An Evening of Tom Stoppard

Get ready for an evening of absurd comedy with this double-bill of The Real Inspector Hound (1962) and If You're Glad I'll Be Frank (1966).

The Real Inspector Hound:

Moon and Birdboot, two drama critics, arrive to watch the performance of a new detective play, a parody of the conventional stage thriller. However, the private lives of the critics become inextricably mixed with those of the play’s characters until Moon is shot dead and the real Inspector Hound proves to be… ?

Stoppard's play is an example of absurdism as well as farce, parody, and satire. Critics have often praised it as a witty depiction of the reviewer's craft.

If You’re Glad I’ll Be Frank:

To his astonishment Frank, a bus driver, recognises the voice of the GPO speaking clock as that of his long-lost wife. Determined to get her back, he forces his way into the inner sanctum of the Authorities to demand her release. She, meanwhile, still loving him, is almost broken by her never-ending recitation. Underlying the light-hearted story is a satiric comment on man’s servitude to the clock; and a reminder that Time itself is independent of the tick-tock of the clock.

Expect a witty script and surreal moments with a load of hilarious characters.

www.bedforddramacompany.org.uk

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