Q1.
Work in groups. Enact your favourite part of the play. Points to remember: • Allot a specific role to each member in the group. For example: director, narrator, and characters • Include the actions and expressions as indicated in brackets in the play.
Answer
Roles to allot
| Role | What this member does |
|---|---|
| Director | Decides where each actor stands and sits, calls the pauses, keeps the timing |
| Narrator | Sets the scene in two sentences and reads out the stage directions the audience cannot see |
| Mary | Bright, quick, cheerful — the actor must look pleased with herself right up to the last line |
| Mrs. Shaw | Anxious, watchful; speaks quietly and quickly to cover Mary's blunders |
| Mrs. Harding | Calm and dignified; her corrections must sound gentle, not angry |
| Mrs. Lee | Quiet, loyal; every one of her lines is a polite defence of her family |
| Props / sound | Four chairs, a low table, cups, a coat, and a window to look out of |
Best part to choose: the dog scene in Scene II — Mary at the window complaining about the dirty dog, and Mrs. Harding's flat reply, “That's Towzer. It's our dog.” It is short, self-contained, and gets the biggest laugh.
Do not skip the stage directions. They are half the comedy:
- (No one says anything.) — hold the pause for three full seconds. Everyone looks at the floor.
- (with a red face) — Mary's hands go to her cheeks.
- (looking out of the window) — Mrs. Harding leans across, looks, and sits back before she speaks.
- (She looks at Mary.) — both guests turn their heads towards Mary at the exit. Say nothing. It is funnier that way.
- (unable to say the right thing even now) — Mary should look proud of herself as she delivers the final line.
One tip that improves any performance: speak slower than feels natural and face the audience, not the person you are talking to. In comedy the audience must hear every word — the joke is destroyed by a rushed line.