Cloud Nine (Masterplots II: Drama, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Caryl Churchill
- First Published: 1979
- Type of Plot: Comedy of manners
- Time of Work: The Victorian era and 1979
- Setting: A British colony in Africa, and London
- Principal Characters: Clive, Betty, Edward, Victoria, Maud, Joshua, Ellen, Harry Bagley, Mrs. Saunders, Martin, Lin, Cathy, Gerry
- Genres: Drama, Comedy, Comedy of manners
- Subjects: Values, 1970’s, Self-discovery, Africa or Africans, Colonialism, Colonies or colonization, Homosexuality or homosexuals, Sex or sexuality, Gender roles, Nineteenth century, Marriage, Obsession, England or English people, Lesbianism or lesbians, London, Servants
- Locales: Africa, London, England
The Play
Cloud Nine opens with a Victorian family in Africa singing an anthem to the British Union Jack. Between stanzas, Clive introduces his perfect family of dutiful wife, son, daughter, mother-in-law, governess, and black servant.
In act 1, scene 1, Clive returns from a foray into the bush to investigate threatening drumbeats and tells Betty that Harry Bagley is coming to visit. As Maud reminds Betty of her duty to her husband, he brings in another caller, the widow Saunders. Next, Harry arrives and at first resists Betty’s overtures as those of a dangerous...
[The entire page is 2549 words long]
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