''Rookery Nook'' is a

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

by the English playwright

Ben Travers Ben Travers (12 November 188618 December 1980) was an English writer. His output includes more than 20 plays, 30 screenplays, 5 novels, and 3 volumes of memoirs. He is best remembered for his long-running series of farces first staged in the ...

based on his own 1923 novel. It was first given at the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

, London, the third in the series of twelve

Aldwych farce The Aldwych farces were a series of twelve stage farces presented at the Aldwych Theatre, London, nearly continuously from 1923 to 1933. All but three of them were written by Ben Travers. They incorporate and develop British low comedy styles, ...

s presented by the actor-manager

Tom Walls Thomas Kirby Walls (18 February 1883 – 27 November 1949) was an English stage and film actor, producer and director, best known for presenting and co-starring in the Aldwych farces in the 1920s and for starring in and directing the film adapt ...

at the theatre between 1923 and 1933. Several of the actors formed a regular core cast for the Aldwych farces. The play depicts the complications that ensue when a young woman, dressed in pyjamas, seeks refuge from her bullying stepfather at a country house in the middle of the night. The play was first performed in 1926 at the

in London, the third of the

s, and ran for 409 performances."Mr. Ralph Lynn", ''The Times'', 10 August 1962, p. 11 In 1930 Walls directed a filmed version of the play, with most of the same performers, and the piece has been revived and adapted as a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

Background

The actor-manager

, initially together with

Leslie Henson Leslie Lincoln Henson (3 August 1891 – 2 December 1957) was an English comedian, actor, producer for films and theatre, and film director. He initially worked in silent films and Edwardian musical comedy and became a popular music hall comed ...

, produced the series of

Aldwych farces The Aldwych farces were a series of twelve stage farces presented at the Aldwych Theatre, London, nearly continuously from 1923 to 1933. All but three of them were written by Ben Travers. They incorporate and develop British low comedy styles, ...

, nearly all written by

, starring Walls and his co-star

Ralph Lynn Ralph Clifford Lynn (8 March 1882 – 8 August 1962) was an English actor who had a 60-year career, and is best remembered for playing comedy parts in the Aldwych farces first on stage and then in film. Lynn became an actor at the age of 18 ...

, who specialised in playing "silly ass" characters. Walls assembled a regular company of actors to fill the supporting roles. For the first few productions, the company included

Robertson Hare John Robertson Hare, OBE (17 December 1891 – 25 January 1979) was an English actor, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is remembered by more recent audiences for his performances as the Archdeacon in the popular BBC sitcom, ''All Ga ...

, as a figure of put-upon respectability; Mary Brough in eccentric old lady roles;

Ethel Coleridge Ethel Coleridge (14 January 1883 – 15 August 1976) was an English actress, best known for her roles in the original Aldwych farces in the 1920s and 1930s. Life and career Coleridge was born Ethel Coleridge Tucker in South Molton, Devonshire, ...

as the severe voice of authority,

Winifred Shotter Winifred Florence Shotter (5 November 1904 – 4 April 1996) was an English actress best known for her appearances in the Aldwych farces of the 1920s and early 1930s. Initially a singer and dancer in the ensembles of musical comedies, Shotter ...

as the sprightly young female lead; and the saturnine Gordon James. Walls and his team had already enjoyed two substantial hits at the Aldwych, with '' It Pays to Advertise'' (1923), which had run for 598 performances, and ''

A Cuckoo in the Nest ''A Cuckoo in the Nest'' is a farce by the English playwright Ben Travers. It was first given at the Aldwych Theatre, London, the second in the series of twelve Aldwych farces presented by the actor-manager Tom Walls at the theatre between 1923 ...

'' (1925, 376 performances). ''Rookery Nook'', Travers's second playscript for the company, was based on a farcical novel he had published three years earlier.

Original cast

*Gertrude Twine –

*Mrs Leverett – Mary Brough *Harold Twine –

*Clive Popkiss –

*Gerald Popkiss –

*Rhoda Marley –

*Putz – Griffith Humphreys *Admiral Juddy – Gordon James *Poppy Dickey – Ena Mason *Clara Popkiss –

Stella Bonheur Stella Bonheur (5 December 1904 – 10 October 1997) was a British actress. She also appeared on stage, e.g. in '' Rookery Nook'', one of the Aldwych farces by Ben Travers. Selected filmography * '' Red Wagon'' (1933) * '' The Elder Brother'' (1 ...

*Mrs Possett – Vera Gerald"Aldwych Theatre – Rookery Nook", ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'', 1 July 1926, p. 14

Synopsis

The action takes place on a summer night in the lounge-hall of "Rookery Nook", a house at Chumpton-on-Sea, Somerset.

Act I

The formidable Gertrude Twine has arranged for her newly-wed sister, Clara Popkiss, and husband Gerald Popkiss, to stay at Rookery Nook after their honeymoon. Gertrude and her henpecked husband Harold live nearby. Clive Popkiss, Gerald's cousin, is staying with the Twines, and when Gerald arrives Clive is at Rookery Nook to greet him. Except for a larger-than-life daily charwoman, Mrs Leverett, Gerald is temporarily on his own at Rookery Nook, Clara having gone to visit her mother. After Clive leaves, Gerald's solitude is interrupted by the incursion of a young woman, barefoot, wet, and wearing only pyjamas. She is Rhoda Marley, who lives nearby with her ferocious Prussian stepfather, Putz. He has thrown her out of his house for some trivial offence. Gerald lends her a pair of dry pyjamas and a dressing gown. She has nowhere else to go, and the gallant Gerald agrees to give her refuge at Rookery Nook. Putz comes to the house with his dog, looking for Rhoda, but, thwarted, he departs in a loud rage. Gerald cedes the main bedroom to Rhoda. He is extremely uneasy and fears that, despite the purity of his intentions, there will be a scandal. The worldly Clive discovers the situation and gives Gerald moral support. Gertrude and Harold Twine enter, and Rhoda hides in the kitchen. Harold finds her there and is hastily sworn to secrecy by Clive and Gerald, though he is terrified that Gertrude will discover that he has deceived her. Clive assures him that he will explain everything in the morning.

Act II

The following day, Harold turns up to hear Clive's explanation. Unknown to the men, Mrs Leverett and Gertrude Twine also arrive; they see Rhoda coming out of Gerald's bedroom and are in haste to tell Clara about it. Clive and Gerald bully Harold into going to fetch some clothes for Rhoda so that she can leave the house and escape to London to stay with friends. While Harold is away on this errand, a further intruder, Admiral Juddy, arrives at Rookery Nook demanding to know why Harold has failed to turn up as agreed for a round of golf. Clive, who has taken strongly to Rhoda, offers to drive her to London. Harold returns, having failed to secure any of Rhoda's own clothes from Putz's house: Putz set the dog on him, and he fled. Instead, Harold has brought some of his wife's clothes, but Putz, wise to the scheme to rescue Rhoda, takes them from him.

Act III

Admiral Juddy has heard from Harold that Rhoda is hiding at Rookery Nook. He calls to offer her refuge at his house, but the lack of respectable daytime clothes for her to appear in remains an unsolved problem. Poppy Dickey, a lively young woman from the village, calls, collecting for charity. Rhoda persuades her to lend her the clothes she is wearing, and thus clad Rhoda escapes. Alerted by her meddling sister Gertrude, Clara arrives. She confronts Gerald, whose answer is to throw open the bedroom door, trusting that Clara will see that Rhoda is an innocent damsel in distress. Instead Clara finds Poppy, in her underwear. Gerald attempts to explain about the lunatic Putz and his conduct to Rhoda, but this line falls flat when Putz himself appears, and, to thwart Gerald and Clive's plans, behaves with exaggerated restraint and courtesy. Gerald is floundering until Rhoda shows up to thank him for his help, along with Clive, who accuses Mrs Leverett of spreading malicious rumour about Rhoda. Mrs Leverett protests that it was Gertrude who started the rumour that Rhoda was not Putz's stepdaughter but his mistress. Putz, hearing their scandalous accusation, flies into a towering rage, substantiating Gerald's explanation. Gerald and Clara are reconciled and Clive happily pairs off with Rhoda.

Critical reception

'' praised the cast and concluded: "With them, and with the whole rippling foolery, the audience with good reason was delighted. ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'' thought the piece "an excellent farce … played to perfection", and warned of the need for physical endurance to cope with a whole evening of such laughter as the play provoked. When the piece was revived in 1979, Michael Billington praised its "wonderful combination of panic and innocence".Billington, Michael. "Rookery Nook", ''The Guardian'', 21 November 1979, p. 11 In 2005, Charles Spencer wrote in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'', "Beneath the laughter, ''Rookery Nook'' is blessed with a robust tolerance, celebrating sexual desire and human frailty, even as it deplores those gossips addicted to 'vile scandals, venomous libels, and dirty little tattling tea parties'. In this respect, at least, Travers still has something to say to the England of today."

Revivals and screen versions

The piece was revived in 1942, with Lynn in his original part ("as masterly as ever", according to ''

''). A musical version, titled ''Popkiss'', was staged at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

in 1972, with Daniel Massey and John Standing in the Lynn and Walls roles. The piece was adapted by Michael Ashton, with music by

John Addison John Mervyn Addison (16 March 19207 December 1998) was a British composer best known for his film scores. Early life Addison was born in Chobham, Surrey to a father who was a colonel in the Royal Field Artillery, and this influenced the d ...

and David Heneker. Travers's original play was revived at

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

in 1979, with

Nicky Henson Nicky Henson ( Nicholas Victor Leslie Henson; 12 May 1945 – 15 December 2019) was a British actor. Early life Nicholas Victor Leslie Henson was born in London, the son of Harriet Martha ( Collins) and comedian Leslie Henson. Adam Henson, a f ...

and Terence Frisby in the main roles. A 1986 revival at the

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was ...

starred

Tom Courtenay Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including ''The Loneliness of t ...

and

Ian Ogilvy Ian Raymond Ogilvy (born 30 September 1943) is an English actor, playwright, and novelist. Early life Ogilvy was born in Woking, Surrey, England, to Francis Fairfield Ogilvy, brother of advertising executive David Ogilvy, and actress Aileen ...

. There was a further London production in 2009 at the

Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Borou ...

. In 1930 Walls directed a film version, a joint production by the

Gramophone Company The Gramophone Company Limited (The Gramophone Co. Ltd.), based in the United Kingdom and founded by Emil Berliner, was one of the early recording companies, the parent organisation for the '' His Master's Voice (HMV)'' label, and the Europe ...

(HMV) and the

British & Dominions Film Corporation Imperial Studios were the studios of the British and Dominions Film Corporation, a short-lived British film production company located at Imperial Place, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. The studios (one of several facilities historica ...

."Rookery Nook", ''The Times'', 12 February 1930, p. 12 Lynn and Walls led a cast mostly comprising the original stage actors. The film earned £100,000 at the British box office, three times the usual amount for a British film. The BBC has televised the play three times. The first was in 1947, followed by a 1953 production starring

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...

. A production in 1970 featured

Arthur Lowe Arthur Lowe (22 September 1915 – 15 April 1982) was an English actor. His acting career spanned 36 years, including starring roles in numerous theatre and television productions. He played Captain Mainwaring in the British sitcom '' D ...

and Richard Briers."Broadcasting", ''The Times'', 19 September 1970, p. 18 A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation was broadcast in 1985, featuring Ian Lavender.

Notes

References

* Trussler, Simon. ''The Cambridge Illustrated History of British Theatre''. Cambridge University Press, 2000. {{Aldwych farces 1926 plays Comedy plays Plays by Ben Travers Plays based on novels British plays adapted into films