''Under Plain Cover'' (1962) is a short two-act play by

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

, published in his book "

Plays for England ''Plays for England'' was the title of a double-bill of plays written, performed and published by John Osborne, released by Evans Brothers Limited in London in 1962. It comprised '' The Blood of the Bambergs'' and '' Under Plain Cover''. Plays ...

". It was designed to be shown in a double-bill with another short play, ''

The Blood of the Bambergs ''The Blood of the Bambergs'' (1962) is a short two-act play by John Osborne, published in his book " Plays for England". It was designed to be shown in a double-bill with another short play, '' Under Plain Cover''. ''The Blood of the Bambergs'' i ...

''. The play is a satirical commentary on sexual hypocrisy. It was the first play directed by

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

.Heilpern, John, ''John Osborne: A Patriot for Us'', 2007, Random House, pp.287.

Background

Sexually explicit content was still not acceptable on the English stage. The

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

's office, which could effectively censor plays by denying them a license to perform, called it "effluent". The report's author,

Norman Gwatkin Brigadier Sir Norman Wilmshurst Gwatkin (2 August 1899 – 31 July 1971) was a British Army officer and courtier in the Household of Elizabeth II. Military career Gwatkin was the son of Hugh Fortescue Wilmshurst Gwatkin and Vera Philpots. He w ...

, stated that "I'm sure some people will swoon with delight at this latest Osborne effluent". Osborne's biographer

John Heilpern John David Heilpern (8 April 1942 – 7 January 2021) was a British theatre critic, journalist, and author who worked both in the United Kingdom and the United States. He was a contributing editor to '' Vanity Fair'' (where he wrote the "Out To ...

says that it's a "miracle that the play passed the censor", but quotes Gwatkin saying that "the morals of anyone who pretends to understand what the play is all about will already be beyond contamination; and the remainder will ride the storm unsullied."

Plot

A journalist shows an interest in a couple called Tim and Jenny, who appear to be normal suburban dwellers, with two young children. But it seems that they enjoy fetishistic dressing-up games, in which the couple plays a doctor and nurse; a mail-order bride and her husband-to-be; and other characters. Later the journalist discovers that, unknown to themselves, the couple are in fact a brother and sister. Once the story reaches the press it creates a sensation. The couple separate, and the woman remarries, but her marriage is unhappy. Eventually they get back together, all of their personal dramas being followed and partly created by the tabloid press. Disgusted with himself for nearly destroying the lives of a harmless happy couple, the journalist drinks himself insensible.

Reception

The play was much better received than ''The Blood of the Bambergs''. It was taken seriously by

Kenneth Tynan Kenneth Peacock Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was an English theatre critic and writer. Making his initial impact as a critic at ''The Observer'', he praised Osborne's ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956), and encouraged the emerging wave of ...

, as an exploration of privacy, public morality and the intrusion of the press.

Harold Hobson Sir Harold Hobson CBE, (4 August 1904 – 12 March 1992) was an English drama critic and author. Early life and education Hobson was born in Thorpe Hesley near Rotherham then in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He attended Sheffield Gramm ...

considered that it brought

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

's theatre of sexual radicalism to England.Luc Gilleman, ''John Osborne: Vituperative Artist'', Routledge, 2014, p.43. Heilpern says that the sexual politics is far less radical than plays such as Genet's ''

The Balcony ''The Balcony'' (french: Le Balcon) is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It is set in an unnamed city that is experiencing a revolutionary uprising in the streets; most of the action takes place in an upmarket brothel that functions as a ...

'': "it's basically a prolonged panegyric to women's underwear. There are some forty five references to the elaborate merits of knicker, panty, bloomer, brief, Directoire, gusset and thread, quality interlock, elastic or open top, schoolgirl blue, camiknicker and ''cornet du bal''."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Under Plain Cover 1962 plays Plays by John Osborne Incest in plays