Fatal Extravagance

Fatal Extravagance is a 1721 tragedy by the British writer Aaron [Hill (writer)|Aaron Hill]. It was presented by another writer Joseph Mitchell, a friend of Hill, at the Lincoln's Inn [Fields Theatre] in London. The original cast included James Quin as Bellmour, Anthony Boheme as Courtney, John Ogden as Bargrave and Anna [Maria Seymour] as Louisa. It was printed with the slightly longer title The Fatal Extravagance.
Hill was inspired by the recent South Sea Bubble where speculative investment had led to a massive crash, ruining backers of the company. In the play this takes the former a out-of-control gambler who ends up killing a creditor and planning to commit suicide.
In 1793 a version of the play retitled The Prodigal by Francis Godolphin Waldron was staged at the Haymarket Theatre, with a happy ending added.