Written in 30 days flat, and staged at Covent Garden in 1841 when the author was only twenty-one, "London Assurance" is regularly rediscovered for the small comedic masterpiece it is. Published to accompany a new production on the biggest of the National Theatre stages in March 2010, starring Simon Russell Beale, this Drama Classics edition includes a full introduction, a stage history, a chronology and a glossary.