Plays 52 - Educating Rita by Willy Russell

14. Educating Rita - Willy Russell

Educating Rita is the story of how a working class woman attempts to improve herself by taking part in an Open University course in English Literature. Rita works as a hairdresser and is feisty yet downtrodden, and married to a man named Denny, who disapproves of her attending the course. It is established early on that Rita isn't in fact her real name (her real name being Susan) and that as a symbol of her attempting to change herself, she has adopted the name of her current favourite author. The play takes place entirely in the office of her tutor, Frank over a period of time. Frank is a middle-aged world-weary English professor at a local university and is immediately established as somewhat fond of drink, hiding bottles of whiskey behind the works of various authors and going to the pub as soon as he can, much to the chagrin of his partner, Julia.

Frank is initially reluctant to take on the responsibility of tutoring Rita, only doing so because he needs the money, but he warms to Rita as they begin to discuss writers and ways of approaching and understanding literature. Rita tells Frank of her reasons for taking on the course, that she realises that the way most people try to change themselves or deal with the monotony of life is to "buy a new dress", but that is some way seems inadequate to her. In her work as a hairdresser, Rita encounters people who want to change all the time, but only on the outside and even then, they expect her to do the work. Rita realises that the best way to change is from within and that the best way to achieve this change is through education.

Fairly early in the course, Rita is told the difference between writing from the heart and the sort of detached, objective writing that will get her a good exam result. In response to a past-exam question on how to tackle the difficulties of staging of Peer Gynt, she responds with a poignant yet dismissive one-line answer; that they should do it on the radio. On the advice of Frank, she later crafts this into a more considered paragraph. Frank explains that whilst this and other later essays are worthy in their own right, they will not carry much weight for the examiners. He iterates the difference between objective, referenced academic writing and a more subjective, opinionated and emotional style. Whilst this is not a difference that she fully understands at first, it does eventually sink in when she is asked the very same Peer Gynt question in her final exam and she realises that she finally has a choice; whether to answer subjectively and risk failing or objectively and pass the exam.

Rita's friends and family, particularly her husband Denny, can't understand or relate to the changes Rita goes through throughout the play and she finds herself growing increasingly alienated from them. At one point, when she has been invited to a dinner party at Frank and Julia's house, she comments that she neither feels part of her old world of sing-songs in the pub, nor a part of Frank's world which she longs to belong. At this point she even considers giving up the course. Rita says to Frank that she feels as if the people she comes from have no culture, just a life of distraction and consumerism, whether that consumption is of clothes, drink or drugs. She also notes that whilst all may appear to be well as they were singing along to the jukebox in the pub, Rita caught her mother crying. When asked why, her mother said that there were other, better songs to sing. This echoes the longing in Rita to find her own better song to sing as she attempts to improve herself.

At a crucial point, Denny finds out that Rita has been lying to him about taking the pill, thinking that she hasn't been taking it when actually she has. In anger, he burns her books and an essay she's been working on. Rita subequently leaves Denny and moves in with a fellow student, Trish, and leaves her hairdressing job to work in a bistro.

As the course progresses and Rita attends a summer school, her confidence grows. She begins to meet and have passionate discussions about art and literature with fellow students, something she barely thought possible when she began the course. Frank seemingly becomes jealous of this and his drinking worsens, much to Rita's dismay. A crucial point comes when Frank has returned from a holiday in France and brings Rita back a large pack of cigarettes, only to be told that she has given them up. Frank's drinking worsens even more, to the point where he is caught drunk during a lecture and is pushed into taking a sabbatical. He shrugs it off but Rita is very disappointed in him, and begins to miss tutoring sessions and tells him less and less about her life. She says these are just unimportant trivialities but Frank tells her that literature and theory is not everything and fears that Rita may be losing her individual voice in her attempts to please the examiners. Rita assures him that this is alright and that it is an acceptable part of her transformation.

Frank's drinking continues and although he is not fired, he is now pushed into working at a college in Australia, as part of his enforced sabbatical. He and Rita by this point appear to have made peace with each other and Rita passes her exam but seems unsure as to what she will do with the rest of her life, although her options are many. She suggests going with Frank to Australia but this does not seem likely. They say their farewells and as a final thank you for his tutoring her, Rita gives Frank a much needed new haircut.

Plays 52 - A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller

13. A View From The Bridge - Arthur Miller

A View From The Bridge is the tragic tale of a close Brooklyn family, told through the narration of Alfieri, an Italian lawyer friend of Eddie Carbone, the head of the family. Eddie is a dock worker and he and his wife Beatrice have been caring for their niece, Katherine, since her mother died. They are both very fond of her and Eddie is very protective and wants her to have a good life and better herself. Katherine has been training to be a typist and has been hand-picked to work as a stenographer at a large nearby plumbers office. Eddie is at first appalled, hoping for better things for Katherine, yet he ultimately relents when Beatrice tells him what an honour this is for Katherine, being picked out in front of the whole class as the best student.

The family are expecting Beatrice's cousins, illegal immigrants from Sicily, to arrive later that night. Eddie is initially glad to help and baulks at a story of a man who betrayed his family to the immigration authorities. The brothers, Marco and Rudolpho arrive and are both very grateful, telling Eddie, Beatrice and Katherine about life in Sicily and how they have to take whatever work comes their way. They paint a picture of a very rural way of life, a contrast to the life that now faces them in Brooklyn. The attraction between Katherine and Rudolpho is apparent straight away, and she swoons at his blond hair. Marco quips that this is a throwback to the days when the Danish invaded Sicily.

As Rudolpho and Katherine begin to see more of each other, it becomes clear that romance is blossoming, much to Eddie's dismay. He begins to criticise Rudolpho and his mannerisms, his skill as a singer and the fact that he seems to be behaving in a way that might get him noticed by the authorities. Eddie also questions Rudolpho's motives, believing that he only wants Katherine so that he can get citizenship if they marry. He cites Rudolpho's spendthrift behaviour as evidence of this, whereby Marco sends virtually all his money back to his wife and children in Sicily.

However, as he talks to both Beatrice and Alfieri about this, his protectiveness becomes more desperate and slightly disturbing. As Alfieri tells Eddie that there's nothing in the law that says that Katherine and Rudolpho shouldn't be together, and that Eddie's feeling that Rudolpho "just ain't right" has no basis in fact, and the only legal matter at hand is the manner in which the two brothers entered America. Beatrice later confides in Katherine, revealing to her the concerns she has regarding her relationship with Eddie. She is worried that at 18, Katherine behaves and dresses inappropriately around him, reminding her that she is now a young woman. Implicit in this is that she may be inadvertently stirring sexual feelings in Eddie, and she insists she is not jealous, and that she is genuinely concerned that their attachment to each other may not be healthy for all three of them.

A while later, the tension between Eddie, Marco and Rudolpho is manifested as Eddie tries to teach Rudolpho how to fight. Calling Rudolpho "Danish", mockingly due to his blond hair, Eddie knocks him down, only for Marco turns the tables on him by challenging him. He asks him to lift a chair in an awkward manner, which proves impossible for Eddie, yet Marco does it with ease, gloating triumphantly as he does so. It transpires that Katherine and Rudolpho are to be married. Katherine brings up the possibility of moving to Italy, but Rudolpho says he is unwilling to do since he wants a better life both for himself and the both of them; he wants to be married to Katherine, but as an American.

Eddie returns to appeal to Alfieri, who once again and more insistently this time, warns him to allow Katherine to live her life. However, in an act of desperation brought about by his feelings of powerlessness, he calls the immigration authorities. Back at home, Beatrice later tells Eddie that she has moved Marco and Rudolpho into another room nearby, and that Katherine and Rudolpho are going to marry as soon as possible so that Rudolpho can become a legal citizen. Eddie attempts to persuade Katherine to go out more and try to meet other men, but Katherine is resolute. This makes Eddie begin to panic about calling the authorities. This panic is made worse by the news that Marco and Rudolpho are now living with other illegal immigrants, with strong family connections, from which Eddie fears some retribution. He resolves to warn them to get out but it's too late and the authorities arrive to take them away. Marco, in a rage, blames Eddie and claims he has effectively killed his children. Eddie tries to deny what he's done but Katherine and Beatrice realise that it was he who notified the authorities.

Some time later, Alfieri informs Rudolpho that he will be able to remain in America if he and Katherine are married, however Marco will be sent back to Sicily. Desperate for the situation to be resolved as amicably as is possible, Katherine, Beatrice and Rudolpho plead with both Eddie and Marco to apologise to each other, yet neither of them back down. Seemingly accepting parole so that he may at least continue to earn money until he is deported, Marco is now released but to the horror of Katherine, Beatrice and Rudolpho, he confronts Eddie in the street. They both stand firm in demanding respect from the other but then they fight and in the tussle, Eddie is stabbed and killed by Marco. Alfieri finishes by musing on what has happened and states his belief that sometimes it is better to "settle for half".

Plays 52 - Yerma by Federico García Lorca

12. Yerma - Federico García Lorca

Yerma is a short play set in the Spanish countryside and concerns itself with the titular character and her yearning for a child. Yerma is married to a shepherd named Juan, however she has been unable to conceive after almost two years of trying. Juan seems to not appreciate Yerma's caring attitude to him, and is confused by her thinking there is something missing from their lives. Yerma likens herself to a weed in amongst the flowers, doing nothing whilst the other women bloom.

Juan leaves to tend to his sheep and Yerma sings to herself. A friend of hers, Maria, then passes by with news that she is pregnant after five months of trying. Yerma is clearly very pleased for her and begins quizzing her on what it feels like and if she could tell the moment it happened. Yerma's joy then turns to melancholy as she tells Maria of her own frustration. Maria reassures her that others have taken longer to conceive and Yerma responds well to this, her determination returning. She resolves to help Maria make nappies for her baby.

Yerma is busy sewing when Victor, another shepherd enters and assumes Yerma is making nappies for her own child. Yerma tells him no, and Victor responds by reassuring her and telling her that her husband needs to work less, since he will have no-one to leave all the money he's making to. Yerma is once again buoyed by Victor's encouragement, but once again seems lost in thought, looking longingly at the mountains.

It is a year later and Yerma is still without child, Juan is now working in the olive groves and she has just taken him his lunch. An older woman passes by and they begin talking about children and marriage. Yerma seeks the old woman's advice since she reveals she has had nine children, all boys. The old woman is reluctant however, and implies that there may be something missing from Yerma's marriage, a passion that should be there, although Yerma doesn't seem to understand, or does not want to. Yerma reveals that although she is fond of Juan, she did marry him out of a sense of duty and in order that she have children. She suggests that it is in fact Victor that she feels something stronger for, yet her family honour prevents her from pursuing this line of thought.

A little later, Yerma passes two young women also on their way back from the olive groves. One has left her baby at home, for which Yerma admonishes her. The other, like Yerma, is childless but happily so and clearly resents the idea that women are bound to marry and produce children and that that is the only life that awaits them. She tells Yerma that her mother makes her take all sorts of herbs to help her get pregnant, and that they are going to see the saint who helps women without children. Yerma then asks who her mother is, that she might seek advice from her.

Just then, Yerma catches Victor singing and from their conversation it is clear that there is a mutual attraction between them. She thinks she hears a child crying in the distance and Juan then enters. He tells Yerma that she ought to be at home and that people will 'talk' if she is seen out and about talking with other men. A little while later, Juan's fears are confirmed as a group of washer women gossip by the river about Yerma. They tell of how Juan's two sisters have come to live with them, effectively to keep an eye on Yerma who goes out walking alone. The sisters are likened to leaves that grow on graves and when the flocks of sheep pass by, they comment mockingly that Victor's are missing.

Back at the house, Juan complains to his sisters that they are not doing a good job of keeping an eye on Yerma. She is at the spring alone fetching fresh water for dinner, a dinner that he says is hard earned yet he can barely eat, since he is so exhausted from work. Juan once again protests that Yerma goes out on her own too much, but she tells Juan that it is hard for her to stay at home, when that home feels like a tomb. She then expresses to him of her need for a child, since he has a life of work and she feels she has no purpose. Juan cannot understand this though, since all he wants is a peaceful life and is frustrated that Yerma doesn't want this too.

Juan and his sisters go to eat, while Yerma remains stood in the doorway. Just then, Maria hurries past, as she is uncomfortable with how Yerma behaves when she passes by. But she does stop and allows Yerma to hold her child for a while. However this only makes her more melancholic and intensifies her yearning. The girl who spoke with Yerma earlier in the play, who was reluctant to settle for a conventional life, tells Yerma that her mother, Dolores, will see her. It's clear that Yerma has finally arranged to visit her to ask her advice. As she is preparing to leave, Victor arrives to say farewell. He has sold his flock to Juan and is going away, for reasons which are not made explicit but it is implied that he has become uncomfortable with the situation between himself, Juan and Yerma. Once he has gone, Yerma seems to have a new-found determination and leaves with the other girl to speak with Dolores.

It is dawn on the following morning and Yerma has apparently partaken in a prayer at a graveyard the night before with Dolores and two other older women. The prayer has helped women before and Yerma hopes that it will help her now. One of the old women sees Yerma's desperation and yearning and asks whether she will find contentment if she ultimately cannot have a child. Yerma's response to this is a passionate affirmation of her desire to have a child. The old women implore Yerma to seek solace in Juan's love whilst she waits to become pregnant, yet Yerma now reveals that she doesn't love him anymore. Whilst she is bound by familial honour to remain with him, she suspects that due to his lack of desire, she may never have a child with him. To everyone's surprise, Juan and his sisters arrive to confront Yerma. Juan assumes that she is cheating on him, yet Yerma vigorously protests her innocence which is confirmed by Dolores and the others. Yerma tries to tell Juan of her despair, yet he continually tries to silence her, not acknowledging her desperation.

A month later, Yerma is attending some kind of fertility ritual where childless women have gone to ask the 'saint' to help them. It emerges that this once sacred ritual has descended into a glorified orgy and Maria worries for Yerma's sanity in coming here. The gathered people then watch a performance by a masked man and woman, who are surrounded by dancers with garlands of flowers. The dancing and singing is a celebration of pure sexuality, with suggestive imagery of flowers, branches and horns.

After the dance, the old woman who Yerma sought advice from in the first Act approaches. She tells Yerma she is happy to see her there, and now offers her thoughts on why she is without child. She says that Juan's father and his father before him were notorious for not producing offspring, and the fault for her childlessness clearly lies with Juan. The old woman then offers Yerma one of her nine sons, since he is not yet married, and a place in her household. Yerma declines, however, once again stating her family honour and that she must remain with Juan.

Juan has overheard what has been said and now reveals to Yerma that he has never wanted a child. Although this is implicit throughout the play and he almost says as much in the first scene, this is treated like a revelation. Yerma expresses her astonishment that even though he could see how much having a child meant to her, he would not and will not provide her with one. In a dramatic clinch where Juan tells Yerma that all he ever wanted was her, Yerma turns on him and strangles him. Yerma acknowledges that with this act she has effectively murdered any child she might have had.

Plays 52 - Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov

11. Three Sisters - Anton Chekhov

Three Sisters spans five years in the lives of the Prosorov siblings; Olga, Irena, Masha and Andrey, the son and daughters of a deceased Russian General. They dream of returning to Moscow, where they were born and grew up, and for now are stuck in the small provincial town where their father was stationed prior to his death. The play concerns itself with showing how youthful idealism and hopes wither and die in the face of small-town life.

It is a year since their father died and is also Irena’s birthday, and at 20 is the youngest of the three. Olga notes that Irena is finally looking happier yet Masha, seems distracted and frustrated. Masha married young, impressed as she was by Fiodor Koolighen, a man far older than she and a teacher. They all dream of returning to Moscow and they hope to do so by the Autumn. They receive a visit from the new brigade commander, Alexander Vershinin, who used to serve under their father in Moscow and who visited them when they were children.

Andrey is practicing on his violin in another room when his sisters call him in and begin teasing him, in a light-hearted way, about his apparent infatuation with a local girl, Natasha. Andrey hopes to become a professor in Moscow when they return and is translating an English text in preparation. Masha laments that all their education is for nothing in a town such as they are living in, yet Vershinin tells her that despite all the ignorance that surrounds them, they will have some influence on people, enough that in the future, the world will be a better place.

Irena speaks with much fervour about the value of work and tells of a revelation she had whereby real hard work was the only way to find meaning and purpose in life, and a lack of work leads to feelings of despondency and hopelessness. As the others make their way to the dining room to have lunch, Irena is alone with Baron Toozenbach, who declares his love for her, ignoring her apparent indifference and reluctance to hear it. Natasha then arrives and is greeted somewhat warmly by Olga, who criticises what she is wearing. Everyone sits down to lunch and Natasha is embarrassed by a teasing comment from Chebutykin, an old army doctor living with the family. Andrey goes over to comfort Natasha, whereby he declares his love and proposes to her.

In Act Two it is more than a year later, Andrey and Natasha are now married and have a young son; Bobik. Andrey confesses to Ferapont, a colleague of his from the local council, that he is incredibly bored with life. Ferapont is hard of hearing and is not aware of what Andrey is telling him, which is the reason for Andrey doing so, since he can air his true feelings without consequences. He still dreams of academic life despite the fact that the best he can hope for now is being the chairman of the local council. Baron Toozenbach tells everyone that he has resigned his commission and is no longer in the army, much to the dismay of the sisters. It emerges that Masha and Vershinin are having an affair, disillusioned as they are with their own marriages.

It is a carnival night and everyone is gathered at the Prosorov’s house in anticipation of a group of entertainers, although Natasha is set against it under the pretence that Bobik is unwell. Natasha seems to be slowly taking over the house, even though it is as much the sisters’ as it is Andrey’s. Much drink begins to flow and Natasha eventually calls a halt to proceedings. Everyone leaves, except for Irena and Soliony, an army Captain of irascible temperament. Soliony declares his love for Irena and tells her that if any other man does so that there will be trouble. Protopopov, the chairman of the County Council arrives and Natasha leaves with him for a drive in his Troika, the implication being that they are also having an affair.

The third act takes place a year or so later, and it seems a large fire has spread throughout the town. It is the early hours of the morning and everyone is rallying round at the Prosorov's house. It is rumoured that the entire brigade will be leaving the town at some point in the near future for either Poland or Siberia. The sisters' former nanny, Anfisa, expresses her anxiety that she will be ejected from the household due to her age and inability to work as hard as she used to. Olga calms her and allows her to rest, however, Natasha then enters and yells at Anfisa to stop sitting about and get out. Olga is disgusted by Natasha's behaviour, who is first apologetic, but then confronts Olga and tells her not to interfere in household matters, her business being at the school.

Masha tells her sisters that Andrey has run up debts through gambling, and has taken out a mortgage on their house, from which Natasha has taken all the money. She also confesses her love for Vershinin, and his for her, which Olga is clearly uncomfortable hearing. Andrey later confirms in an emotional confession that he is in debt by some thirty-five thousand roubles, and that he is dissatisfied with how his life has turned out. Irena, Masha and Olga are left alone towards the end of the scene and Irena tells the others of her despair and sense of hopelessness. Olga comforts her and tells her that she ought to marry Toozenbach, despite not loving him, since he is a decent and kind man. Irena agrees, on condition that they can then return to Moscow.

Act four takes place another two years later and the brigade are preparing to leave. Irena has a sense of foreboding regarding a falling-out that took place between the Baron and Soliony the previous night. Irena and the Baron are to marry and are moving to the local brickworks, where he will work and she will become a teacher, having recently qualified. Olga is now the headmistress of the school she taught at, despite her earlier reluctance. She now lives near the school and has provided Anfisa with a place to stay with her. Both Irena and Olga have now seemed to abandon any hopes of returning to Moscow.

It emerges that the Baron and Soliony are to engage in a duel, which was arranged after their earlier falling out. The Doctor is to attend, much to Andrey's disapproval, and he seems to have become rather apathetic. He tells Andrey, after he seeks his advice, that he should just leave his wife and children, and go as far away as possible. Toozenbach then talks with Irena and although he does not tell her directly about the duel, she is filled with a sense of foreboding and tells the Baron that she does not love him but respects and is fond of him. He then leaves, asking her to make sure a coffee is ready for him when he comes back.

Vershinin arrives to say goodbye, to Masha in particular, who is very distressed by his departure. Koolighen then comes out to comfort her, but does so in a very detached way; putting on a false moustache and mimicking a German teacher at his school. The doctor returns at this point, and tells them that the Baron has been killed by Soliony. Irena, in her distress, resolves that she will devote her life to teaching and will still leave as she planned to do with the Baron. The sisters are left alone once again, and wonder if they will ever understand their suffering and what it all means.

Plays 52 - Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward

10. Blithe Spirit - Noël Coward

'Blithe Spirit' is a light-hearted romp about a writer and the women in his life; his current wife and the spirit of his first wife and how he attempts to break free of their supposed oppression.

Charles Condomine and his wife, Ruth, have invited their friends Dr Bradman and his wife, Violet to a séance as research for a thriller novel he is writing. Charles has also invited the notorious Madame Arcati so that he can observe a medium at work and garner some of the jargon and "tricks of the trade" that she employs. The tone of the event is tongue-in-cheek as both he and his guests assume that she is a charlatan. Madame Arcati arrives and tells how she is a little late because she had a premonition that she would get a puncture on her bicycle and returned home to get her pump. Much to the amusement of all assembled she reveals that she did not get one after all, Charles says ironically that she may get one on the way home.

Madame Arcati is very theatrical as she sets up the séance, telling everyone about the elemental spirits and poltergeists and introducing her guide, a child named Daphne who is quite mischievous. As Madame Arcati begins and she makes contact with Daphne who tells her that someone on the other side wishes to speak to Charles. Daphne then goes silent and Madame Arcati decides she must go into a trance to channel the spirit herself. Much to everyone's distress, the table begins to shake and Charles is astounded when his late first wife, Elvira, speaks and only he can hear her. He then hurriedly ends the séance and wakes Madame Arcati who leaves, somewhat crestfallen thinking she has failed, yet with the feeling that something has happened.

After Madame Arcati has left, everyone discusses whether or not she is a fake and Charles comes to the conclusion that she is somewhat deluded. The Bradmans leave and Elvira then appears to Charles in physical form. Much confusion is created when he addresses, and later admonishes Elvira, with Ruth thinking that he is talking to her. Ruth is in disbelief but later tries very hard to humour him as she clearly thinks that he is not well. She says that she will call Dr Bradman in the morning after Charles has got a good night's sleep, but Charles insists that he is alright. He attempts to prove that Elvira is there by getting her to play the piano, and to Ruth's utter shock she does so.

The next day, Ruth invites Madame Arcati to come back and attempt an exorcism; however she upsets her by revealing Charles' intentions for the séance: as a means to watch a supposed charlatan at work as research for his thriller novel. Charles is very relaxed about the whole thing and says that it is a unique opportunity and they should all try to enjoy it. However Ruth is determined and in a temper says that the following morning she will visit the Psychical Research Society and if they will not help, the Archbishop of Canterbury. She clearly thinks that they will be better equipped to carry out an exorcism than Madame Arcati.

A little while later, Charles and his maid, Edith, have both fallen down the stairs, apparently slipping on some axel grease which had been spread over the top of the stairs. Dr Bradman examines them both and says that Charles is suffering from nervous exhaustion and should rest. Ruth later tells Charles that she believes Elvira is trying to kill him off so she can have him to herself. Ruth then leaves with the car to contact Madame Arcati. Charles and Elvira have been planning a trip to Folkestone and it turns out that this was a ruse. Elvira has sabotaged the car, intending that Charles be killed in the inevitable crash; however it is Ruth that is now killed and returns angrily to confront Elvira.

Madame Arcati returns to attempt to sort things out and revels in the fact that she has been a part of bringing back someone from the other side. She establishes that there is someone else of psychic ability in the house and it turns out to be the maid, Edith. She comes down and while initially in denial, she inadvertently reveals that she can see both Elvira and Ruth. Madame Arcati begins the exorcism and in due course it appears as though Elvira and Ruth are gone. Warned that it may have been his love for his wives that manifested them in the first place, Charles actually seems very relieved to be free of them and it is doubtful whether he ever really loved them at all. Madame Arcati warns that although it appears as though they have gone, they may still remain in some form and it would be best for Charles to get away from the house for a while.

Charles then loudly denounces Ruth, Elvira and his unpresent Mother, saying that they have held him back and his entire life has been dominated by women. This forces their collective hand and they begin breaking ornaments and his records as he continues to rail against them. He says that he is now finally free to lead the life he wants to lead and can now enjoy himself.

Plays 52 - Look Back In Anger by John Osborne

9. Look Back In Anger - John Osborne

'Look Back in Anger' charts the tempestuous relationship between a young man, Jimmy Porter, and his wife Alison. They live together in the Midlands in a small flat with a Welshman named Cliff. The play contrasts the genuine affection that can exist in a romantic relationship with a kind of antagonism brought about by the disapproval of Alison's parents and Jimmy's own nebulous anger.

It is established that Alison comes from quite a well-to-do family and Jimmy is from a more working class background. Cliff is essentially a mediator between the two of them, he is very fond of both Jimmy and particulary Alison. Alison reveals to Cliff that she is pregnant, and she contemplates whether it is too late to terminate it. All through the first scene, Jimmy rants and rails at just about everything, including Alison and her apparent passivity, saying that the word "pusillanimous" sums her up entirely. Yet when Cliff leaves to buy some cigarettes, Jimmy and Alison are left on their own and they begin to cosy up and a completely different side to their relationship is seen. They begin playing a little game where they refer to themselves as a bear and a squirrel, and in this game they seem to be genuinely happy.

Their game is interrupted when Cliff returns with news that Helena, a friend of Alison's, is on the phone. Helena is an actress and doesn't have a place of her own to stay whilst performing in Birmingham and so she wants to stay with the three of them. Jimmy considers Helena to be a "natural enemy", seeing her as a threat to his relationship with Alison and plays his trumpet loudly, in another room, apparently to upset them both. Throughout the play Jimmy seems to use his trumpet playing as a weapon. In a conversation with Helena, Alison recalls her and Jimmy's early day, thrust together as they were in the face of her parent's interference. They both lived with a friend of Jimmy's named Hugh, a would-be novelist whose mother helped Jimmy set up a sweet selling business. Alison and Hugh did not get on, despite Jimmy's efforts. Shocked to see what has become of Alison, Helena arranges for Alison's father to come and take her home, Alison agrees and goes to pack her things. Alison tells Helena about their bear and squirrel game, saying that it is a coping mechanism and a way of escaping the business of being human, as animals with a kind of dumb affection for each other.

Just then, Jimmy receives news that Hugh's mother has suffered a stroke and is dying. He goes to London to be with her as there doesn't seem to be anyone else to look after her. He does not do this out of a sense of duty though, he clearly has a genuine affection for her, as Alison says - because she has been poor and ignorant for all of her life, and perhaps Jimmy identifies with this. Jimmy once again rails against Alison and says that he wishes that she would lose a child and endure all the suffering that would entail, not yet knowing that she actually is pregnant. Alison makes her stand and does not go with Jimmy, and instead goes to church with Helena in a defiant stand against her husband.

Alison and her Father muse on what went wrong with their marriage and the perhaps irreconcilable conflict between them, possibly exacerbated by himself and Alison's mother. It is suggested by Alison that Jimmy married her as an act of revenge in a class war, a fact that her father cannot comprehend. Jimmy returns to find Alison gone and Helena still staying there. Jimmy notes the significance that he was almost run over by Alison's father as she sat in the passenger seat, another jibe at her supposed passivity. Helena tells him that Alison is pregnant and Jimmy responds by saying that he is merely surprised, and that he has just spent a day watching someone die. Helena responds angrily to this and slaps Jimmy. However despite the ill-feelings between them, or perhaps because of them, they have a passionate clinch.

It is several months later and Jimmy and Helena are seen to be living "in sin" together, Helena seemingly filling the void left by Alison. Cliff announces that he is going to move out, clearly not comfortable with the changes that have occurred. It is at this point that Alison returns and in an inversion of earlier events, she now persuades Helena that she should leave, despite her strong feelings for Jimmy. She reveals to Jimmy that she lost the baby and is now suffering terribly, just as he wished her to. Jimmy then tries to comfort Alison, reverting to the bear and squirrel game, saying that they must look after each other due to the "steel traps" that exist to ensnare "slightly satanic little animals". There is a sense that they will fall back into the way of life they both led at the start.

Plays 52 - An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

8. An Inspector Calls - J.B. Priestley

An Inspector Calls is set in the Birling household one evening in 1912 and asks the question; just how responsible are we for our actions and the effects that those actions have on the lives of other people? A young woman named Eva Smith has just died after swallowing a large amount of disinfectant and a police inspector, Goole, calls upon the Birling family to investigate their involvement.

The head of the household, Arthur Birling, is a factory owner and former Lord Mayor. Arthur's wife Sybil is rather uptight and adopts an air of superiority. His daughter Sheila, a rather naive young woman, has become engaged to Gerald Croft and is in high spirits. Gerald is the son of Mr Birling's business rival but someone with whom he is keen to establish a partnership with that will be advantageous to both. Mr Birling's son Eric is a lively young man who is good humoured and is established as a prolific drinker, although his parent's treatment of him throughout makes him seem much younger than he actually is. There is a general mood of optimism in this opening scene, which is reflected in Arthur's speech. He betrays an overly optimistic forecast for the next 30 years, predicting a steadily increasing prosperity in a world where the problems of "labour versus capital" are a thing of the past.

Arthur later reveals to Gerald, in private, that he is on the brink of receiving a knighthood. He claims that people are basically alone in the world and must fend for themselves. It is at this point that Inspector Goole descends upon them, announcing the self-inflicted death of Eva Smith. His manner is ominous and he begins questioning each member of family in turn whilst revealing the turns Eva's life took and the events which led to her committing suicide.

Firstly, Goole reveals that Eva was dismissed from Mr Birling's factory, a fact that Mr Birling himself only remembers after Goole's prompting. Eva, despite being regarded as a good worker and a candidate for promotion, was apparently one of a few employees who were leading a strike in order that they may receive a slight pay rise. Mr Birling initially denies any responsibility for his part in Eva's demise.

Goole then turns his attention to Sheila. After being fired by Mr Birling, it is revealed that Eva got a job at Millwood's, a clothes shop that Sybil and Sheila frequent. Sheila was trying on a dress one day and caught a glimpse of Eva smiling at a colleague and later holding the same dress up to herself. Suspecting that Eva was mocking her, she used the leverage of her family's custom to have her fired. Sheila later confessed that she was envious of Eva's looks and thought that she could take care of herself as a result of this. She, unlike her father, shows much remorse and acknowledges her responsibility in Eva's downfall.

Unable to find a steady job, Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton and embarked on "another kind of life" apparently becoming a prostitute. His reaction to Eva's new name gives Gerald away and he is prompted into telling his part by both Inspector Goole and Sheila. Gerald had met Daisy at the Palace Bar, a notorious night-spot in town and escorted her home. She was being harassed by a gentleman familiar to the Birlings, one whom Sybil in particular is shocked to discover was at the Palace Bar. In fact, Sybil seems more shocked by this than by Eva's death. Although Gerald claims that they only talked on that first night, he finds her a place to live after a friend leaves him the keys to some rooms in town. They do ultimately become lovers but the relationship runs its course and Gerald leaves her, Daisy musing in her diary that she may never again be as happy as she was with him. At this point, Sheila gives Gerald back his engagement ring and he leaves the house, promising to return.

Goole continues and turns his attention to Sybil. It is now revealed that Daisy was pregnant when she died. Penniless and pregnant, Daisy went to seek the help of a charitable organisation for women in need, which is coincidentally run by Sybil. She initially lies to Sybil about her situation, calling herself 'Mrs Birling' and claiming that the father of the baby had died. Although she was then honest about her circumstances, Sybil had already taken a disliking to her and rejected her claim for assistance. This is revealed by Goole to be the tipping point for Daisy as she saw no way out of this predicament.

Goole then uses Sybil's moral superiority against her as he goads her into claiming that it is the father of the child who has full responsibility for Eva/Daisy's suicide. At this point Goole reveals to them that Eric is the baby's father. When she returned to her life of prostitution, Daisy became a conquest of Eric after a night of heavy drinking, the implication being that he bullied her into sleeping with him. Eric and Daisy began a predominantly sexual relationship and Daisy became pregnant. She didn't tell Eric and left him after she found out he has been supporting her with money stolen from his father's business. Eric does bear the burden of responsibility but Goole reminds everyone present that they all had a part to play, with Gerald apparently being the only one who had any affection for her at all.

It is also noted that at no point did Eva do any of the others any harm at all, yet cumulatively their actions resulted in the loss of her life. Goole warns them that a lesson must be learned from all this, otherwise they would be taught by "fire and anguish".

Once Goole leaves, Gerald returns and the family begin to muse upon the strangeness of Goole and of the situation as a whole. The elders in particular begin to speculate that Eva Smith/Daisy Renton may not even be one single person, since Goole only showed a photograph to each of them individually. Arthur also suspects that Goole was not a real police inspector at all and telephones the Chief Inspector to confirm this. Gerald also corroborates this after he had asked a policeman about Goole on his earlier walk, the officer having no knowledge of him.

Both Eric and Sheila are extremely upset about the whole situation, they are adamant that the story is real and that no amount of talking around it can absolve the others from guilt. With both Arthur and Sybil now claiming the entire story must be some kind of hoax, Gerald telephones the local infirmary to check whether anyone matching Eva's description have been admitted. Gerald discovers that no young women have been admitted that night, and no suicides have been reported for months. Arthur, Sybil and Gerald all breathe a sigh of relief that they have apparently been had.

However, the telephone rings and Arthur informs the others that just then, a young woman has been admitted to the infirmary after swallowing a large amount of disinfectant, and that an inspector is on his way.