A Man's Best Friend - by James Saunders (1969)Originally presented as one of eight plays under the title "We Who Are About To..." at the Hampstead Theatre Club on February 6th 1969, which was subsequently presented as "Mixed Doubles" at the Comedy Theatre, London on April 9th 1969 with the following cast -
© 1970 James Saunders published by Menthuen and Co Ltd (London, England), 1970 (Mixed Doubles - An Entertainment On Marriage) SBN 416 16160 X The plays and linking monologues comprising Mixed Doubles are - PART ONE "The Vicar" - George Melly "A Man's Best Friend" - James Saunders "The Bank Manager" - George Melly "Score" - Lyndon Brook "The Lawyer" - George Melly "Norma" - Alun Owen "The Nannie" - George Melly "Night" - Harold Pinter PART TWO "The Psychoanalyst" - George Melly "Permanence" - Fay Weldon "The Doctor" - George Melly "Countdown" - Alan Ayckbourn "The Union Official" - George Melly "Silver Wedding" - John Bowen "The Director" - George Melly "Resting Place" - David Campton APPENDIX "The Headmaster" - George Melly "The Advertising Man" - George Melly The two sketches in the appendix were not used in the production of Mixed Doubles at the Comedy Theatre, but are included in the publication, and can be substituted for two of the other linking sketches. Mixed Doubles, 'an entertainment on marriage,' takes the form of eight short plays, each for two characters... Each is an independent play in its own right but the whole sequence, linked by a series of wickedly anti-authoritarian monologues written by George Melly adds up to an amusing if acid picture of the progress of married life from honeymoon to cemetry. "I sat entranced by the fecundity of its wit, touched by its sardonic pessimism..." - Harold Hobson (Sunday Times) |
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