Plays : First Series

Produced by David Widger
By John Galsworthy
Contents:
JOHN BARTHWICK, M.P., a wealthy Liberal MRS. BARTHWICK, his wife JACK BARTHWICK, their son ROPER, their solicitor MRS. JONES, their charwoman MARLOW, their manservant WHEELER, their maidservant JONES, the stranger within their gates MRS. SEDDON, a landlady SNOW, a detective A POLICE MAGISTRATE AN UNKNOWN LADY, from beyond TWO LITTLE GIRLS, homeless LIVENS, their father A RELIEVING OFFICER A MAGISTRATE'S CLERK AN USHER POLICEMEN, CLERKS, AND OTHERS
TIME: The present. The action of the first two Acts takes place on Easter Tuesday; the action of the third on Easter Wednesday week.
The curtain rises on the BARTHWICK'S dining-room, large, modern, and well furnished; the window curtains drawn. Electric light is burning. On the large round dining-table is set out a tray with whisky, a syphon, and a silver cigarette-box. It is past midnight.
A fumbling is heard outside the door. It is opened suddenly; JACK BARTHWICK seems to fall into the room. He stands holding by the door knob, staring before him, with a beatific smile. He is in evening dress and opera hat, and carries in his hand a sky-blue velvet lady's reticule. His boyish face is freshly coloured and clean-shaven. An overcoat is hanging on his arm.
The curtain falls.
The curtain rises again at once.
In the BARTHWICK'S dining-room. JACK is still asleep; the morning light is coming through the curtains. The time is half-past eight. WHEELER, brisk person enters with a dust-pan, and MRS. JONES more slowly with a scuttle.
WHEELER. Why don't you get him locked up? You'll never have any peace until you get him locked up. If I were you I'd go to the police court tomorrow. That's what I would do.
MRS. JONES. Of course I ought to go, because he does treat me so badly when he's not himself. But you see, Bettina, he has a very hard time—he 's been out of work two months, and it preys upon his mind. When he's in work he behaves himself much better. It's when he's out of work that he's so violent.