Flawner Bannel – Nigel Playfair Fanny's Play Robin Gilbey – Fewlass Llewellyn Mrs Gilbey – Gwynneth Galton Juggins – H. K. Ayliff Dora Delaney – Dorothy Minto Mrs Knox – Cecily Hamilton Joseph Knox – Arnold Lucy Margaret Knox – Lillah McCarthy Lieutenant Duvallet – Raymond Lauzerte Bobby – Shiel Barry Source: The Times. Plot Prologue: In a country house, Fanny O'Dowda, the daughter of the Count O'Dowda, is putting on a play she has written. She has hired professional actors and invited major critics. Fanny, who has studied at Cambridge, is keeping her authorship secret. She expects that her father the Count will disapprove of the play, as he hates the vulgarity of modern life. He has only just returned to Britain from living in Venice. Fanny's play: Act I. The Gilbeys, a genteel couple in Denmark Hill, are worried about their missing son Bobby. A vulgar street-girl called Dora Delaney (known as "Darling Dora") enters. She tells them that she and Bobby had been sent to prison. They were arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour and assaulting a police officer. The Gilbeys are mortified. What will they say to Mr Knox,