Enclosed Premises
Enclosed Premises is a one act play by Philip Johnson ()[].
Contents
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.
The text was published by Samuel French Ltd, London, in 1950
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
https://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsJ/johnson-philip.php
DALRO Text of Tussen Vier Mure, the Afrikaans translation.
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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