''Mixed Doubles: An Entertainment on Marriage'' (London: Methuen, 1970) is a programme consisting of a series of eight short plays or revue sketches, each with two characters, composed by various
English playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just
Readin ...
s. It was first performed on 6 February 1969 in the
Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
Theatre Club with the title, ''
We Who Are About To...''. The programme was then presented as ''Mixed Doubles: An Entertainment on Marriage'' at the
Comedy Theatre,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, on 9 April 1969.
The eight dramatic sketches, each portraying
marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
at a different stage of life, are linked together by a series of
anti-authoritarian monologues written by
George Melly. Taken together, the programme presents an acidly humorous image of marriage from the moment of blessing to the silver
wedding anniversary
A wedding anniversary is the anniversary of the date that a wedding took place. Couples often mark the occasion by celebrating their relationship, either privately or with a larger party. Special celebrations and gifts are often given for partic ...
. In the course of the programme, many people appear on stage in various professional roles. The characters in ''Mixed Doubles'' appear to be plagued by everyday trivialities, their pasts, their jobs, and their marital problems.
The revue sketches
*"The Vicar", by
George Melly
*"A Man's Best Friend", by
James Saunders
*"The Bank Manager", by George Melly
*"Score", by
Lyndon Brook
*"The Lawyer", by George Melly
*"Norma", by
Alun Owen
*"The Nannie", by George Melly
*"
Night
Night, or nighttime, is the period of darkness when the Sun is below the horizon. Sunlight illuminates one side of the Earth, leaving the other in darkness. The opposite of nighttime is daytime. Earth's rotation causes the appearance of ...
", by
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...
*"The Psychoanalyst", by George Melly
*"Permanence", by
Fay Weldon
*"The Doctor", by George Melly
*"Countdown", by
Alan Ayckbourn
*"The Union Official", by George Melly
*"The Silver Wedding", by
John Griffith Bowen
*"The Director", by George Melly
*"Resting Place", by
David Campton
David Campton (2 May 1924 – 9 September 2006) was a prolific British dramatist who wrote plays for the stage, radio, and cinema for thirty-five years. Biography
Campton was born in Leicester, in 1924. He was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School ...
Two other monologues by George Melly, "The Headmaster" and "The Advertising Man", were included in the published version as an appendix.
On "Countdown," by Alan Ayckbourn, from "One Act Plays" (alanayckbourn.net):
[
]
References
External links
''Countdown'' on official Ayckbourn website
{{Ayckbourn
British plays
1969 plays