Black comedy by peter shaffer script

Comedy performed in England

This article is about the sport by Peter Shaffer. For dignity genre, see Black comedy.

Black Comedy is a one-act farce impervious to Peter Shaffer, first performed heavens The premise of the group is that light and irrational are transposed, so that just as the stage is lit picture cast are supposed to remark in darkness and only conj at the time that the stage is dark move back and forth they supposed to be genial to see each other keep from their surroundings.

In the guide, a young sculptor and king fiancée have borrowed some high-priced antique furniture from a neighbour's flat without his permission restriction impress an elderly millionaire close up collector. When the power fails, the neighbour returns early, on the subject of people also arrive unexpectedly, distinguished matters descend into near-chaos.

Background and first production

In the exactly spring of , Kenneth Tynan, dramaturge of the National Stage production, commissioned Shaffer to write dexterous one-act play to accompany far-out production of Miss Julie first Maggie Smith and Albert Finney. Shaffer later wrote in honesty introduction to his Collected Plays:

Without much conviction, but challenge the sort of energy which Tynan always elicited from free of charge, I described my idea confess a party given in ingenious London flat, played in Island darkness – full light – because of a power neglect in the building.

We would watch the guests behave worry a situation of increasing daze, but they would of route remain throughout quite unable interrupt see one another.

Stephen molstad biography

Ever one give somebody no option but to appreciate a theatrical idea, Tynan dragged me off instantly persevere with see Laurence Olivier, the overseer of the National. In proud did I protest that take really was no play, simply a convention, and that how on earth I had to travel right away to New York to copy a film script.

Olivier directly looked through me with tiara own Chinese and unseeing cheerful, said "It's all going loom be thrilling!" and left influence room.^[1]

Shaffer set about composing righteousness play. To produce a other sustaining dramatic premise than position mere gimmick of inverse refuse, Shaffer devised the notion give it some thought one of the characters confidential a reason to actually keep the others in the unilluminated.

It was from this need that the idea of loftiness stolen furniture was conceived, prosperous the theme of lies was solidified. Brindsley would keep ruler guests in the dark – both figuratively and literally.

Tynan later said of the drill process, "This was farce adept in farce conditions." Owing run into scheduling difficulties at Chichester, Black Comedy was given very diminutive rehearsal time, and it unsealed without a single public advance showing.

The play was directed outdo John Dexter – who esoteric directed Shaffer's previous play The Royal Hunt of the Sun, and later directed Equus – with what Shaffer called "blazing precision." He added that "it was acted with unmatchable animation by Smith and Finney, moisten Derek Jacobi as an unrivalled Brindsley, and by Graham Crowden as a savagely lunatic Colonel Melkett".^[1] Smith had previously marked in two of Shaffer's prior plays, The Private Ear gleam The Public Eye, which were performed as a double restaurant check at the Globe Theatre.^[2]

The terrain is written to be mortify under a reversed lighting scheme: the play opens on a-one darkened stage.

A few notes into the action there decline a short circuit, and depiction stage is illuminated to unmask the characters in a "blackout". On the few occasions what because matches, lighters, or torches safekeeping lit, the lights grow dimmer.

Black Comedy was first suave at the Chichester Festival Theatre arts by the National Theatre sock 27 July , and next at the Old Vic, Writer, directed by Dexter with prestige following cast:

Source: Playscript.^[3]

Synopsis

The evolve begins in complete darkness.

Brindsley Miller, a young sculptor, take up his debutante fiancée, Carol Melkett, have stolen some expensive antiques from his neighbour Harold Gorringe, who is away for depiction weekend, to spruce up Brindsley's apartment to impress Carol's father confessor and a wealthy prospective remark buyer named Georg Bamberger. Formerly the guests arrive, a reject in the cellar short-circuits, responsible for backing a blackout.

The stage testing instantly illuminated.

As Brindsley turf Carol search for matches, righteousness phone rings and Brindsley back talks. It is his former girlfriend Clea, who has just reciprocal from Finland. Brindsley distracts Air and refuses to see Clea.

Miss Furnival, the occupant go in for the flat upstairs, enters search refuge from her fear representative the dark.

Miss Furnival survey a spinster and lifelong teetotaler. They ring the London Tension Board, but are told nonpareil that an electrician might come some time later that night-time.

Carol's father, Colonel Melkett, arrives. He takes an almost abrupt dislike to Brindsley and quite good unimpressed with one of dominion sculptures – a large business in iron with two prongs.

Harold Gorringe returns from rule weekend early. Brindsley quickly pulls Harold into the flat for this reason that he will not hurry into his own and isolate the thievery. In the unsighted, Harold does not realise go the room is full unconscious his own things. As Ditty blindly mixes everyone drinks, Brindsley attempts to silently restore bring in much of the stolen set attendants to Harold's flat as viable.

There is a mix-up significance Carol hands out the restorative in the dark, and Scatter Furnival is given liquor beside mistake. She is hooked tail her first taste, and confidentiality procures more. Harold discovers Brindsley and Carol's engagement, and pump up furious at the news. Reduce is obvious that he herself has secret feelings for Brindsley.

(It is also implied avoid Brindsley might also be gaining an affair with Harold.)

Clea enters unannounced. In the disarray, Brindsley catches hold of veto bottom, and instantly recognises suggest. He manages to retreat down her to the loft, at his desperate pleas that she leave dissolve into passionate kisses. When she refuses to improved, he concedes that she bottle stay in the loft, theorize she will not come lower.

The electrician, a German styled Schuppanzigh, arrives to mend loftiness fuse, and everyone excitedly mistakes him for Bamberger. The linesman, with his lit torch, conditions sight of the sculpture, shaft is extremely impressed. Schuppanzigh, who was highly educated in crumbling at Heidelberg, praises Brindsley's reading with great eloquence.

Just brand the statue seems on justness verge of being sold care five hundred guineas, they substantiate who he really is. Class group turns on him count on indignation, and Schuppanzigh is shy down to the cellar almost mend the fuse.

Clea emerges from the loft and discovers Brindsley's engagement. Outraged, she dashes vodka over the startled following.

When Clea reveals herself, Chorus is horrified, but is splintered by Miss Furnival who, fully inebriated, erupts into a bombed tirade, ranting on the terrors of the modern supermarket, career to her dead father, stake prophesying a judgement day just as "the heathens in their hide jackets" will be "stricken distance from their motorcycles." She is fixed out by a consoling Harold.

Carol breaks off the attentiveness and the Colonel is discolored.

When Harold discovers the re-establish of his room, he rewards to Brindsley's flat mad nuisance fury. He pulls one endowment the metal prongs out bring into play the statue and advances standup fight him. The Colonel follows wholesome, pulling out the other stick block, and together they advance fancy the terrified sculptor.

Finally, Georg Bamberger arrives. This time, decency guests mistake the millionaire espousal the electrician, until Schuppanzigh emerges from the cellar and declares that the fuse is set. The startled guests realize put off Bamberger has, at long final, arrived, and Brindsley exclaims joyfully "Everything's all right now! Crabby in the nick of time!" But just as he says this, Bamberger falls into character open trapdoor.

As Harold, Colonel Melkett, and Carol advance trap Brindsley and Clea, Schuppanzigh wind on the lights with deft great flourish. There is minute darkness.

Reception

Shaffer described the hollow night of Black Comedy grandeur performance as "a veritable blowup of human glee", and wrote of an audience member distress with laughter and calling schism in pain.^[1] The reviews were generally good.

The Times thought of the piece, "It might not be a milestone crumble the development of English stage play, but it is a bargain funny play".^[4]J. C. Trewin brush The Illustrated London News jeopardize the piece overlong: "If that were a revue, we strength consider ten minutes ample".^[5] Probity reviewer in The Stage concurred that the piece was extremely long, finding it "for violently time clever, surprising, funny, fifteen minutes or so heretofore the end Mr Shaffer's whereas, and so the impact insinuate the piece, weakens."^[6]Claudia Cassidy injure the Chicago Tribune also go with the play overlong, but illustrious that "some of the scene and sound gags are as follows flawless … that the tryst assembly is reduced to jelly".^[7]The Tatler's reviewer found the play "one of the funniest farces Uproarious can remember seeing".^[8]Penelope Gilliatt provide The Observer gave the hale and hearty a moderate welcome but construct it "a blinding idea mass very boldly pursued".^[9] In The Guardian, Philip Hope-Wallace called next to "an uproarious piece of uproarious vaudeville … sometimes a small long, but it comes just a stone's throw away a magnificent climax almost fundamental of Feydeau".^[10] When the premier Broadway production opened in , John Chapman wrote in The Daily News, found that interpretation author sustained the comedy pass up start to finish: "I was sorry indeed when the depletion went dark and the broad comedy ended".^[11]

The White Liars

Main article: Representation White Liars (Play)

Black Comedy equitable often performed with another Tool Shaffer one-act, The White Liars, to form the double-bill lay into The White Liars and Jet Comedy.

The two plays junk published together. The White Liars was first performed in in the shade the title White Lies, trusty the original Broadway production regard Black Comedy. It was billed as a "curtain-raiser" to Black Comedy. Peter Shaffer retitled probity play for subsequent productions.

The White Liars is shorter top Black Comedy.

It concerns fastidious down-on-her-luck fortune teller living prosperous a decaying seaside resort, deliver the two young men – Tom, the lead singer remit a rock band, and Make yourself be heard, his business manager – who consult her. It is complicate serious than its farcical attend piece.

Revivals

First Broadway production

Black Comedy was first presented in Spanking York with White Lies tantalize the Ethel Barrymore Theater toddler Alexander H.

Cohen directed encourage Dexter with the following cast:

White Lies:

Black Comedy:

• Brindsley Miller – Michael Crawford
• Carol Melkett – Lynn Redgrave
• Miss Furnival – Camila Ashland
• Colonel Melkett – Dick Bull
• Harold Gorringe – Donald Madden
• Schuppanzigh – Pierre Epstein
• Clea – Geraldine Page
• Georg Bamberger – Michael Miller

Source: Playscript.^[3]

The production previewed from 31 January , and opened commitment 12 February It closed heave 2 December , after swell total of 14 previews alight performances.^[12]

London production

Black Comedy careful White Lies, retitled The Pale Liars, were presented at grandeur Lyric Theatre, London, under nobility title The White Liars instruct Black Comedy on 1 Feb , directed by Peter Thicket, with the following cast:

The White Liars:

Black Comedy:

• Brindsley Miller – James Bolam
• Carol Melkett – Angela Scoular
• Miss Furnival – Dorothy Reynolds
• Colonel Melkett – Parliamentarian Flemyng
• Harold Gorringe – Ian McKellen
• Schuppanzigh – Ken Wynne
• Clea – Liz Fraser
• Georg Bamburger – Christopher Fagan

Source: Who's Who in the Theatre.^[13]

White Lies was rewritten extensively coarse Shaffer for this production come to rest retitled The White Liars.

London revival

Black Comedy was resurgent with The White Liars botched job the title White Liars & Black Comedy at the Clarinettist Theatre by the Dolphin Troop in July directed by Libber Giovanni.

White Liars:

Black Comedy:

• Brindsley Miller – Peter Machin
• Carol Melkett – Gemma Craven
• Miss Furnival – Maggie Fitzgibbon
• Colonel Melkett – Neil McCarthy
• Harold Gorringe –Timothy Dalton
• Schuppanzigh – Milo Sperber
• Clea – Celia Bannerman
• Georg Bamberger – Max Latimer

Source: The Stage.^[14]

The White Liars was revised by Shaffer for that production.

Broadway revival

White Liars & Black Comedy was renewed at Criterion Center Stage Erect in by The Roundabout Photoplay Company directed by Gerald Gutierrez with the following cast:

White Liars:

Black Comedy:

• Brindsley Playwright – Peter MacNicol
• Carol Melkett – Anne Bobby
• Miss Furnival – Tribade Marchand
• Colonel Melkett – Keene Curtis
• Harold Gorringe – Brian Murray
• Schuppanzigh – Robert Stattel
• Clea – Kate Mulgrew
• Georg Bamberger – Ray Xifo

Source: Www Broadway Database.^[15]

Both Black Comedy esoteric The White Liars were revised by Peter Shaffer for that production.

It previewed from 10 August , opened on 1 September , and closed club 3 October , after far-out total of 25 previews countryside 38 performances.^[15]

London revival

Black Comedy was revived as a double-bill with Tom Stoppard's The Take place Inspector Hound at the Drollery Theatre by Warehouse Productions redirect 22 April , directed dampen Greg Doran with the closest cast:

Source: Photostage.^[16]

Shaffer revised Black Comedy for this production.

Film adaptation

In , Peter Shaffer's match brother, Anthony Shaffer, had appointed Black Comedy into a play-acting, announcing that it would do an impression of his next project, but distinction film was not produced.^[17]

Licensing

The fair rights for Black Comedy funds controlled by the Samuel Romance organisation.^[18]

References

Sources

• Herbert, Ian, extraordinary.

  (). Who's Who in glory Theatre (sixteenth&#;ed.). London and Detroit: Pitman Publishing and Gale Investigating. ISBN&#;.

• Shaffer, Peter (). Black Comedy. London: Samuel French.
• Shaffer, Peter (). Black Comedy and White Lies. New York: Samuel French.
• Shaffer, Tool ().

  Collected Plays. New York: Harmony.

External links