Play Reading in English – Black Comedy by Peter Shaffer

HK English Speaking Union
  • Mon 20-06-2016 7:15 PM - 2 h

Colette Artbar

Free admission

Synopsis

We continue with our celebration of the 90th birthday this year of Sir Peter Shaffer, author of many award-winning plays and films, starring equally well known actors.

Our first Shaffer play reading in April was the 1979 'Amadeus', while May saw his first drama, the 1958 Five Finger Exercise, currently being revived on the London stage. This month of June we will look at his extremely funny 1965 farce entitled 'Black Comedy'.

While the concept of black comedy usually refers to dark humour of serious subject matter, nevertheless in this instance the title is a play on words, as it is a reverse drama. This means the play begins in complete darkness. However, after a few minutes, we learn there is an electrical fault in the hero's London apartment, which leads to all the lights going out in the apartment and the building. However on stage, the whole action is brilliantly illuminated, even though the actors move around as if they were in complete darkness. When a match is lit, or a torch is switched on, then the stage lighting is actually dimmed.

Secondly, while the action of the play is taking place in a supposedly blackout situation, additionally there is a blackout of information, of people being kept in the dark about what is happening. This is due to the fact that our hero is trying to impress his girlfriend's father that he is a suitable husband for her, and thus he has secretly borrowed high quality furniture from his neighbour, so as to make his own flat look smarter. At the same time, as he is a budding sculptor, he is awaiting the arrival of a rich art collector, in the hope of making a sale of his work. However, the neighbour, the father, the ex-mistress, the electrician and the art collector all arrive more or less simultaneously, to create the usual hilarious farcical chaos. This is a one act farce, and like all farce, is delivered at high speed, and with precise timing.

Do please join us, for a fun evening on Monday, June 20, which is not only the Summer Solstice, but also a night of full moon...

Facilitator: Julian Quail


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