Bernard Shaw had two categories for his plays, those that were “pleasant” and those that were “unpleasant”. CANDIDA he put among the pleasant ones, and it is easy to see why. A box office hit in its time (1904), this British classic continues to be one of Shaw’s most popular plays. It deals with a young poet,…
Derek Benfield was a master at writing farces. Webster’s New Universal Dictionary defines the word “farce” as “a light humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.” In ANYONE FOR BREAKFAST? the characters differ enough to make them interesting, but the plot takes precedence over character…
THE WHIPPING MAN takes place over a period of three days in April, 1865. The American Civil War (1861—1865), which saw the northern states fighting against the southern states to end slavery and preserve the unity of the country, has just ended. The North has won the war, so all over the South the slaves…
Arthur and Leslie Reed have just given a party after moving into a high-class neighborhood in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. Ben, a man from the neighborhood, unexpectedly knocks on their door and invites himself in. He admires the expensive possessions the Reeds have and they are pleased that he is impressed. Unlike Arthur and…
MASS APPEAL premiered off-Broadway in New York City and then moved to Broadway in 1981. Since then it has been performed around the world. It was made into a movie starring Jack Lemmon with the screenplay written by Bill C. Davis. The play was born from the author’s inner dilemma. As an artist, does one say…
Ginny, after breaking up with her boss Philip, goes to his country home to get back some love letters. She tells her new boyfriend Greg that she is going to visit her parents. Greg secretly follows her, and for the rest of the afternoon there are two couples together in Philip’s garden. Greg believes that…
In a retrospective on Canadian theatre in the Toronto Globe & Mail, I’LL BE BACK BEFORE MIDNIGHT! was called “probably the most produced Canadian play ever.” It has had countless productions in Canada, the USA and Europe, placing the author among the top playwrights working in the mystery thriller genre today. The play is an…
Newlyweds Robert and Olivia Chappell have recently bought a small hotel in a remote part of the Lake District, and at the end of their first autumn season they settle down with a drink in front of a warm fire. But their cosy evening is interrupted by the arrival of a charismatic young hiker seeking…
In This comedy by one of Britain’s most popular playwrights is a brilliantly funny link at the English abroad. Al and Bet lead a quiet, boring life in Yorkshire. After twenty years of working for the same company, he has lost his job and cannot find another one. Frustrated with their life and worried about…
If you like screwball comedy with a message for today, then BIG BOYS by award-winning playwright Rich Orloff is something for you. Described as “Big Business meets the Marx Brothers’ Monkey Business”, the play starts out with what is worst in America’s corporate culture and stretches it to its most absurd and, at times, surreal. It is…