MODULO
DE LAECTURA
Subject: TEATRO INGLÉS
Code: 14227 group: B
NPA: CL46706 Mª JOSEFA GÓMEZ GARCÍA
John Osborne, The entertainer. First published in 1959 by
Faber and Faber,
Dramatis
personae
Billy Rice A man on his sixties, slim , upright, athletic man, with grey and silky
Hair.
Well pressed and smart wearing. He speaks with Edwardian diction,
more of a period than of a class.
Jean Rice 22 years old girl, tender and humorous.
Archie Rice A man on his fifties, patronizing with members of his family. He stoops
Low for money. He can be pretty cynical some times.
Phoebe Rice A woman on her fifties. She likes to drink a lot, in fact she is a bit of an
Alcoholic. She has fair hair and she looks a bit run down.
Frank Rice A young man 19 years old, pale, shy boy, impulsive, full of affection.
William Rice Looks like a successful lawyer as he is. He is well dressed, assured
(Brother Bill) and well-educated.
Graham Dodd Not much description of him is given although it is suggested that he
will look like brother Bill in thirty years providing that he is
successful.
Plot
It shows us three generations of entertainers. The first generation is Billy Rice who
managed to be respected on the circle of the serious Music Hall when he was young. He is now retired and the Music Hall have past its high day. He does not approve on the lousy productions of his son Archie with lots of naked women. Archie is married to Phoebe who has became a bit of an alcoholic to go through his unfaithfulness.
Jane. Frank will be the third generation.
Archie’s daughter has come to visit them and she finds out that Archie is about
leaving Phoebe for a young woman. There is also the problem of having one
member of the family in a war conflict on the
Space
The play takes place in a house in a large coastal holiday’s resort and the actual scenario where Archie gives his performances. This gives us the possibility to see the difference between their real life and the live on stage.
Time
It all happens in a lineal time, most of it happens at evening time.
Literary
resources
They speak in prose, colloquial English.
Other
aspects
●Political
and social: There is a war conflict
in the
Is fighting on it and gets killed.
The Music Hall high day has past but Archie has grown up on
it and wont let it go. He produces lousy spectacles instead.
●Cost of production It can be quiet expensive since it has two different scenarios,
& technical the house and the place where Archie gives his show.
difficulties Also it would add some difficulty to the put on stage.
Personal
opinion
I find it interesting mainly because the conflict between the two generations showing the father and son incompatibility. The father being respected and the son not even respecting himself. It is also interesting to see how a performer can change when he is out of stage. How Archie looses all his cheerfulness when he gets home, becoming a even a bit bitter.