''Turkey Time'' 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 ...

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 Aldwych farce, series of farces first ...

. It was one of the series of

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 that ran nearly continuously 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 ...

in London from 1923 to 1933. The story concerns two guests, staying at the Stoatt household for Christmas, who offer shelter to a pretty concert performer left stranded when her employer absconds, leaving his cast unpaid. The piece opened on 26 May 1931 and ran for 263 performances until 16 January 1932. A film adaptation of the play was made in 1933.

Background

''Turkey Time'' was the ninth in the series of twelve

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, ...

, and the seventh written by Travers. The first four in the series, '' It Pays to Advertise'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Rookery Nook'' and '' Thark'' had long runs, averaging more than 400 performances each. The next three were less outstandingly successful, the runs getting shorter with each production: '' Plunder'' (1928, 344 performances); '' A Cup of Kindness'' (1929, 291 performances); '' A Night Like This'' (1930, 267 performances). ''Turkey Time'' improved upon the eighth in the series, '' Marry the Girl'' (1930), which had managed only 195 performances. Like its predecessors, the play was directed by

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 ...

, who co-starred with

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 ...

, a specialist in playing "silly ass" characters. The regular company of supporting actors 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 Gas ...

, who played a figure of put-upon respectability;

Mary Brough Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

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, Shotte ...

as the sprightly young female lead; and the saturnine Gordon James. This was the last of the Aldwych farces in which Walls appeared on stage. He produced, but did not play in, the last three.

Original cast

*Ernestine Stoatt –

Norma Varden Norma Varden Shackleton (20 January 1898 – 19 January 1989), known professionally as Norma Varden, was an English-American actress with a long film career. Life and career Early life Born in London, the daughter of a retired sea captain ...

*Louise Wheeler – Doreen Bendix *Florence –

Marjorie Corbett Marjorie Corbett (nee Hodgson) 12 May 1912 – 27 July 1995) was a British stage actor, stage, voice actress, puppeteer, and film actress, she was the wife of Sooty's creator, Harry Corbett.Wearing p.9 Earliest Appearances on Film Corbett a ...

*Edwin Stoatt –

*Mrs Gather –

*David Winterton –

*Max Wheeler –

*Rose Adair –

*Warwick Westbourne – Archibald Batty *Luke Meate – Gordon James *Mrs Pike –

*Mr Tuddall – George Barrett

Synopsis

The action takes place at Duddwater, a small seaside town, on the night of Christmas Eve.

Act I

;The dining room at Edwin Stoatt's house The Stoatt household comprises the meek Edwin and his bossy wife Ernestine, her sister Louise and her fiancé David Winterton, and Max Wheeler, a cousin of Ernestine and Louise, on a holiday from his home in Canada. Ernestine insists that they should all go out carol singing, but Max cannot be found. Mrs Gather, who runs a guest house nearby, comes to complain that one of the men of the household has been misbehaving with one of her guests. Ernestine is so indignant at this slur that she sends Mrs Gather away without learning which of the three men she is accusing. Everyone except David leaves to go carol singing. Mrs Gather reappears, with Rose in tow. Mrs Gather has decided that as Rose cannot pay her bill, the man whom she saw kissing her can take care of her. The man was Max, but David does not correct Mrs Gather's error. She leaves Rose with David. Rose has been appearing in a show, and was left stranded when the manager absconded without paying his cast. They are interrupted by Warwick Westbourne, an actor who has a romantic interest in Rose and wishes to take her away. Edwin and Louise return, and in the ensuing confusion Westbourne leaves with Rose. Max returns. He and David vow to rescue Rose from Westbourne's clutches. They discover from Mrs Gather that Westbourne has taken Rose to the Bella Vista hotel and go in pursuit.

Act II

;Scene 1 – The "Bella Vista", downstairs To raise money, Westbourne proposes to sell the theatre company's costumes to Luke Meate, the simple-minded uncle of the landlady of the Bella Vista. Meate gives him the contents of the petty cash box. Mrs Gather's increasingly strident demands for the money owed to her are soon augmented by the demand of Mrs Pike, the owner of the Bella Vista, for the return of her petty cash. The carol singers are heard outside, and Max realises that he can prise enough money from Edwin's collection box to pay both women. Edwin naturally refuses, but Max and David bamboozle him into parting with it. ;Scene 2 – The "Bella Vista", upstairs Mrs Gather, learning that the money is, as she puts it, "ill-got", refuses to accept it. Edwin takes it back. David and Max smuggle Rose out through her bedroom window, and only Edwin is still there when Ernestine and the carol singers burst in.

Act III

;The dining room at Edwin Stoatt's house David is wondering how to break it to Louise that he has fallen in love with Rose. Louise gets in first, telling him that she has fallen for Max, who reciprocates her love. Florence, the maid, offers Rose the use of the spare bed in her room, and lends her a pair of pyjamas. There is a confused scene in the dark in the small hours when Ernestine brings in Christmas parcels for the household while Edwin discovers and attempts to conceal the clothes that Rose has left there. Finally, Westbourne appears and is knocked out by Max, while David and Rose drive away together in Edwin's motor-car.

Critical reception

Ivor Brown Ivor John Carnegie Brown CBE (25 April 1891 – 22 April 1974) was a British journalist and man of letters. Biography Born in Penang, Malaya, Brown was the younger of two sons of Dr. William Carnegie Brown, a specialist in tropical diseases ...

wrote in ''

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 w ...

'': The ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in ...

'' said of Hare, "that plaintive air and furrowed brow of his rank with the Tower and the Monument as one of the sights of London", and thought the play "very good entertainment, though … some of the Rabelaisian jests will not appeal to all." ''

The Daily Mirror ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' thought the piece "will not rank with the best of the Aldwych farces but … has a lot of odds and ends of fun, plus a dash of charm."

Revivals and adaptations

The play was revived at the

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...

in December 1986, directed by

Roger Rees Roger Rees (5 May 1944 – 10 July 2015) was a Welsh actor and director, widely known for his stage work. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. He also re ...

with Robert East, Anthony Pedley and

John Rogan John William "Bud" Rogan February 12 – September 11, 1905; some sources indicate 1867, 1868 and 1871 as his birth year) is recorded as the second-tallest person ever at , behind only Robert Wadlow. Biography John Rogan was born in Hende ...

in the Lynn, Walls and Hare roles. In 1933 the play was turned into a film of the same title directed by and starring Walls. It was part of a series of successful 1930s screen versions of the Aldwych farces. Walls, Lynn, Hare, Brough, Varden and Corbett reprised their original stage roles. Ben Travers himself adapted the play for a 1970 BBC television production, starring

Richard Briers Richard David Briers (14 January 1934 – 17 February 2013) was an English actor whose five-decade career encompassed film, radio, stage and television. Briers first came to prominence as George Starling in ''Marriage Lines'' (1961–66), but ...

and Arthur Lowe. The play was broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

in an adaptation by Martyn Read in December 1993 with

Desmond Barrit Desmond Barrit is a Welsh actor, best known for his stage work. Biography An early screen role for Barrit came in ''Alice through the Looking Glass'' (1998), in which he played Humpty Dumpty. In 2003, he played Shylock in the Chichester Festiva ...

and Michael Cochrane in the leading roles."Radio 4", ''The Times'', 18 December 1993, p. 48

Notes

References

* * {{Aldwych farces 1931 plays Aldwych farce Comedy plays Plays by Ben Travers British plays adapted into films