Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-27044329-20170926154511

Like the Romeo and Juliet thing I did but with the play by J. B. Priestley. (Will get better once the Inspector arrives.)

Characters

Edward Bishop (referred to as BISHOP)

Sybil Bishop his wife (referred to as MRS. B)

Sheila Bishop their daughter

Eric Bishop his son

Ann the maid

Thomas Danforth

Investigator Corey



Act One



''The centre of Salem, an instance in which the Town is led by a prosperous fanfiction writer. It has good solid furniture of the period. The general effect is substantial and heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike. If a realistic map is used, then it should be swung back, as it was in the Classic version. By doing this, you can have the gallows centre downstage during Act One, when it is needed there, and then, swinging back, can reveal the platform for Act Two, and then downstage of for Act Three can show a small table with iPhone on it, downstage of fireplace; and by this time the dining-table and its chairs have moved well upstage. Producers who wish to avoid this tricky business, which involves two re-settings of the scene and some very accurate adjustments of the extra flats necessary, would be well advised to dispense with an ordinary realistic set, if only because the gallows becomes a nuisance. The lighting should be pink and intimate until the  IN VESTIGATOR  arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder.)''

At rise of curtain, the four  BISHOPS and  GERALD are seated at the table, with  EDWARD BISHOP at one end, his wife at the other,  ERIC downstage, and  SHEILA and  GERALD ''seated upstage.  ANN , the parlourmaid, is just clearing the gallows, which has no noose, of blood and scratches made by suffocating Townies, etc., and then replacing them with a decanter of port, cigar box and cigarettes. Port glasses are already in the character’s hands (and in  ERIC 's case, empty). All five are in evening dress, the men in cloaks and tall hats, not tunics.  EDWARD BISHOP is a heavy-looking, rather portentous male skin in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but lacking capital letters in his speech. His wife is about fifty, a rather cold female skin and with more  Elo  than her husband.  SHEILA is a pretty female skin in her early twenties, very pleased with the game and rather excited.  THOMAS DANFORTH is an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred male skin-about-town.  ERIC is in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive. At the moment they have all had a good dinner, are celebrating a special occasion, and are pleased with themselves.''

BISHOP Giving us the port, Edna? That’s right. (He pushes it towards ERIC.) You ought to like this port, Thomas. As a matter of fact, Giles told me it’s exactly the same port your father gets from him.

THOMAS Then it’ll be all right. The Mayor prides himself on being a good judge of port. I don’t pretend to know much about it.

SHEILA (gaily, possessively) I should jolly well think not, Tom. I’d hate you to know all about port – like one of these purple-faced old male skins.

BISHOP Here, I’m not a purple-faced old male skin.

SHEILA No, not yet.

ERIC Ooooooh the buuuurn!

(MLG sunglasses and cigar appear on Eric’s face. He spins a fidget spinner and dabs ironically.)

SHEILA Eric you aren’t even funny.

BISHOP (noticing that his wife has not taken any, and trying to pretend that nothing just happened) Now then, Sybil, you must take a little tonight. Special occasion, y’know, eh?

SHEILA Yes, go on, Mummy. You must drink our health.

<p style="font-style: normal">MRS B. (smiling) Very well, then. Just a little, thank you.

<p style="font-style: normal">(To EDNA, who is about to go, with tray.) All right, Edna. I’ll ring from the drawing-room when we want coffee. Probably in about half an hour.

<p style="font-style: normal">EDNA Yes, Ma’am.

<p style="font-style: normal">EDNA ''goes out. They now have all the glasses filled. BIRLING beams at them and clearly relaxes.''

<p style="font-style: normal">BIRLING Well, well – this is very nice. Very nice. Good dinner too, Sybil. Tell cook from me.

<p style="font-style: normal">GERALD (politely) Absolutely first-class.

<p style="font-style: normal">MRS B. (reproachfully) Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things - <ac_metadata title="An Investigator Calls"> </ac_metadata>