Espionage, undercover, mental illness, World War Two, WWII, secrecy, marriage, mundane life, revolver, French Resistance, teenager, France, Europe, downfall, under appreciated, changing times, false love, lust. Suez Canal Conflict
Play length 1.45 mins
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| Portrait of David hare by Paula Rego (Flickr) |
Accents General English, RP, general French, middle class London
Place Blackpool ,St Benoit, Knightsbridge, Whitehall, Pimlico, Embankment, Brussels
Set Office furniture, house furniture. Much is achieved through lighting
Specicify/accent ‘Plenty’ is historical fiction. The events could have happened, it’s a play specifically about a woman’s secret life as British operative. The play is gender specific and should be left well alone. As the play is specific to Europe in its dialogue. It should be set mainly in England. There could be a possibility of peroming it in France. The play is aimed at anyone aged 16 and above.
Characters
Susan 17-40
Alice 16-40
Lazar 20-50
Sir Leonard Darwin 40-50
Brock 25-30
Mick 20
Louise 17-19
Dorcas 17
Frenchman (1) 30
M. Aung (male, husband, Asian)
Mme. Aung (female, wife, Asian)
Begley 22
Sir Andrew Charleson 45-55
Frenchman (2) 50
BBC Announcer 20-60
Synopsis Susan is a secret operative working for the British Government during World War Two. Her sole responsibility is to liaise with the French Resistance and smuggle other operatives in to France.
Following World War Two Susan is also assigned to work on the Suez Canal Conflict
After living the secret life of an operative, Susan finds herself in a dead end job and at the hands of male chauvinism, being sexually harassed by her manager Mr Medlicott, at her new nine to five job.
Susan marries Brock, and struggles with the idea of being a house wife and living in the unequal society of the nineteen sixties. She eventually falls into insanity and threatens to shoot herself if she doesn’t get her way.
Susan marries Brock, and struggles with the idea of being a house wife and living in the unequal society of the nineteen sixties. She eventually falls into insanity and threatens to shoot herself if she doesn’t get her way.
The end of the play is anticlimactic and sad as Susan is seen under house supervision, by her friend Alice and husband Brock.due to her declining mental health.
'Plenty' is a sad tale of changing times and the demise of women, after their valiant efforts, through national trauma and turmoil.
Monologues and duologues etc...
Page 3-11
Key words Espionage, French Resistance, WWII, female lead, France, undercover, operative
Length 6 mins
Character(s) Susan, Lazar, Frenchman (1)
Type Duologue
(Note: there is one interjecting page when Frenchman (1) argues with Susan and then leaves)
Synopsis Susan is young and British. She also works as an undercover operative for the French Resistance. In this Duologue Susan meets Lazar in an unplanned meeting, Lazar is a secret operative who parachutes secretly in to France. Lazar has missed his target, landing 80 mikes away from his target. Susan helps Lazar find his feet and points him in the right direction.
Snippet
Susan: your French is not good
Lazar: Where am I?
Susan: Please be quiet. I can’t hear when you speak. (Pause.) There’s a Road. Through the woods. Gestapo patrol....there’s meant to be a drop...we need the drop badly-explosives and guns
Lazar: Would you like a cigarette?
Susan: Thank you very much
Lazar: how has it been?
Susan: Well...the Germans are still here.
Lazar: You mean we are failing?
Susan: Not at all. It’s our brief. Keep them here...blow up their bridges, devastate the roads...divert them from the front.
Page 17,18,19, 20
Key words heart attack, secrets, lies, undercover, affairs, relationships, lust.
Length 3 mins
Character(s) Susan
Type Monologue
Synopsis Susan discusses her affair with Tony who has just just fallen dead in a Hotel corridor. Susan discusses how their relationship was part of their undercover work, appearing as husband and wife made things easier.
Note: This Monologue is merged from Susans two main paragraphs over pages 17, 18, 19, 20.
Snippet
Susan: it was easier to say we were man and wife, in fact I was barely his mistress...Those of us who went through this kind of war, I think we do have something in common...the people who stayed behind seemed childish and a little silly...it was an innocent relationship...we’d known some sorrow together... and it seemed a shocking injustice when he fell in the lobby.
Page 25-26
Key Words Mundane, sexual harassment, boredom, manager, unfulfilled, stuck
Length 2 mins
Character(s) Susan
Type Monologue
Synopsis After living the life of a secret operative, Susan finds herself stuck in a dead end job with her manager sexually harassing her. Her heroics of WWII are far gone now.
Note: this monologue has been merged as there is some interjecting dialogue in between from Alice.
Snippet
Susan: The days get heavier and heavier as the days go on...Mr Medlicott has moved into my office...I care in one morning and found the partition had gone...He puts his head down and does not lift till lunch...I am frightened of what the next step will be... the sexual pressure is becoming intolerable. One day there was a condom in his turn up. Used or unused I couldn’t say. But planted without doubt.
Page 74-80
Key Words Mental Health, downfall, exposure, hierarchy, changing times
Length 5 mins
Character(s) Susan, Charleson
Type Duologue
Synopsis Having lived an exciting life as a Secret Operative, Susan habitually reverts to her old self, which can be demanding and difficult. She has met her match with Charleson, the Chief Clerk of the Foreign Office and manager of Susan’s, Husband, Brock. Susan meets Charleson with the intent of convincing him to promote her husband Brock. It is clear that she is historical and showing signs of mental illness. As a result of Susan’s intervention, we find out that Brock has been let go from the Foreign Office and Susan is sectioned.
Note: there is a brief interjection from Begley on page 80.
Snippet
Susan: Sir Andrew, as you know, I take very little part in my husbands professional life
Charleson: indeed
Susan: ...but for he first time in my husbands career I am beginning to feel
some need to intervene... I’ve come to ask exactly what my husbands prospects are
Charleson: We offered him Monrovia...Monrovia is not an insult...and Brock refused...Mrs Brock believe me , I recognise your tone...But in this matter I must tell you , Mrs Brock, it’s more than likely you’ve met your match
Susan: I must thank you for your Frankness...I must however warn of my plan. If Brock is not promoted in the next six days, I am Intending to shoot myself
Links to writer
Alternatively, please follow the links below:
Other Hare plays
Skylight, stuff Happens, The Judas Kiss
Skylight, stuff Happens, The Judas Kiss
ISBN: 0-571-19120-7
Written by Joshua Ashley-Smith
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