Summary

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

Scene One

The play begins in the living room where Pam has brought Len home for a sexual encounter. She insists on using the living room because her bed is unmade. They have just met, and when Len asks Pam for her name, she responds, "Yer ain’ arf nosey." They struggle to get comfortable. Her father, Harry, enters and then exits. Len is a bit unsettled by the interruption, but Pam remains unfazed. They continue their intimate play, and Harry pops his head in again. Pam and Len offer him candy with a hint of sexual innuendo. Eventually, they hear Harry leave for work, and as Pam unbuckles Len's belt, Len remarks, "This is the life."

Scene Two

Scene Two is set in a park near the flat, with Len and Pam in a boat on an otherwise bare stage. The audience learns that Len is now a boarder at the flat. They discuss their relationship, revealing that Harry and Mary haven’t spoken for so long that Pam can’t remember when or why the silence began. They also mention having a son during World War II who was killed by a bomb in this park. Fred, the boat handler, calls them in and makes crude sexual jokes. Len banters back, and it’s clear that Pam is attracted to Fred.

Scene Three

Pete, Barry, Mike, and Colin gather in the park. Pete, dressed in a suit, is heading to the funeral of a boy he admits to killing with his van—intentionally, he claims. He seeks admiration from the others, and they indeed admire him for the killing and for getting away with it. They tease Barry, engaging in crude sexual humor. Len arrives, and Colin recognizes him from their school days. Mary enters carrying groceries, and Len goes to help her, while the group continues with their coarse jokes.

Scene Four

Scene Four is set in the living room. Mary sets food on the table as Len eats and Harry dozes in an armchair. Pam enters in her slip, turns on the TV, and applies makeup. The TV malfunctions, and no one knows how to fix it. A baby starts crying off-stage and continues to cry throughout the scene, but no one comforts the baby. The only other actions involve bickering about where Pam should dress and minor domestic issues. Fred arrives, and Pam scolds him for being late. They leave together, while Len clears the table. Harry advises Len to sleep with his door closed so he won’t hear Pam and Fred in her room. The baby continues to cry, uncomforted.

Scene Five

Pam lies ill in bed while Len tries to comfort her. She is heartbroken over Fred, who has abandoned her. Len brings the baby to her, but Pam shows no interest; she hasn’t acknowledged it for weeks. (It’s important to note that throughout the play, the baby is only referred to as “it” by all characters.) Len has persuaded Fred to visit Pam by offering him football tickets.

Scene Six

In the park, Fred is fishing and talking to Len about his fishing gear and how to bait a hook, all with suggestive innuendo. Len has lost his job for taking time off to care for Pam. Pam arrives with the baby in its pram, trying to get Fred to promise to visit her, but he dodges her requests. The baby, drugged with aspirin to keep it quiet, has previously had pneumonia. Pam storms off in anger, leaving the baby behind, and Len follows her. Gradually, the rest of the group appears, discussing sex and making crude...

(This entire section contains 1279 words.)

Unlock this Study Guide Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

jokes. Barry notices the baby and, after forcefully pushing the pram at Pete, they start teasing the baby by pinching it. Eventually, the others, including Fred, join in by pinching, spitting on it, rubbing its face in its excrement, and ultimately stoning it to death. After they leave, Pam returns and wheels the pram away without looking inside.

Scene Seven

Fred is in a jail cell, and Pam visits him. Fred is furious because he was attacked by a group of housewives while being taken to jail. Pam harbors no ill feelings towards Fred, and Fred refuses to accept responsibility for the baby's murder. He blames Pam for having the baby and bringing it to the park. He also blames gangs of vandals and the police for not preventing the murder. Len brings cigarettes to Fred and, after Pam leaves, tells Fred that he witnessed the entire event.

Scene Eight

Harry is ironing clothes in the living room and chatting with Len. Len has found a new job, and Pam is still fixated on Fred. Pam enters, drying her hair, and immediately accuses Harry and Len of stealing her Radio Times magazine. She and Len engage in a trivial yet verbally aggressive argument.

Scene Nine

Len is in the living room cleaning his shoes when Mary enters in her slip, getting ready to go to the movies with a friend. Mary tells Len he can bring women to his room if he wants. She tears her stocking near the top and asks Len to sew it while she is still wearing it. As Len sews, Harry enters, watches them, and then leaves. Len asks Mary to stay in for the evening, but she insists she must go.

Scene Ten

Len and Pam sit at a table in a café, anticipating Fred's arrival with his friends for a breakfast celebration marking his release from prison. Pam urges Len to leave, but he refuses. Fred arrives with his crew and his new girlfriend, Liz. The jokes remain tasteless and crude. Pam tries to get close to Fred but is rejected and embarrassed. Liz repeatedly inquires about Fred's experience "inside." Len bluntly asks Fred how it felt to kill the baby. Eventually, the group, including Liz, departs. Len makes another attempt to reconcile with Pam, only to be turned down again.

Scene Eleven

The setting is the living room, where the table is set for tea. Mary claims ownership of the teapot and pours Harry's tea on the floor. They engage in a heated argument, with Mary asserting that most of the household items belong to her, while Harry accuses her of being "filthy" with Len. In a fit of rage, Mary strikes Harry on the head with the teapot. When Harry tells Pam the argument stemmed from Len lifting Mary's dress, Len shakes him, and Pam bursts into tears, blaming Len for all her problems, including the baby's death. Len announces he will move out.

Scene Twelve

Len lies on the floor of his bedroom, listening to Pam in the room below. Harry enters, dressed in white long underwear and socks, with his head wrapped in a bandage skull cap. Harry has come to bid goodnight. Len insists he never touched Mary and points out that Harry and Mary fought over it. Harry clarifies, "She had a row." Harry reminisces about his time in World War II, recalling it mostly as peaceful with occasional disruptions. He asks Len not to move out. Harry plans to leave eventually, but on his own terms, not Mary’s. Meanwhile, he intends to retreat to his room more often.

Scene Thirteen

In the living room, Len is repairing a chair, Mary is clearing the table, Pam is seated on the couch reading her Radio Times, and Harry is filling out his football betting slip. The only spoken words in the scene are when Len asks Pam to fetch his hammer. She does not comply. Len continues working on the chair while the others persist in their mundane tasks.

Next

Themes

Loading...