Adapted, updated, localised, and abridged by Percy St John from his earlier burlesque Black-Eyed Susan; Or, The Little Bill Up-too-Late (1892), also based on F. C. Burnand's 1866 burlesque (itself an adaptation of Douglas Jerrold's original 1829 drama Black-eyed Susan; Or, All in the Downs). In Jerrold's original melodrama, Susan is forced to endure the attentions of her rapacious uncle and an over-amorous sea captain while her sailor husband is away. He is eventually court martialled and sentenced to death for defending her honour.
