I went to watch The Beggar’s Opera on opening night only knowing that it was 40 minutes long and nothing else. Upon arrival, I discovered the play was a comedy and was immediately skeptical of how funny it would actually be. Typically, theatrical humor is not my cup of tea, but this play changed my mind.

The play revolves around a group of beggars who are adamant about putting on a play. Their play consists of a young girl who marries a “player” and later finds out he’s gotten multiple women pregnant and left them on their own. Meanwhile, her disappointed parents are trying to get him arrested and hanged so that they, through their daughter, can inherit his wealth. The plot of their play is pretty much the plot of the overall play until the very end, when the beggars disagree on whether or not their plot should have a happy ending.

The play was, in fact, short, but that did not prevent it from being full of action and comedy. I was enraptured from beginning to end, which has never happened to me before. The storyline, in which a group of beggars puts on a play, was unique and funny. At no point in the show was I bored, because the scandalous characters and twisting plot line kept me on my toes.

The fact that the play was about beggars putting on a play added a new level of comedy, especially because the beggars bumbled around stage and often “messed up” while acting. Of course, there had to be a romance, too. There’s something timeless about forbidden love, and it only gets better when you add infidelity to the mix. I credit the actors for embodying their characters extremely well.

Overall, The Beggar’s Opera was a welcome surprise. I never expected to laugh at a play as much as I did while watching this one. The intentional crudeness of the transitions and acting in general actually added to the play rather than making it look unrefined. Lastly, the play is short and sweet, so you get convenience and entertainment. The play was a much needed, hour-long escape from reality and its stresses.