One Man, Two Guvnors

Act One

The play opens inside the 1960’s Brighton home of retired gangster Charlie Clench. It is 1963 and Charlie and his associates--Harry Dangle, his solicitor; Lloyd, former ex-con pal and now pub owner; and Dolly, his bookkeeper--are gathered there to celebrate the engagement of Charlie’s daughter Pauline to Harry’s son, wannabe actor, Alan Dangle. Pauline and Alan are embarrassingly over the top in their affection for each other. When Lloyd questions Charlie privately about the pair, Charlie reveals that the engagement party was supposed to be for Pauline and Roscoe Crabbe, a gangster rival of Charlie’s. However, as Roscoe has been killed by his sister’s boyfriend, the party is going ahead with a change of bridegroom, Plus, Charlie has already paid for the catering, and Pauline and Alan desperately want to marry each other. Celebrations are interrupted, however, by the entrance of Francis Henshall. Initially playing the role of the tough bodyguard, Francis immediately flirts