''Dumb Show'' is a three-character play written by Joe Penhall. First published in 2004, the play centers around the story of an out of control former

TV comic ''TV Comic'' was a British comic book magazine published weekly from 9 November 1951 until 29 June 1984. Featuring stories based on television series running at the time of publication, it was the first British comic to be based around TV pro ...

named Barry.

Performances

''Dumb Show'' first premiered at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on September 4, 2004, directed by Terry Johnson. ''Dumb Show'' later made its American debut at the

South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...

in Costa Mesa, California in September 2005. In 2011, ''Dumb Show'' was performed at Keswick's Theatre by the Lake.

Plot

''Dumb Show'' opens in a scene where the TV personality, Barry, is meeting with John and Jane, private bankers. The bankers offer flattery and vintage champagne to Barry which he finds irresistible. Under the pretence of crafting a provocative after-dinner speech, John and Jane persuade Barry to reveal some of the more private aspects of his personal life. However, Barry doesn't plan to reveal any facts about his private life. Instead, he wanted to use John and Jane to get what he wants. The tension mounts and the stakes rise as the three characters take turns out-witting one another and rewriting reality according to their own agendas. At each turn, ''Dumb Show'' confronts questions of ethics, exploitation, and personal morality.

References

External links

Rupert Graves on-line
Review 2004 plays {{2000s-play-stub