269:
has discovered that Tuck is at The Gables, along with the despised Mrs
Hewlett and Oswald Veal. To Tuck's discomfiture she enters and accuses him of trying to get round the old woman and wheedle some of Joan's rightful inheritance out of her. Simon Veal secretly tells Oswald to get Mrs Hewlett to write a cheque for a substantial sum, to be handed over to Simon at three o'clock, when the other guests are asleep. Tuck and Malone are finally left alone; they go over the details of their planned robbery.
318:
Simon. When Sibley has departed, frustrated, Malone tells Mrs
Hewlett that she and Joan will have to come to an arrangement about the division of old Mr Hewlett's estate. He tells her, "In future, be honest. It pays in the end". After she has gone he says the same to Tuck, who vows never to engage in crime again.
277:
Tuck and Malone creep into Mrs
Hewlett's bedroom. Tuck accidentally sniffs the chloroform they have brought to dope her with. He falls on the bed beside her and then reels round the room, nearly bringing the attempted robbery to a standstill. Malone and Tuck are interrupted by the appearance outside
268:
A roulette party is in progress. The players are Freddy's house guests, Mrs
Hewlett, Oswald, Sir George and Lady Chudleigh, Harry Kenward and Ruth Bennett. After the game the guests go to bed. Tuck arrives, having deceived Joan about his destination. Owing to the carelessness of his manservant, Joan
254:
type. Malone has a female accomplice, masquerading as his sister
Prudence, with whom Mrs Hewlett's hapless son, Oswald Veal, is in love. Malone was already planning to rob Mrs Hewlett of her jewellery, and agrees to cut Tuck in on the crime, thus, as they see it, redressing the wrong she has done in
246:
D'Arcy Tuck has returned to
England from Australia with his fiancée, Joan Hewlett, thinking that she has inherited a large country house and even larger fortune from her late grandfather. They find that the old man's housekeeper, the former Mrs Veal, now Mrs Hewlett, married him on his deathbed and
286:
The household assembles. Mrs
Hewlett tells them of the robbery. Chudleigh reports that Simon Veal has been found unconscious in the greenhouse. The guests give various accounts of what they have seen and done in the past hour. Joan realises the truth, and privately berates Tuck for his stupidity in
363:
found the piece uncomfortably dated in its snobbish attitudes to class and its sexism, both, in his view exemplified by the slighting remarks about the fat, proletarian character Mrs
Hewlett, originally played by Mary Brough. He concluded that Travers assumed that "you can get away with theft, and
317:
Malone and Tuck question Oswald Veal who reluctantly admits that Simon was blackmailing Mrs
Hewlett: when she purportedly married old Mr Hewlett, she was still married to her first husband. Malone and Tuck confront her with the truth, and frighten her into telling the police that the robber was
287:
taking part in the robbery. The police arrive, and
Chudleigh tells Malone that Simon Veal has been pronounced dead. Malone explains privately to Tuck that though Veal's fall was accidental, their part in it, during the course of a robbery, renders them liable to the capital charge of murder.
331:
thought the piece "a very entertaining piece of nonsense … Miss Mary Brough bounces through it all with hearty accomplishment; Miss Winifred Shotter decorates it prettily; Mr. Gordon James and Mr. Robertson Hare contribute the farce of solemnity … Mr. Walls and Mr. Lynn at Scotland Yard are
308:
Inspector Sibley questions Malone and Tuck in turn. They get through their interrogations, Malone by his suave cleverness and Tuck by his baffling idiocy, which completely entangles Sibley. They leave. Sibley continues to suspect the pair, and is confident of their imminent arrest.
19:
278:
the window of Simon Veal, who has come for the cheque he has demanded. Malone flings a towel over Veal's head; Veal falls off his ladder into a greenhouse. The robbers make their escape with Mrs Hewlett's jewels as she wakes and raises the alarm.
300:
At Scotland Yard the police discuss the case among themselves. They strongly suspect Malone and Tuck. They have discovered that Prudence is not Malone's sister, that he has no obvious means to support his lavish life-style, and that he has been
67:
at the theatre between 1923 and 1933. Several of the actors formed a regular core cast for the Aldwych farces. The play shows two friends committing a jewel robbery, for arguably honourable reasons, with fatal results.
372:
In 1933 Walls directed a film adaptation of the play. Travers wrote the screenplay, and Walls, Lynn, Hare, Brough, Shotter and James reprised their old stage roles.
799:
633:
446:
staged Plunder at their Farrer Theatre. This was to be director's Angus Graham-Campbell's last play after more than 30 years at the school.
99:, who specialised in playing "silly ass" characters. Walls assembled a regular company of actors to fill the supporting roles, including
338:
critic wrote of his "grateful laughter", found the entire cast "in tip-top form" and predicted "A year's hard labour" for them all.
247:
inherited his entire estate. Her sinister brother Simon has an unspecified hold over her, and reminds her to follow his bidding.
250:
Among the guests at the house is Freddy Malone, an old schoolfriend of Tuck, who is by profession a gentlemanly burglar of the
602:
794:
626:
657:
354:
346:
124:
548:
716:
697:
619:
340:
784:
396:
75:, which Walls directed in 1933, with most of the leading members of the stage cast reprising their roles.
789:
724:
665:
183:
130:
116:
27:
779:
673:
136:
72:
748:
732:
740:
598:
404:
392:
432:
388:
384:
201:
112:
756:
412:
380:
213:
108:
56:
344:
called the piece, "an exquisitely involved, briskly moving and thoroughly funny show."
168:
100:
88:
154:
was written with the Aldwych company in mind, with the supernatural as its theme. For
773:
642:
436:
428:
424:
60:
18:
681:
443:
408:
359:
334:
142:
122:
Walls and his team had already enjoyed four substantial hits at the Aldwych, with
420:
416:
251:
177:
147:
104:
92:
52:
195:
96:
71:
The piece opened on 26 June 1928 and ran for 344 performances. Travers made a
23:
364:
even an accidental killing, as long as you are well-bred old school chums."
327:
189:
84:
64:
31:
400:
150:. The first two of his scripts were adaptations of his earlier novels.
146:(1927, 401 performances). All except the first of them were written by
48:
17:
611:
264:
Scene 1 – Hall of Freddy Malone's house, The Gables, Walton Heath
615:
535:
Billington, Michael. "Class act fails to save frayed farce",
407:
in March of the same year. The two main roles were played by
296:
Scene 1 – Chief Constable Grierson's office at Scotland Yard
353:
By the time of the play's second London revival, in 1996,
305:
at the time of several notable country house robberies.
522:"Crook Farce at the Aldwych: London's Funniest Play",
115:
as the sprightly young female lead; and the saturnine
595:
The Cambridge Illustrated History of British Theatre
509:"Third Degree: A Ben Travers Farce at the Aldwych",
242:
The library at Marvin Court, near Horsham, afternoon
708:
649:
551:, British Film Institute, accessed 13 February 2013
375:The first full-scale professional stage revival of
103:, who played a figure of put-upon respectability;
221:Chief Detective-inspector Sibley – Herbert Waring
576:Nightingale, Benedict. "Humour among thieves",
627:
227:Detective-sergeant Marchant – Arthur Williams
158:Travers turned to robbery and violent death.
8:
128:(1923), which had run for 598 performances;
59:, London, the fifth in the series of twelve
634:
620:
612:
597:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
218:Chief Constable Grierson – Philip Carlton
563:National Theatre programme booklet for
454:
383:in 1973, directed by Nat Brenner, with
224:Police-constable Davies – Alfred Watson
403:in London, and transferred to the new
350:declared it "London's funniest play".
206:Sir George Chudleigh – Archibald Batty
391:in the Walls and Lynn roles. In 1976
7:
559:
557:
415:, with a supporting cast including
255:contriving Joan's disinheritance.
111:as the severe voice of authority;
14:
95:, starring Walls and his co-star
800:British plays adapted into films
435:starred in a production at the
63:presented by the actor-manager
395:directed a production for the
273:Scene 2 – A room at The Gables
140:(1926, 409 performances); and
1:
107:in eccentric old lady roles;
313:Scene 2 – Hall of The Gables
282:Scene 3 – Hall of The Gables
55:. It was first given at the
524:The Illustrated London News
439:, directed by Peter James.
347:The Illustrated London News
173:Prudence Malone – Ena Mason
816:
134:(1925, 376 performances);
51:by the English playwright
593:Trussler, Simon (2000).
580:, 4 December 1996, p. 34
526:, 25 August 1928, p. 339
368:Revivals and adaptations
91:, nearly all written by
539:, 3 December 1996, p. 2
511:The Manchester Guardian
474:, 10 August 1962, p. 11
341:The Manchester Guardian
87:produced the series of
399:, which opened at the
39:
513:, 27 June 1928, p. 14
209:William – Robert Adam
21:
795:Plays by Ben Travers
666:A Cuckoo in the Nest
658:It Pays to Advertise
500:, 1 July 1928, p. 15
487:, 27 June 1928, p. 4
131:A Cuckoo in the Nest
125:It Pays to Advertise
483:"Aldwych Theatre",
470:"Mr. Ralph Lynn",
355:Michael Billington
83:The actor-manager
40:
767:
766:
717:A Night Like This
698:A Cup of Kindness
549:"Plunder (1933)"
405:Lyttelton Theatre
393:Michael Blakemore
188:Freddie Malone –
807:
636:
629:
622:
613:
608:
581:
574:
568:
561:
552:
546:
540:
533:
527:
520:
514:
507:
501:
494:
488:
481:
475:
468:
462:
461:Trussler, p. 278
459:
433:Griff Rhys Jones
397:National Theatre
385:Edward Hardwicke
202:Winifred Shotter
113:Winifred Shotter
815:
814:
810:
809:
808:
806:
805:
804:
770:
769:
768:
763:
757:A Bit of a Test
704:
645:
640:
605:
592:
589:
584:
575:
571:
562:
555:
547:
543:
534:
530:
521:
517:
508:
504:
495:
491:
482:
478:
469:
465:
460:
456:
452:
413:Dinsdale Landen
381:Bristol Old Vic
370:
324:
293:
261:
239:
234:
214:Ethel Coleridge
200:Joan Hewlett –
164:
109:Ethel Coleridge
81:
73:film adaptation
57:Aldwych Theatre
22:left to right,
12:
11:
5:
813:
811:
803:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
772:
771:
765:
764:
762:
761:
753:
745:
737:
729:
725:Marry the Girl
721:
712:
710:
706:
705:
703:
702:
694:
686:
678:
670:
662:
653:
651:
647:
646:
643:Aldwych farces
641:
639:
638:
631:
624:
616:
610:
609:
603:
588:
585:
583:
582:
569:
553:
541:
528:
515:
502:
489:
476:
463:
453:
451:
448:
369:
366:
323:
320:
315:
314:
298:
297:
292:
289:
284:
283:
275:
274:
266:
265:
260:
257:
244:
243:
238:
235:
233:
230:
229:
228:
225:
222:
219:
216:
210:
207:
204:
198:
194:D'Arcy Tuck –
192:
186:
180:
176:Mrs Hewlett –
174:
171:
169:Robertson Hare
167:Oswald Veal –
163:
160:
101:Robertson Hare
89:Aldwych farces
80:
77:
61:Aldwych farces
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
812:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
785:Aldwych farce
783:
781:
778:
777:
775:
759:
758:
754:
751:
750:
746:
743:
742:
738:
735:
734:
730:
727:
726:
722:
719:
718:
714:
713:
711:
707:
700:
699:
695:
692:
691:
687:
684:
683:
679:
676:
675:
671:
668:
667:
663:
660:
659:
655:
654:
652:
648:
644:
637:
632:
630:
625:
623:
618:
617:
614:
606:
600:
596:
591:
590:
586:
579:
573:
570:
566:
560:
558:
554:
550:
545:
542:
538:
532:
529:
525:
519:
516:
512:
506:
503:
499:
493:
490:
486:
480:
477:
473:
467:
464:
458:
455:
449:
447:
445:
440:
438:
437:Savoy Theatre
434:
430:
429:Kevin McNally
426:
425:Dandy Nichols
422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
402:
398:
394:
390:
389:Peter O'Toole
386:
382:
378:
373:
367:
365:
362:
361:
356:
351:
349:
348:
343:
342:
337:
336:
332:delightful".
330:
329:
321:
319:
312:
311:
310:
306:
304:
295:
294:
290:
288:
281:
280:
279:
272:
271:
270:
263:
262:
258:
256:
253:
248:
241:
240:
236:
231:
226:
223:
220:
217:
215:
212:Mrs Orlock –
211:
208:
205:
203:
199:
197:
193:
191:
187:
185:
182:Simon Veal –
181:
179:
175:
172:
170:
166:
165:
162:Original cast
161:
159:
157:
153:
149:
145:
144:
139:
138:
133:
132:
127:
126:
120:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
78:
76:
74:
69:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
45:
37:
33:
29:
25:
20:
16:
790:Comedy plays
755:
747:
739:
731:
723:
715:
696:
689:
688:
680:
674:Rookery Nook
672:
664:
656:
594:
577:
572:
564:
544:
537:The Guardian
536:
531:
523:
518:
510:
505:
498:The Observer
497:
492:
484:
479:
471:
466:
457:
444:Eton College
441:
409:Frank Finlay
376:
374:
371:
360:The Guardian
358:
352:
345:
339:
335:The Observer
333:
326:
325:
316:
307:
302:
299:
285:
276:
267:
249:
245:
184:Gordon James
155:
151:
141:
137:Rookery Nook
135:
129:
123:
121:
117:Gordon James
82:
70:
43:
42:
41:
35:
28:Gordon James
15:
749:Fifty-Fifty
733:Turkey Time
496:"Plunder",
421:Polly Adams
417:Diana Quick
379:was at the
252:A J Raffles
178:Mary Brough
148:Ben Travers
105:Mary Brough
93:Ben Travers
53:Ben Travers
780:1928 plays
774:Categories
741:Dirty Work
604:0521794307
587:References
427:. In 1996
196:Ralph Lynn
97:Ralph Lynn
79:Background
24:Ralph Lynn
578:The Times
485:The Times
472:The Times
442:In 2016,
328:The Times
322:Reception
190:Tom Walls
85:Tom Walls
65:Tom Walls
32:Tom Walls
232:Synopsis
690:Plunder
565:Plunder
401:Old Vic
377:Plunder
303:in situ
291:Act III
156:Plunder
44:Plunder
36:Plunder
760:(1933)
752:(1932)
744:(1932)
736:(1931)
728:(1930)
720:(1930)
701:(1929)
693:(1928)
685:(1927)
677:(1926)
669:(1925)
661:(1923)
601:
567:, 1976
259:Act II
38:, 1928
709:1930s
682:Thark
650:1920s
450:Notes
237:Act I
152:Thark
143:Thark
49:farce
47:is a
599:ISBN
431:and
423:and
411:and
387:and
30:and
357:in
34:in
776::
556:^
419:,
119:.
26:,
635:e
628:t
621:v
607:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
