Overview
Synopsis
Not Now, Darling is a fast-paced British farce set in an exclusive London fur salon. The play follows Arnold Crouch and Gilbert Bodley, business partners with very different personalities. Gilbert, the more reckless of the two, attempts to use the company’s luxurious furs to curry favor with a married woman he is pursuing. His scheme quickly spirals out of control, dragging the nervous and straight-laced Arnold into a whirlwind of mistaken identities, half-dressed characters, and frantic cover-ups.
As the story unfolds, jealous spouses, suspicious customers, and unexpected visitors pour into the salon, each misunderstanding compounding the last. Clothes go missing, doors slam, and lies pile up, creating the trademark chaos of classic British farce. By the end, the characters are left entangled in a hilariously absurd web of their own making, where romantic escapades, social pretenses, and sheer panic collide. The play thrives on its witty dialogue, physical comedy, and escalating misunderstandings, making it a lively staple of mid-20th-century stage comedy.
Show Information
Context
Not Now, Darling was written by Ray Cooney and John Chapman, two masters of the British stage farce, and premiered at the Richmond Theatre in 1967 before transferring to London’s West End the same year. The play quickly became a hit thanks to its high-energy comedy, outrageous misunderstandings, and impeccably timed entrances and exits, which embodied the golden age of post-war British farce. Cooney, often dubbed the “undisputed king of farce,” had already begun establishing his reputation
to read the context for Not Now, Darling and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
The play begins in the exclusive fur salon of Bodley, Bodley & Crouch. Gilbert Bodley, a charming but unscrupulous partner in the firm, has hatched a plan to seduce Janie McMichael, the attractive wife of a wealthy businessman. His gift of choice is an extravagant mink coat—but he intends to pass it off to Janie without paying for it. To make the scheme work, Gilbert manipulates his nervous business partner, Arnold Crouch, into helping with the deception. Arnold, forever the reluctant
to read the plot for Not Now, Darling and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
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Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A recurring character type or symbol representing universal patterns in storytelling, often used in classical and contemporary theatre.
Spoken interaction between characters in a play, used to reveal relationships, advance plot, and convey emotion.
Phrases with dual meanings, often one risqué, used in scripts to add humor or subtext without overt expression.
Farce is a comedic style that emphasizes exaggerated situations, improbable coincidences, mistaken identities, and rapid pacing. It often includes physical humor such as slamming doors, frantic chases, or characters hiding in plain sight. Farce is designed to generate nonstop laughter, often prioritizing chaos and absurdity over realistic storytelling.
Slapstick is a type of physical comedy that relies on exaggerated actions, pratfalls, and humorous accidents to provoke laughter. It often includes broad movements, funny sound effects, and comic violence, such as someone slipping on a banana peel or being hit with a harmless object. The style originated in commedia dell’arte and became popular in vaudeville, silent film, and stage comedy.
Wit in theatre refers to the quick, clever use of language to create humor or reveal deeper truths about characters and situations. It often relies on sharp wordplay, irony, or unexpected turns of phrase to keep audiences engaged. Wit is commonly found in comedies and serves both to entertain and to highlight human flaws in a lighthearted way.
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