Overview
Synopsis
Archie Rice is a troubled music hall performer and the head of a dysfunctional family. He performs twice nightly in a revue that relies heavily upon its nude tableaus to bring in the punters. The traditional music hall is dying out and Archie’s world is crumbling with it. Set against the backdrop of the Suez Crisis, the decline of the music hall becomes a metaphor for the decline of Britain as a world power. Osborne alternates fraught and drink-fuelled domestic scenes of the Rice family with Archie’s “turns” on stage, consisting of coarse comic patter and sexist gags.
As a father, Archie does not connect emotionally with any of his children and proves himself completely self-centered. He ridicules his own father, Billy, and taunts his wife, Phoebe, with his sexual infidelity and insults. His daughter, Jean, has escaped the family unit and now lives in London, but she is drawn back into their dysfunctional world when she returns after the breakdown of her engagement. The family bicker and squabble throughout the play, but rarely actually communicate with each other. Following the loss of his eldest son and his father, Archie enters the spotlight for his final performance.
Show Information
- Book
- John Osborne
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1957
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Period, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- A boarding house in a large coastal resort, England, 1957
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Elderly, Young Adult, Adult Characters, Small Cast
Context
John Osborne wrote The Entertainer in 1957 and it was first produced at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Laurence Olivier asked to be cast in the role of Archie Rice, a role that was to reinvent his career. After a short run at the Royal Court, the play transferred to the Palace Theatre in the West End. The production then opened on Broadway in February 1958 with the original London cast. The Entertainer has been revived several times in London, with notable productions starring Max Wall
to read the context for The Entertainer and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
Scene 1
In a faded boarding house, sounds of domestic violence are heard in one of the rooms. Billy Rice attempts to quell the noise but he is rebuffed by an offstage voice. Going into his own apartment, he moans about the Polish and Irish immigrants who live in the house. He has not long sat down, when his granddaughter, Jean, knocks on the door. He welcomes her, still moaning about the noise and chaos in the house. Billy tells her that the landlady has rented out her brother
to read the plot for The Entertainer and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher