Mixed Doubles
Encyclopedia
Mixed Doubles: An Entertainment on Marriage (London: Methuen, 1970) is a programme consisting of a series of eight short plays or revue sketches, each with two characters, composed by various English
playwright
s. It was first performed on 6 February 1969 in the Hampstead
Theatre Club with the title, We Who Are About To...
. The programme was then presented as Mixed Doubles: An Entertainment on Marriage at the Comedy Theatre, London
, on April 9, 1969.
The eight dramatic sketches, each portraying marriage
at a different stage of life, are linked together by a series of anti-authoritarian monologues written by George Melly
. Taken together, the programme presents an acidly humorous image of marriage from the moment of blessing up until the silver wedding anniversary
. In the course of the programme, a large number of people appear on stage in various professional capacities. The characters in Mixed Doubles appear to be plagued by everyday trivialities, their pasts, their jobs, and their marital problems.
Two other monologues by George Melly, "The Headmaster" and "The Advertising Man", were included in the published version as an appendix.
On "Countdown," by Alan Ayckbourn, from "One Act Plays" (alanayckbourn.net):
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
s. It was first performed on 6 February 1969 in the Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
Theatre Club with the title, We Who Are About To...
We Who Are About To...
We Who Are About To... is a feminist science fiction novel by Joanna Russ. It first appeared in magazine form in the January 1976 and February 1976 issues of Galaxy Science Fiction and was first published in book form by Dell Publishing in July 1977...
. The programme was then presented as Mixed Doubles: An Entertainment on Marriage at the Comedy Theatre, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on April 9, 1969.
The eight dramatic sketches, each portraying marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
at a different stage of life, are linked together by a series of anti-authoritarian monologues written by George Melly
George Melly
Alan George Heywood Melly was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for The Observer and lectured on art history, with an emphasis on surrealism.-Early life and career:He was born in Liverpool and was educated at Stowe...
. Taken together, the programme presents an acidly humorous image of marriage from the moment of blessing up until the silver wedding anniversary
Wedding anniversary
-Official recognition:In the Commonwealth realms, one can receive a message from the monarch for 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, and any wedding anniversary after that...
. In the course of the programme, a large number of people appear on stage in various professional capacities. The characters in Mixed Doubles appear to be plagued by everyday trivialities, their pasts, their jobs, and their marital problems.
The revue sketches
- "The Vicar", by George MellyGeorge MellyAlan George Heywood Melly was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for The Observer and lectured on art history, with an emphasis on surrealism.-Early life and career:He was born in Liverpool and was educated at Stowe...
- "A Man's Best Friend", by James Saunders
- "The Bank Manager", by George Melly
- "Score", by Lyndon BrookLyndon BrookLyndon Brook was a British actor, on film and television.Born in York, Brook came from an established acting family. His father, Clive Brook, had been a star of the silent movies and had moved to Hollywood to play quintessential Englishmen in a host of films...
- "The Lawyer", by George Melly
- "Norma", by Alun OwenAlun OwenAlun Owen was a British screenwriter, predominantly active in television, but best remembered by a wider audience for writing the screenplay of The Beatles' debut feature film A Hard Day's Night ....
- "The Nannie", by George Melly
- "NightNight (sketch)Night is a dramatic sketch by the English playwright Harold Pinter, presented as one of eight short dramatic works about marriage in the program Mixed Doubles: An Entertainment on Marriage at the Comedy Theatre, London, on April 9, 1969; directed by Alexander Doré, this production included Nigel...
", by Harold PinterHarold PinterHarold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to... - "The Psychoanalyst", by George Melly
- "Permanence", by Fay WeldonFay WeldonFay Weldon CBE is an English author, essayist and playwright, whose work has been associated with feminism. In her fiction, Weldon typically portrays contemporary women who find themselves trapped in oppressive situations caused by the patriarchal structure of British society.-Biography:Weldon was...
- "The Doctor", by George Melly
- "Countdown", by Alan AyckbournAlan AyckbournSir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is a prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their...
- "The Union Official", by George Melly
- "The Silver Wedding", by John Griffith BowenJohn Griffith BowenJohn Griffith Bowen is a British playwright and novelist. He was born in Calcutta, India, studied at the University of Oxford and worked in publishing, drama and television.-Novels:...
- "The Director", by George Melly
- "Resting Place", by David CamptonDavid CamptonDavid Campton was a prolific British dramatist who wrote plays for the stage, radio, and cinema for thirty-five years...
Two other monologues by George Melly, "The Headmaster" and "The Advertising Man", were included in the published version as an appendix.
On "Countdown," by Alan Ayckbourn, from "One Act Plays" (alanayckbourn.net):