Unforced Errors

Unforced Errors is a play by John Cundill (1936-2016).

Original text

The play revolves around two retired couples, Marick/Barbara and Stan/Vonnie. who play tennis at the local club, socialise, get injured (they are all in their late 50's, early 60's), injure each other with trivial incidents and with larger more serious incidents, protest, and don't protest at environment-unfriendly developments, bicker and gossip in the manner of retirees all over the world. Cundill's small town Mullagong is alive with serious and ridiculous goals where motions put to the tennis club AGM concerning un-sportsmanlike behaviour take on the gravitas of international politics. Where the unseemly diseases of advancing age are equally ridiculous and serious. Cundill's eye for the weaknesses of human nature, those weaknesses which cause tears and those which cause laughter, are unerring as he unravels these lives in a domestic comedy of universal appeal.

Performance history in South Africa

2006: Presented at Artscape Arena from 19 October - 4 November as part of the Artscape New Writing Programme. Directed by Roy Sargeant, designed by Paul Regenass with original music and sound score by Shaun Michau. Lighting by Faheem Bardien and costumes co-ordinated by Ann Holmes.