Subject: # 14227 Teatro Inglés Siglos XIX y XX Grupo A

Author: Tom Stoppard

Play: If you’re Glad, I’ll be Frank

Subtitle: A play for radio

Publisher: Faber and faber

This edition was first published in 1976 in Great Britain.

Frank and Gladys, the main characters, whose emotions manage to prevail upon their attachment with the illusion of time and space, but they prevail much more time in Frank than in Gladys. In fact, Frank’s feeling go along with him all the time, his problem along the story is the crash between the space-time system established by society and his feelings. On the other hand, Gladys is much more conscious of the nature of this fictitious system, she is aware of the fact that time is an illusion created by humans to measure, because human’s nature is to measure all, even what does not exist. Regarding the other characters, there is not much to say, they are only representing the big part of the society under the empire of this false system, believing it is the only thing to follow and believe, making it prevail upon their feelings, as we can see at the ending:

“Frank: Gladys. Yes.

1st Lord (chuckling): My dear fellow – there’s no Gladys – we wouldn’t trust your wife with the time – it’s a machine. I thought everyone knew that...

(...) Gladys (sniffing): I can’t go on...

1st Lord: Come on now, this isn’t like you at all. Let’s get think back to the rails, hm? Think of the public, Mrs. Jenkins...Come on now...at the third stroke...”(30-31)

The plot is the simple story of the emotions fighting against a system based on non-existing ground: time. Frank, the only one actively representing the emotions side of this social war, searches for Gladys, his wife, a woman who has this same struggle inside, where the emotions side will be gaining the match until 1st Lord arrives and defeats it. This may be the end for two reasons: 1) because at the war shown in this play, there were only two characters fighting on the feelings faction, and one of them in a passive way, while there were much more on the other side; 2) furthermore, this allows us to see which point we are at and get the baton of one of both sides and decide which one will be ours and, knowing the consequences of letting the system gain, acting accordingly.

Finally, regarding the space we will say that this struggle can be more seen in a city, where everything is controlled by this system, and not so much by emotions, while in a village this is not so clear and sometimes, not even existing. Regarding the time, we must say it is the main topic of the play and we have already explained how it affects in many senses.