Black Comedy

Play

Writers: Peter Shaffer

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
1965
Genres
Comedy, Farce
Settings
Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
south kensington, london, sunday evening, 9:30 pm, mid-1960s, brindsley miller's flat
Cast Size
medium
Ideal for
one-act, university theatre, professional theatre, community theatre, high school theatre, College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Male
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes young adult, adult, mature adult characters

Synopsis

Struggling sculptor Brindsley Miller and his fiance, Carol, are having a party with the aim of impressing Carol's bombastic father, Colonel Melkett, and millionaire Georg Bamberger. They hope the two men might purchase some of Brindsley's sculptures. Without permission, they have borrowed the furniture of their fussy neighbor, Harold, to make their own flat more presentable. Just before the guests arrive, the main fuse blows, plunging the flat into darkness. What follows is a frantic romp with unexpected visitors, mistaken identities, and surprises lurking in every dark corner. Only we, the audience, can see the action that ensues in the dark. As you might expect, the results are chaotic, disastrous and downright hysterical. This Peter Shaffer one-act is often performed as a double-bill with another one-act he wrote, entitled The White Liars.

Lead Characters


Black Comedy guide sections