A popular newspaper, suspicious about some of the messages in its personal column, hires detectives to snoop on the arranged rendezvous. But nothing is quite what it seems, as the action shifts from an obviously fake wood to a dodgy high-society property and then to the audition room of a tv talent show. Nor are the characters easy to pin down, as they play out their competing fantasies: a crime-writer living out his scenarios, confused lovers of a variety of orientations, an Italian opera-conductor, a marquise who emits a stream of choice Parisian slang… not to mention a couple of fake trees and a talking horse. Perhaps not surprisingly, this world keeps bursting into song which comments on or sends it up. A riotous evening of theatrical deception awaits.
In the first Act, some dodgy detectives spy on a rendezvous in which neither character is what they present themselves as.
Act 2 introduces us to further dimensions of their lives and a selection of other relatives and associates who are similarly trying to deny or claim different versions of themselves.
Not surprisingly, in Act 3 they all end up in a TV studio, along with an outrageously infantile Italian opera star and a talking horse with a PhD. Confusion reigns in many domains, but the frequent recourse to song (about 20 in all) offers helpful commentaries and clarifications.
We are keen to help school groups attend, and can offer worksheets, and potentially in-person or online workshops for students ahead of the performances. Contact us if you are interested. We will post a detailed synopsis here before the show opens.
We will also post a short glossary of some of the slang used by one of the characters here
