The Real Inspector Hound

Play

Writers: Tom Stoppard

Overview

Show Information

Category
Play
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
1968
Genres
Comedy, Parody, Farce
Settings
Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
latter half of 20th century, a theatre / muldoon manor, essex, england
Cast Size
medium
Licensor
Ideal for
community theatre, regional / professional theatre, college / university theatre, high school theatre, one-act festival
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes adult, mature adult, young adult characters

Synopsis

It is a foggy and foreboding day at Muldoon Manor. This charming, but isolated, English country house is populated by tortured and suspicious characters. A game of bridge results in raised temperatures and veiled threats; a mysterious man, possibly mad, shows up to charm the lady of the house and her young friend; and a dead body lies under the sofa, waiting to be discovered. All the while, a pair of pretentious critics comment on the action, munch chocolates, complain bitterly about their professional rivals, and ogle the attractive actresses. In The Real Inspector Hound, Tony and Academy award-winning playwright Tom Stoppard has crafted a witty, surreal, and compelling tale in which identity is as changeable as a moustache, or a pair of boots, and a hack production of a tired whodunnit can be the cover for a masterful revenge plot, trained on the professional members of the audience.

Lead Characters


The Real Inspector Hound guide sections