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Overview

Synopsis

Noel Coward wrote Easy Virtue in 1924 when he was just 23, and it remains one of his least-known works. The play centers around the Whittaker’s, a dysfunctional family who seem to depend on tension and trauma. Colonel Whittaker is a former philanderer who now takes any and every opportunity to annoy his repressed and uptight wife, while their daughters, Marion and Hilda, are both highly strung and prone to meddling. Into this explosive mix enters John, their only son who has returned from the continent. However, the family is shocked to find that he has also returned with a wife, an older, glamorous divorcee with a scandalous past. It takes just three months for John and his wife, Larita, to learn that they married on impulse and are radically unsuited to each other. The play climaxes with Larita’s dramatic, jewel-laden appearance at the family dance, as she leaves the shrewish Whittaker women behind and returns her young husband to the hands of his wholesome former sweetheart.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1925
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Settings
Period, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
The hall of Colonel Whittaker’s House , The English countryside, 1920s
Cast Size
large
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Professional Theatre, College/University, Includes Mature Adult, Young Adult, Adult, Late Teen Characters, Large Cast

Context

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Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Mrs Whittaker

Lead

Female

Non-singer

John Whittaker

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Marion Whittaker

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Larita

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Colonel Whittaker

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Hilda Whittaker

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Sarah Hurst

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Charles Burleigh

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Philip Bordon

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Furber

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Mr Harris

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Nina Vansittart

Featured

Female

Non-singer

The Hon Hugh Petworth

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Bobby Coleman

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Lucy Coleman

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Mrs Hurst

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Henry Furley

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Mrs Philips

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Songs

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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

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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Videos

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Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher