Otherwise Engaged

Otherwise Engaged

Otherwise Engaged is a bleakly comic play by English playwright Simon Gray. The play previewed at the Oxford Playhouse and the Richmond Theatre,[1] and then opened at the Queen's Theatre in London on 10 July 1975, with Alan Bates as the star and Harold Pinter as director, produced by Michael Codron. Ian Charleson co-starred as Dave, a Glasgow lout. Michael Gambon took over from Bates in 1976, "playing it for a year, eight times a week." The play also had a successful run on Broadway, opening in February 1977 with Tom Courtenay as Simon and Carolyn Lagerfelt as Beth. It won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play.

The play revolves around a British publisher named Simon Hench. When we first see Hench, he has settled down in his lavish living room, and plans to spend a pleasant afternoon listening to classical music. However, Hench is repeatedly interrupted by his tenant, his friends, family and aspiring writers, all of whom want something from him.

First, he is visited by his tenant Dave, a penniless student. Later, Hench must deal with his brother, a money-strapped public school teacher with a large family to support. Later, Hench meets with a drunken journalist mate, and with that mate's girlfriend (an aspiring writer who is more than willing to flaunt her body to get a publishing contract from Hench). Later, Hench receives a call from a meek gentleman that Hench used to torment when they were schoolboys, and whose daughter Hench has been sleeping with.

Finally, Hench's tranquil afternoon is interrupted by his wife, who announces that she is leaving him.

Initially, Hench seems witty, warm and charming. For much of the play, he appears to be the one and only sane, grounded character. Gradually, this facade is stripped away, and Hench is revealed as a cold, selfish, cruel, lonely bully, unable to connect emotionally with others, and unable to care deeply about anyone but himself.

The play was revived at the Criterion Theatre in 2005 in a production starring Richard E. Grant and Anthony Head, directed by Simon Curtis, produced by Mark Rubinstein, Sonia Friedman, Jeremy Meadow and Lee Menzies.

References

  1. ^ Simon Gray on Otherwise Engaged
  • Who's Who in the Theatre, 16th/17th editions, Pitman/Gale (1977/1982)
  • Gambon: A Life in Acting, Mel Gussow, Nick Hern Books/Applause (2004)

External links

v · d · eDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Play (1975–2000)

Same Time, Next Year / Equus (1975) · Streamers (1976) · A Texas Trilogy / Otherwise Engaged (1977) · Da (1978) · The Elephant Man (1979) · Children of a Lesser God (1980) · Amadeus (1981) · Master Harold...and the Boys (1982) · Torch Song Trilogy (1983) · The Real Thing (1984) · As Is (1985) · A Lie of the Mind (1986) · Fences (1987) · M. Butterfly (1988) · The Heidi Chronicles (1989) · The Piano Lesson (1990) · Lost in Yonkers (1991) · Marvin's Room (1992) · Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (1993) · Angels in America: Perestroika (1994) · Love! Valour! Compassion! (1995) · Master Class (1996) · How I Learned to Drive (1997) · The Beauty Queen of Leenane (1998) · Wit (1999) · Copenhagen (2000)
Complete list · (1955–1974) · (1975–2000) · (2001–2025)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • be otherwise engaged — phrase to be unable to do something because you have already arranged to do something else Thesaurus: to be busysynonym Main entry: engaged …   Useful english dictionary

  • Otherwise — may refer to: Difference Negative Pseudonym, as in otherwise known as or also known as See also All pages beginning with Otherwise All pages with titles containing Otherwise Otherwise Engaged, comic play by English playwright Simon Gray Otherwise …   Wikipedia

  • otherwise — oth|er|wise W2S1 [ˈʌðəwaız US ˈʌðər ] adv 1.) [sentence adverb] used when saying what bad thing will happen if something is not done ▪ You ll have to go now, otherwise you ll miss your bus. ▪ Put your coat on, otherwise you ll get cold. 2.)… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • otherwise — adverb 1 (sentence adverb) a word meaning if not , often used when there will be a bad result if something does not happen: You ll have to go now, otherwise you ll miss your bus. | They got two free tickets to Canada, otherwise they d never have… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • engaged — adj. 1 doing sth VERBS ▪ be ADVERB ▪ deeply, heavily ▪ those who are deeply engaged in party politics ▪ fully …   Collocations dictionary

  • engaged */*/ — UK [ɪnˈɡeɪdʒd] / US adjective 1) formal involved in doing something engaged in: Her team knew they were engaged in work of great importance. 2) if two people are engaged, they have formally agreed to get married How long have you been engaged?… …   English dictionary

  • engaged — en|gaged [ınˈgeıdʒd] adj 1.) if two people are engaged, they have agreed to marry ▪ Have you heard? Sally and Ray are getting engaged . ▪ She is engaged to be married . engaged to ▪ Kate s engaged to a guy from England. 2.) BrE if you call… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • engaged — adjective 1 having agreed to get married: They ve been engaged for six months. (+ to): Have you met the man she s engaged to? | get engaged (=agree to marry someone): Siobhan and Ray have just got engaged. 2 BrE an engaged telephone is being… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • engaged — en|gaged [ ın geıdʒd ] adjective ** 1. ) FORMAL involved in doing something a ) be otherwise engaged to be unable to do something because you have already arranged to do something else 2. ) if two people are engaged, they have formally agreed to… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • engaged — adjective 1) he s otherwise engaged Syn: busy, occupied, unavailable; informal tied up See note at busy Ant: free, unoccupied 2) she s engaged to an American guy Syn …   Thesaurus of popular words

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”