A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Don't Dress for Dinner

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  3w, 3m

Marc Camoletti, Robin Hawdon

This boulevard comedy was a smash hit in Paris, where it played for over two years, and in London, where it ran for six years at the Apollo and Duchess Theatres. It has since played in theatres all over the USA and the English speaking world and was revived in London in 2013.

Don't Dress for Dinner

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce, Adaptation (Stage & Screen)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

This boulevard comedy was a smash hit in Paris, where it played for over two years, and in London, where it ran for six years at the Apollo and Duchess Theatres. It has since played in theatres all over the USA and the English speaking world and was revived in London in 2013.

Bernard is planning a romantic weekend with his chic Parisian mistress in his charming converted French farmhouse, whilst his wife, Jacqueline, is away. He has arranged for a cordon bleu cook to prepare gourmet delights, and has invited his best friend, Robert, along too to provide the alibi. It's foolproof; what could possibly go wrong? Well.... suppose Robert turns up not realizing quite why he has been invited. Suppose Robert and Jacqueline are secret lovers, and consequently determined that Jacqueline will NOT leave for the weekend. Suppose the cook has to pretend to be the mistress and the mistress is unable to cook. Suppose everyone's alibi gets confused with everyone else's. An evening of hilarious confusion ensues as Bernard and Robert improvise at breakneck speed.

Keywords

BERNARD- Jacqueline's husband, handsome businessman, flirtatious, dapper, self-assured, country gentleman, British accent.

JACQUELINE- Bernard's wife, lovely, assertive, romantic, intelligent, a beautiful modern woman, British accent.

ROBERT- Bernard's friend and Jacqueline's lover, handsome, reserved, seems lika an all-around nice guy but is a scoundrel, British accent.

SUZETTE- The cook, friendly, working class, funny, great body, a swan beneath the duckling exterior, French accent.

SUZANNE- Bernard's mistress, a fashion model with a great body, chic, stylish, easily flustered, British accent.

GEORGES- Suzette's husband, big, strong, protective of Suzette, not one to indulge in fooling around French accent.

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

"Hurtling along at the speed of light, [this] breathtaking farce is a near faultless piece of theatrical invention." - Guardian

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Authors

Marc Camoletti

Marc Camoletti

Marc Camoletti (1923-2003) authored more than 40 plays and became a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in France. Boeing Boeing, his first major international success, ran for seven years and 2000 performances in its debut London production. It became the Guinness Book of Reco ...

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Robin Hawdon

Robin Hawdon
Robin Hawdon is a British playwright especially known for the popularity of his comedies. Mr. Hawdon’s plays are amongst the most frequently produced around the world – his name is as well known abroad as in his native Great Britain. Many of his plays are published by Samue ...
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