The Rule of Three

A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

The Rule of Three

Collection / Anthology, Melodrama  /  5w, 7m

A triple bill of short, contrasting plays comprising Afternoon at the Seaside, The Rats, and The Patient.

Image: 2019 Park Square Theatre Production (Petronella J. Ytsma)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 7m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

This triple bill of one-act murder mysteries combines: the light-hearted comedy Afternoon at the Seaside, in which a detective attempts to find a priceless emerald necklace and the culprit who stole it; The Rats, a dark and chilling tale in which a pair of adulterous lovers find themselves lured to a flat, trapped like rats and framed for murder; and finally, The Patient, a tense thriller in which a woman has been hospitalised after seemingly falling from her balcony.

“Three thrilling dénouements for the price of one.”

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

“A trio of playlets devoted, like the rest of her work, to whetting one’s appetite for retribution.”

THE OBSERVER

“They are, without exception, the work of an experienced and artful cook, whose interest is to please.”

THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

CASTING: 5 women, 7 men

History

The Rule of Three was first presented on tour in the United Kingdom in 1961 and subsequently opened at the Duchess Theatre in the West End in 1962.

Cast Attributes
Afternoon at the Seaside
BOB WHEELER
NOREEN SOMERS
ARTHUR SOMERS
GEORGE CRUM
MRS. CRUM
A MOTHER
A YOUNG MAN
BEACH ATTENDANT
MRS. GUNNER 
PERCY GUNNER
THE BEAUTY
INSPECTOR FOLEY

The Rats
SANDRA GREY
JENNIFER BRICE
DAVID FORRESTER
ALEC HANBURY

The Patient
LANSEN
NURSE
DR. GINSBERG
INSPECTOR CRAY
BRYAN WINGFIELD
EMMELINE ROSS
WILLIAM ROSS
BRENDA JACKSON
THE PATIENT
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

REVIEWS 

"Three thrilling dénouements for the price of one." - Daily Telegraph 

“A trio of playlets devoted, like the rest of her work, to whetting ones appetite for retribution.” - Kenneth Tynan, The Observer  

“They are, without exception, the work of an experienced and artful cook, whose interest is to please.”  - Joseph Muddiman, The Times Literary Supplement 

Photos

  • The Rule of Three

    Image: 2019 Park Square Theatre Production (Petronella J. Ytsma)

  • The Rule of Three

    Image: 2019 Park Square Theatre Production (Petronella J. Ytsma)

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • See individual titles for licensing fee.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and, in many languages, outsold only by the Bible and Shake ...

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