256:
has been appearing in a show, and was left stranded when the manager absconded without paying his cast. They are interrupted by
Warwick Westbourne, an actor who has a romantic interest in Rose and wishes to take her away. Edwin and Louise return, and in the ensuing confusion Westbourne leaves with Rose. Max returns. He and David vow to rescue Rose from Westbourne's clutches. They discover from Mrs Gather that Westbourne has taken Rose to the Bella Vista hotel and go in pursuit.
314:
Mr. Lynn and Mr. Walls have a great evening as the fairly good
Samaritans. As the uncommonly good Mr. Stoatt, Mr. Hare is in his usual and irresistible form. I wonder what would happen if they gave him a part in which he was permitted to laugh. Has he forgotten how? That is possible; what is certain
293:
scene in the dark in the small hours when
Ernestine brings in Christmas parcels for the household while Edwin discovers and attempts to conceal the clothes that Rose has left there. Finally, Westbourne appears and is knocked out by Max, while David and Rose drive away together in Edwin's motor-car.
251:
The Stoatt household comprises the meek Edwin and his bossy wife
Ernestine, her sister Louise and her fiancé David Winterton, and Max Wheeler, a cousin of Ernestine and Louise, on a holiday from his home in Canada. Ernestine insists that they should all go out carol singing, but Max cannot be found.
255:
Everyone except David leaves to go carol singing. Mrs Gather reappears, with Rose in tow. Mrs Gather has decided that as Rose cannot pay her bill, the man whom she saw kissing her can take care of her. The man was Max, but David does not correct Mrs Gather's error. She leaves Rose with David. Rose
292:
David is wondering how to break it to Louise that he has fallen in love with Rose. Louise gets in first, telling him that she has fallen for Max, who reciprocates her love. Florence, the maid, offers Rose the use of the spare bed in her room, and lends her a pair of pyjamas. There is a confused
269:
To raise money, Westbourne proposes to sell the theatre company's costumes to Luke Meate, the simple-minded uncle of the landlady of the Bella Vista. Meate gives him the contents of the petty cash box. Mrs Gather's increasingly strident demands for the money owed to her are soon augmented by the
270:
demand of Mrs Pike, the owner of the Bella Vista, for the return of her petty cash. The carol singers are heard outside, and Max realises that he can prise enough money from Edwin's collection box to pay both women. Edwin naturally refuses, but Max and David bamboozle him into parting with it.
252:
Mrs Gather, who runs a guest house nearby, comes to complain that one of the men of the household has been misbehaving with one of her guests. Ernestine is so indignant at this slur that she sends Mrs Gather away without learning which of the three men she is accusing.
278:
Mrs Gather, learning that the money is, as she puts it, "ill-got", refuses to accept it. Edwin takes it back. David and Max smuggle Rose out through her bedroom window, and only Edwin is still there when
Ernestine and the carol singers burst in.
367:
directed by and starring Walls. It was part of a series of successful 1930s screen versions of the
Aldwych farces. Walls, Lynn, Hare, Brough, Varden and Corbett reprised their original stage roles. Ben Travers himself adapted the play for a
19:
329:
said of Hare, "that plaintive air and furrowed brow of his rank with the Tower and the
Monument as one of the sights of London", and thought the play "very good entertainment, though … some of the Rabelaisian jests will not appeal to all."
58:
in London from 1923 to 1933. The story concerns two guests, staying at the Stoatt household for
Christmas, who offer shelter to a pretty concert performer left stranded when her employer absconds, leaving his cast unpaid.
101:
had long runs, averaging more than 400 performances each. The next three were less outstandingly successful, the runs getting shorter with each production:
791:
625:
336:
thought the piece "will not rank with the best of the
Aldwych farces but … has a lot of odds and ends of fun, plus a dash of charm."
62:
The piece opened on 26 May 1931 and ran for 263 performances until 16 January 1932. A film adaptation of the play was made in 1933.
160:. This was the last of the Aldwych farces in which Walls appeared on stage. He produced, but did not play in, the last three.
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140:, a specialist in playing "silly ass" characters. The regular company of supporting actors included
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The action takes place at
Duddwater, a small seaside town, on the night of Christmas Eve.
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will generously assist the operation of mirth, as all the Aldwych farces have before it.
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in an adaptation by Martyn Read in December 1993 with
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as the sprightly young female lead; and the saturnine
587:
The Cambridge Illustrated History of British Theatre
700:
641:
524:, British Film Institute, accessed 17 February 2013
450:, 6 September 1932, p. 10; and "Aldwych Theatre",
144:, who played a figure of put-upon respectability;
129:(1930), which had managed only 195 performances.
132:Like its predecessors, the play was directed by
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619:
8:
363:In 1933 the play was turned into a film of
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612:
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446:, 8 March 1932, p. 12; "Aldwych Theatre",
589:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
265:Scene 1 – The "Bella Vista", downstairs
123:improved upon the eighth in the series,
400:
288:The dining room at Edwin Stoatt's house
247:The dining room at Edwin Stoatt's house
463:Brown, Ivor. "Aldwych – Turkey Time",
411:, 27 May 1931, p. 10; and "Theatres",
274:Scene 2 – The "Bella Vista", upstairs
73:was the ninth in the series of twelve
7:
214:Warwick Westbourne – Archibald Batty
54:that ran nearly continuously at the
360:in the Lynn, Walls and Hare roles.
152:as the severe voice of authority;
14:
792:British plays adapted into films
534:"BenTravers Farces: Turkey Time"
50:. It was one of the series of
490:"7th success of Ben Travers",
370:1970 BBC television production
348:in December 1986, directed by
175:Louise Wheeler – Doreen Bendix
1:
506:. "End of the pierrot show",
380:. The play was broadcast on
148:in eccentric old lady roles;
344:The play was revived at the
229:Mr Tuddall – George Barrett
119:(1930, 267 performances).
808:
113:(1929, 291 performances);
107:(1928, 344 performances);
553:, 18 December 1993, p. 48
540:, accessed 4 January 2018
512:, 12 December 1986, p. 19
585:Trussler, Simon (2000).
340:Revivals and adaptations
478:Illustrated London News
454:, 31 January 1933, p. 8
415:, 5 January 1932, p. 10
326:Illustrated London News
481:, 25 July 1931, p. 158
392:in the leading roles.
321:
136:, who co-starred with
34:
570:. London: W H Allen.
566:Travers, Ben (1978).
356:, Anthony Pedley and
21:
787:Plays by Ben Travers
658:A Cuckoo in the Nest
650:It Pays to Advertise
467:, 31 May 1931. p. 15
86:A Cuckoo in the Nest
80:It Pays to Advertise
568:A-sitting on a Gate
504:Billington, Michael
494:, 27 May 1931, p. 2
442:"Aldwych Theatre",
407:"Aldwych Theatre",
169:Ernestine Stoatt –
538:BBC Genome Project
297:Critical reception
196:David Winterton –
35:
759:
758:
709:A Night Like This
690:A Cup of Kindness
116:A Night Like This
110:A Cup of Kindness
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492:The Daily Mirror
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424:Trussler, p. 278
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390:Michael Cochrane
333:The Daily Mirror
210:Winifred Shotter
180:Marjorie Corbett
154:Winifred Shotter
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749:A Bit of a Test
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346:Bristol Old Vic
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225:Ethel Coleridge
184:Edwin Stoatt –
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150:Ethel Coleridge
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56:Aldwych Theatre
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717:Marry the Girl
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635:Aldwych farces
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433:Travers, p. vi
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386:Desmond Barrit
374:Richard Briers
365:the same title
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202:Max Wheeler –
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186:Robertson Hare
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142:Robertson Hare
126:Marry the Girl
75:Aldwych farces
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52:Aldwych farces
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3:
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777:Aldwych farce
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522:"Turkey Time"
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217:Luke Meate –
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208:Rose Adair –
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190:Mrs Gather –
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164:Original cast
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782:Comedy plays
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666:Rookery Nook
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509:The Guardian
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465:The Observer
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307:The Observer
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219:Gordon James
171:Norma Varden
158:Gordon James
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92:Rookery Nook
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38:
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15:
741:Fifty-Fifty
725:Turkey Time
549:"Radio 4",
382:BBC Radio 4
378:Arthur Lowe
372:, starring
354:Robert East
317:Turkey Time
223:Mrs Pike –
192:Mary Brough
178:Florence –
146:Mary Brough
121:Turkey Time
71:Turkey Time
48:Ben Travers
39:Turkey Time
31:Turkey Time
772:1931 plays
766:Categories
733:Dirty Work
596:0521794307
577:0491022751
560:References
358:John Rogan
350:Roger Rees
302:Ivor Brown
198:Ralph Lynn
138:Ralph Lynn
66:Background
23:Ralph Lynn
551:The Times
452:The Times
448:The Times
444:The Times
413:The Times
409:The Times
304:wrote in
204:Tom Walls
134:Tom Walls
27:Tom Walls
315:is that
234:Synopsis
682:Plunder
283:Act III
104:Plunder
752:(1933)
744:(1932)
736:(1932)
728:(1931)
720:(1930)
712:(1930)
693:(1929)
685:(1928)
677:(1927)
669:(1926)
661:(1925)
653:(1923)
593:
574:
260:Act II
33:, 1931
701:1930s
674:Thark
642:1920s
396:Notes
352:with
242:Act I
98:Thark
44:farce
42:is a
591:ISBN
572:ISBN
388:and
376:and
323:The
95:and
25:and
46:by
29:in
768::
536:,
310::
89:,
83:,
627:e
620:t
613:v
599:.
580:.
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