Difference between revisions of "Enclosed Premises"

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==The original text==
 
==The original text==
  
For twenty-two years Edgar Moon, a jeweller's assistant, has been dominated completely by Esta, his querulous wife, and by her mother and sister who share his home. He has toyed with the notion of shooting himself, but an opportunity occures to scare his womenfolk into submission. Unknown to them, the firm presents Edgar with a silver rose-bowl to mark his twenty-fifth year of service. He returns with the gift, pretends to have stolen it, and declares that prison will mean spiritual freedom for him after years of feminine tyranny. The women, appalled by the prospect of social disgrace, are inclined to repentance, but are infuriated with Edgar's employer arrives to reveal the truth. Edgar's temporary bombast collapses. Goaded by a fresh wave of nagging from Esta, who pursues him upstairs, he shoots her. The curtain falls as he calmly telephones the police - a free man at last.  
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Edgar Moon, a jeweller's assistant, long dominated completely by his querulous wife Esta and her mother and sister who share his home, toys with the notion of shooting himself as a way to set himself free. But an opportunity occurs to scare his womenfolk into submission by pretending to have stolen a silver rose-bowl given to him by his work to mark his twenty-fifth year of service. The fear of social disgrace leads to the women initially repent their actions, but then the truth comes out, and a fresh wave of nagging emerges from Esta, who pursues him upstairs, where he shoots her. The curtain falls as he calmly telephones the police - a free man at last.
  
 
==Translations and adaptations==
 
==Translations and adaptations==

Revision as of 10:16, 9 February 2023

Enclosed Premises is a one act play by Philip Johnson ()[].

The original text

Edgar Moon, a jeweller's assistant, long dominated completely by his querulous wife Esta and her mother and sister who share his home, toys with the notion of shooting himself as a way to set himself free. But an opportunity occurs to scare his womenfolk into submission by pretending to have stolen a silver rose-bowl given to him by his work to mark his twenty-fifth year of service. The fear of social disgrace leads to the women initially repent their actions, but then the truth comes out, and a fresh wave of nagging emerges from Esta, who pursues him upstairs, where he shoots her. The curtain falls as he calmly telephones the police - a free man at last.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Afrikaans as Tussen Vier Mure ("between four walls") by Mariechen Naudé. Play text published by DALRO in 1970.


Performance history in South Africa

Sources

https://www.concordtheatricals.co.uk/p/66390/enclosed-premises

DALRO Text of Tussen Vier Mure, the Afrikaans translation.

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