Overview
Synopsis
Robert “Bob” Brierly is enjoying a free-wheeling visit to London when criminal duo Moss and Dalton con him into accepting counterfeit banknotes. Brierly is arrested and spends nearly four years in prison before he’s released with a ticket of leave, a document given to prisoners upon their parole. He is determined to start a new life, but the stigma of being a convicted felon catches up to him. If being fired from his job on his wedding day wasn’t bad enough, Moss and Dalton blackmail him to try to force him to rob his former employer. Intent on restoring his honor, Brierly is at the mercy of two criminal masterminds.
Most likely the first detective play, The Ticket-of-Leave Man introduced audiences to the character of Hawkshaw the Detective. The term “hawkshaw” would become a synonym for detective. Critics disliked the play, but it was popular with audiences and became a staple of Victorian melodrama.
Editor’s Note: the play’s original text includes racial slurs.
Show Information
Characters
Showing 8 of 16 characters
Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in The Ticket-of-Leave Man.
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Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A dramatic device where a character speaks directly to the audience or to themselves, unheard by other characters onstage.
A dramatic genre with exaggerated characters and emotions, often including music to enhance moral and emotional stakes.
Works not protected by copyright and available for free use or adaptation. Many classical plays, including Shakespeare's, fall into the public domain.
Relating to the period of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837–1901), which influenced theatrical style, costume, and themes.
Quizzes
Guide Written By:
Kevan Dunkelberg
Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright