Overview
Synopsis
In the 1980s, greed was good, and sellers Mike and Liz want the best price for their London home. So they deal with Clair, a young real estate agent doing her best to be successful in a male-dominated business. She tries to negotiate an honorable deal for Mike and Liz, until James appears--a mysterious middle-aged art dealer who wants to pay cash. At the urging of Mike and Liz, Clair pursues the deal with James, but no one expects what happens next. Inspired by the true story of London real estate agent Suzy Lamplugh and her unsolved disappearance, Martin Crimp’s Dealing With Clair is a chilling indictment of bourgeois materialism and the importance of personal honor and responsibility.
Show Information
- Book
- Martin Crimp
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1988
- Genres
- Drama, Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Contemporary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- London, 1980s
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
In 1988, Martin Crimp’s Dealing With Clair was first staged at the Orange Tree Theatre in suburban London. The themes of the play are heavily inspired by the economic strains of the late 1980s in Britain; under Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government, public arts funding was significantly cut. However, at the same time, Thatcherism provided a boom in consumerism, materialism, and the real estate market. The consumerist greed drives two of the characters--Liz and Mike--at the expense of
to read the context for Dealing With Clair and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
25-year-old real estate agent Clair is talking to her mother on the phone. She lives in a small flat next to train tracks, and the high-speed trains frequently pass by and drown out her conversation. Clair is reassuring her mother that while her job is stressful and clients can become agitated and aggressive, she never feels truly threatened. Clair enjoys being single (and has no desire to pursue a relationship with her colleague Toby), and sees a promising future for herself in
to read the plot for Dealing With Clair and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Male |
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Lead |
Male |
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Lead |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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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
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Videos
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Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress