Present Laughter

ACT ONE

Daphne Stillington blissfully wakes up in the spare room of Garry Essendine’s London flat. Garry is a famous stage actor, adored by the public for his talent, good looks, and charm--adored by Daphne especially. She met Garry the previous evening at a party; when the night was supposed to come to an end, she serendipitously “forgot” her latchkey. Unable to enter her home, Garry graciously offered her his spare room, she nervously explains to Garry’s maid, Miss Erikson, who seems unsurprised by an unknown young woman wandering the living room in the morning. Daphne is determined to stay until Garry wakes up to say goodbye to him, though Miss Erikson, Garry’s butler, Fred, and Garry’s secretary, Monica, all advise against it. Resigned, Fred brings Daphne breakfast and Monica shoos her back into the spare room to eat it.

Garry grumpily surfaces, complaining of the racket the others are causing. Monica reminds him of Daphne’s presence--he had completely forgotten. It turns out that