JOHN BOYNTON PRIESTLEY
DANGEROUS BEND
Robert Kaplan.
Freda Kaplan.
Betty Whitehouse.
Gordon Whitehouse.
Olwen Peel.
Charles Trevor Stanton.
Maud Mockridge.
The scene is the living room of the Caplens' house in Chantbari Kloe. The time is after lunch. There is one set for all three acts.
ACT ONE
The curtain rises - the stage is dark. A muffled shot from a revolver is heard, immediately followed by a woman’s scream, and there is dead silence. After a short pause, Freda’s somewhat ironic voice is heard: “Well, that’s all!” – and the light above the fireplace turns on, illuminating the living room. Freda is standing by the fireplace: she is a young, beautiful, cheerful woman, about thirty. Olwen, an interesting brunette, the same age as Freda, sits in front of the fireplace. Not far from her, stretched out on the couch, lies Betty, a young and very pretty woman. In the middle of the room, sitting comfortably in an armchair, sits Miss Mockridge, a writer, elegant, middle-aged, with the appearance typical of women of her profession. All of them are in evening dresses and, obviously, have just listened to a radio broadcast (the radio is right there on the table), waiting for the men who lingered in the dining room. Freda is about to go to the receiver to turn it off when a typical announcer's voice is heard.
Speaker. You have just listened to the eight-scene play “Sleeping Dog!”, written especially for us by Humphrey Stott.
Freda (slowly approaching the radio). That's all. I hope you weren't bored, Miss Mockridge?
Miss Mockridge. Not at all.
Betty. I don't like these plays, with their boring conversations. Like Gordon, I prefer dance music.
Freda (turning off the receiver). You know, Miss Mockridge, whenever my brother Gordon comes here, he pesters us with dance music on the radio.
Betty. I love turning off all these solemn, pompous rants - just like that, cut them off.
Miss Mockridge. What was the name of this play?
Olwen. "Sleeping dog!"
Miss Mockridge. What does the dog have to do with it?
Betty. And despite the fact that there is no need to interfere with lying.
Freda. Who should be stopped from lying?
Betty. Well, of course, they all lie, right? And they lied.
Miss Mockridge. How many scenes did we miss?
Olwen. I think it's five.
Miss Mockridge. I can imagine how many lies there were in these scenes. It’s understandable why this man was so angry. I mean my husband.
Betty. But which one of them was the husband? Wasn't it the one who spoke in such a nasal voice, as if he had polyps in his nose?
Miss Mockridge (briskly). Yes, the one with the polyps, he took it and shot himself. It's a pity.
Freda. Because of polyps.
Miss Mockridge. And because of the polyps - it’s a pity!
Everyone laughs. At this moment, muffled male laughter can be heard from the dining room.
Betty. Just listen to these men.
Miss Mockridge. They are probably laughing at some obscenity.
Betty. Wherever they are, they’re just gossiping. Men love to gossip.
Freda. Of course.
Miss Mockridge. Well, let them be healthy! People who don't like gossip usually aren't interested in their neighbors. I really wish my publishers liked to gossip.
Betty. At the same time, men pretend to be busy.
Freda. Our people now have an excellent excuse for gossip: all three have become directors of the company.
Miss Mockridge. Well, yes, of course. Miss Peel, I think you should marry Mr. Stanton.
Olwen. Oh, why?
Miss Mockridge. To complete the picture. Then there would be three married couples adoring each other. I kept thinking about it during lunch.
Freda. Are you caught, Olwen?
Miss Mockridge. I myself would not mind marrying him, just to become one of the members of your charming circle. You are a surprisingly nice little bunch.
Freda. We?
Miss Mockridge. Isn't it?
Freda (a little mockingly). "Nice little company." How terrible it is!
Miss Mockridge. Not terrible at all. Simply lovely.
Freda (smiling). It sounds a little cheesy.
Betty. Yes. Looks like Dickens or Christmas cards.
Miss Mockridge. And there's nothing wrong with that. In our age, this is even too good and does not look like the truth.
Freda (apparently amused by her tone). Oh really?
Olwen. I didn't know you were such a pessimist, Miss Mockridge.
Miss Mockridge. Didn't you know? Then you apparently don't read reviews of my books, but you should, since you work for my publishers. I'll complain to my three directors about this when they get back. (With a short laugh.) Of course, I'm a pessimist. But don't get me wrong. I just wanted to say that it’s wonderful here!
Freda. Yeah, it's pretty nice here. We were lucky.
Olwen. It's amazing here. I hate leaving here. (Miss Mockridge.) You know, I am now busy in the city publishing office... not as busy as before when I worked here in the printing house. But I come here at the slightest opportunity.
Miss Mockridge. I understand you completely. It must be amazingly nice to live like this, all together.
Betty. Yes, not bad.
Miss Mockridge (Frede) But for some reason it seems to me that you all miss your brother-in-law. He also often came here to see you?
Freda (who is clearly uncomfortable with this remark). Are you talking about Martin, Robert's brother?
Miss Mockridge. Yes, about Martin Kaplan. I was in America at that time and didn’t really understand what happened to him. Does it look like something terrible?
Awkward silence - Betty and Olwen look at Freda.
Miss Mockridge. (Looks from one to the other.) Oh, it seems that was a tactless question. It's always like this with me.
Freda (very calmly). No, not at all. It was a big shock for us at the time, but now it has subsided a little. Martin shot himself. And it all happened almost a year ago, more precisely, in June last year, but not here, but in FollowsEnd, twenty miles from here. He rented a cottage there.
Miss Mockridge. Oh yes, it's terrible. I think I only saw him twice. I remember finding him extremely interesting and charming. He was very handsome, wasn't he?
Stanton and Gordon enter. Stanton is about forty, his manner of address is somewhat deliberate, his speech is slightly ironic. Gordon is a young man in his early twenties, very handsome, although somewhat unstable.
Olwen. Yes, very beautiful.
Stanton (with a condescending smile). Who is this very handsome?
Freda. Calm down, not you, Charles.
Stanton. Can you find out who this is? big secret?
Gordon (taking Betty's hand). They talked about me, Betty, why do you let them flatter your husband so rudely? And aren't you ashamed, my dear?
Betty (holding his hand). My dear, I am convinced that you gossiped too much and drank too much. Your face is crimson and even swollen, well, a completely successful financier.
Robert enters. He is a little over thirty. He can serve as a model of a healthy, attractive man. You may not always agree with him, but still he will involuntarily inspire sympathy in you.
Robert. Sorry I'm late, but it's all your damn puppy's fault, Freda.
Freda. Oh, what else has he done?
Robert. Tried to devour the manuscript of Sonya William's new novel. I was afraid that he would throw up. You see, Miss Mockridge, how we speak of you, the authors.
Miss Mockridge. I'm already used to it. I just said what a charming close circle you all make up.
Robert. I am extremely pleased that you think so.
Miss Mockridge. I find you very lucky.
Robert. Yes, that's how it is.
Stanton. It's not a matter of happiness, Miss Mockridge. You see, it so happened that we all turned out to be people with an easy, easy-going character.
Robert (jokingly, perhaps - too jokingly). Apart from Betty, she has a crazy character.
Stanton. That's because Gordon doesn't hit her often enough!
Miss Mockridge. Well, you see, Miss Peel, Mr. Stanton is still a cynical bachelor, I'm afraid he's ruining all your music.
Stanton. Miss Peel now has no influence - she transferred to the London office and left us completely.
Olwen. I come here very often, as often as I am invited.
Gordon. But for what? To see me or Robert - we can’t decide that yet. In any case, our wives are already starting to be jealous.
Betty (laughing). And scary!
Gordon (starting to play the radio). What's being broadcast today? Who knows?
Freda. Oh please, Gordon, don't turn on the radio. We just turned it off.
Gordon. What were you listening to?
Freda. The end of some play.
Olwen. Called "Sleeping Dog!"
Stanton. What's the name?
Miss Mockridge. We didn’t really understand - something about a lie and some gentleman who shot himself.
Stanton. Well, the jokers at the radio station.
Olwen (who was apparently thinking about something). Look, I think I understand what the play was about. The sleeping dog is true, and the man - well, this husband - certainly wanted to disturb her, to wake the dog.
Robert. Well, he did exactly the right thing.
Stanton. Do you think so? Curious. I find this to be a profound thought: truth is a sleeping dog.
Miss Mockridge (not paying attention to his words). Indeed, we spend too much time lying, both in words and in actions.
Betty (looking like a naive child). But this is completely inevitable. I always lie, this is all I do all day.
Gordon (still fiddling with the radio). That's right, my dear, that's right.
Betty. This is the whole secret of my charm.
Miss Mockridge (somewhat impatiently). Very possible. But we meant something more serious.
Robert. Seriously or jokingly, I always stand for everything coming out. It's better that way.
Stanton. I think telling the truth is like making a turn at sixty miles an hour.
Freda (with some mysterious or even evil tone in her voice). And there are so many dangerous turns in life, aren't there, Charles?
Stanton (as if arguing with her or someone else present). Yes, it happens - unless you know how to choose the right path. To lie or not to lie - what do you say about it, Olwen? You look terribly thoughtful.
Olwen (very seriously). I agree with you. It seems to me that saying everything to the end is extremely dangerous. The fact is that... there is truth and truth.
Gordon. Exactly: the truth is different.
Stanton. Shut up, Gordon. Carry on, Olwen.
Miss Mockridge. Yes, yes, continue.
Olwen (thoughtfully). It seems to me... the real truth... that is, everything, everything down to the smallest detail, without any concealment... would not be scary. I mean the highest the real truth. But what's in ordinary life what is meant by the truth and what this person in the radio program meant by it is only half the truth. It is impossible to find out from it what is going on in everyone’s soul. You are simply introduced to a number of facts that were previously hidden... and it’s very good that they were hidden. Such truth is a treacherous thing.
Gordon. Yes, like that vile thing that they try to extract from a person in court: “Where were you on the night of November twenty-seventh last year?.. Answer only “yes” or “no.”
Miss Mockridge (who clearly wants to challenge those present to an argument). You haven't convinced me, Miss Peel. But I am ready to welcome what you call half-truths, that is, facts.
Robert. Me too. I totally stand for this.
Freda (in some mysterious tone). Do you think so, Robert?
Robert. What do you mean by this?
Freda (carefree). Yes, nothing. Let's talk about something more fun. Who wants a drink? Pour it, Robert. And offer cigarettes.
Robert (looking into the cigarette box standing on the table). There are no more cigarettes here.
Freda. This one has it. (Taking it from the table music box for cigarettes.) Miss Mockridge, Olwen, would you like some? (Hands out the box.)
Olwen (looking at the box). Oh, I remember this box. It plays a tune when you open the lid. I even remember the motive. Yes, it seems, “Wedding March”? (Opens the box, takes out a cigarette, the gentle melody of the “Wedding March” is heard.)
Robert. Okay, isn't it?
Freda (closing the box). You couldn't remember this box. I got it for the first time today. She belonged to... one to a stranger.
Olwen. It belonged to Martin, didn't it? He showed it to me.
A little silence. Both women stare at each other.
Freda. He couldn't show it to you, Olwen. He didn't have it yet when you saw him in last time.
Stanton. How do you know he didn't have it, Freda?
Freda. Doesn't matter. I know that. Martin couldn't show you this box, Olwen.
Olwen. You think? (Looks meaningfully at Freda, then in a completely different tone.) Yes, maybe he couldn’t. I must have confused something. She must have seen a similar one somewhere else, and attributed it to the late Martin - he loved such things.
Robert. Olwen, I may be rude, but I'm sure you won't complain. You have just suddenly stopped telling the truth and you are well aware of it. You are absolutely sure that this is the box that Martin showed you, just as Freda is convinced otherwise.
Olwen. Well, let's say, what does it matter?
Gordon (fiddling with the radio). Not the slightest. I'm still trying to catch some kind of foxtrot, but this machine suddenly decided to go on strike.
Robert (with irritation). Just leave her alone.
Betty. Why are you shouting at Gordon?
Robert. Well, fine, then stop him yourself. No, Olwen, I don't think it matters, but after what we said, you can't help but think that the situation is quite interesting.
Reflections on the characters of the play by J.B. Priestley "Dangerous Turn"
Should I tell the truth? And what is “truth” anyway? The idea of the play seems clear and understandable. There are heroes who, according to the author, advocate for a simplified understanding of the truth - that is, for the facts to be known to society. “Truth” for them is facts. Such are the publisher Robert Caplan and Miss Mockridge, the writer.
The same fact can be interpreted countless times. It depends on the capabilities of our imagination. For example, we know that a certain “X” robbed a citizen “Igrek”. Does this mean that “Y” is an innocent victim, and “X” is a scoundrel? We begin to analyze the biographies of these people, their spiritual world, and a completely different picture emerges before us. For example, this: “X” committed a single crime, and “Y” has been robbing people all his life. His action is revenge. And this is just one of a million possible versions. And if we did not delve into the past and present of these people and did not delve into all the details, but were content with only the “fact” - that is, the action of “X”, would we be able to understand this, understand the “truth” in its entirety, in all the depth and complexity? But this kind of analysis would not bring pleasure to those to whom this “Igrek” is sincerely dear, and who had a completely different opinion about him. And they themselves will no longer be glad that they learned “the whole truth” about these people.
The author’s position, as it seems to many readers, was voiced by an employee of the Olwen company: the whole truth would not be scary if people were ready for complete sincerity, to bare the soul with all its flaws, imperfections, wounds, etc. This is already called “confession”. But individual facts are “half-truths,” as they say. Bare facts, without a comprehensive analysis, do not give a person anything. They do not help to understand the other. By “half-truth” we can mean gossip, rumors, etc. Sometimes the person himself does not know the truth about himself or is not ready to be sincere with himself. And there are a great many of them. Once you learn some facts, you won’t understand anything about anyone.
The play is clearly structured. Exposition - getting to know the characters, small talk, an unexpected turn in the conversation... and the revelations begin. It turns out that all the heroes were lying. Except for the main one – Robert Kaplan. Driven to despair by everything he has learned about his relatives, friends, acquaintances and the woman he was in love with, Robert is ready to commit suicide. His inner world collapsed. Not being two-faced himself, he does not even think about the duplicity of others. And this is understandable. People judge others by themselves.
And at this moment the author “spares” the hero. The stage lights come on. All the characters are sitting and talking - just like at the beginning of the play. Nice small talk. Everyone is smiling, the mood is festive. The foxtrot with the meaningful title “Everything could have been different” sounds. The heroes are dancing. The curtain falls. Priestley gives a different version of the ending.
Two characters can claim to be called positive, since they are not guilty of anything. This is Robert and Olwen. And at the same time, these two people could never understand each other, they are far from each other, further than anyone else... Happiness is impossible for them, and this, perhaps, Olwen herself realizes, secretly loving Robert.
What did she see in him? For me this is the most difficult question... He is, of course, attractive in appearance and respectable. And at the same time, this character belongs to those whose “positivity” is primitive. He divides people into good and bad, and sees them as angels or demons. There are no halftones for him. There is no sense of humor at all - something his wife Freda constantly mocks, for whom everything is fine with this: “No honesty, no sandwiches, that’s your motto, right? God, how boring we have become without Martin.”
Throughout the play, he doesn’t even want to hear Olwen’s discussions about complexity human nature, he is not personally interested in difficulties. Who does he fall in love with? A young woman who lisps like a baby, feigning childlike innocence. He doesn’t need anything else from his lifelong friend - a child’s face, baby talk... and here it is - his happiness. Betty doesn’t read anything, isn’t interested in anything serious, and she doesn’t even hide this, making herself known from the very first remarks, but this moves Robert to tears. The word “dummy” doesn’t come to mind. Next to someone like her, he grows in his own eyes - he seems to himself to be a strong, powerful and experienced mature man. He doesn’t need any reasoning, knowledge or concepts from her, let her smile or lisp sweetly from time to time - this is his paradise.
Perhaps this is also a psychological reaction to the criticism of his ironic wife Freda, who is irritated by everything about him. She is not in love with Robert, perhaps she considers him narrow-minded... she is not shy about showing her disdain to others... he has developed complexes next to a woman smarter than himself. He is uncomfortable, he is unhappy and does not understand what is going on. Why does everything he says and does piss her off? His pathos, stereotypical standard thinking, naivety, moralizing. He considers this to be his strengths. The wife obviously has a different opinion.
He does not use the word “stupidity” in relation to Betty. Is Robert one of those men who believe that women don’t really need intelligence because it prevents them from being feminine? Consciously - unlikely. And subconsciously... he has his own ideal of femininity. Not an adult wise creature, but a child. He understands nothing in life, sees him as an authority, and never mocks him (as Freda does). He - weak person, who, alas, does not understand this himself. Robert considers himself strong and courageous. And this is his main mistake.
He passionately tries to get to the bottom of the truth, to find out all the ins and outs about everyone who surrounds him. And in the end it turns out that he is unable to bear this truth. Life was always kind to Robert. He grew up in a wealthy family, everything he had was inherited, he did not have to fight for a place in the sun, such people remain naive until the end of their days. Would he be able to rise from scratch to the same heights? Hardly.
Who does Olwen see in him - a “real man”, as he previously considered himself to be, or a child? (In the play: “Oluen (smiled at him affectionately): You are a big child, Robert.”) More likely, apparently, the latter. Although the first is also possible... Maybe her feeling for him is partly pity, maternal tenderness? If so, it would be understandable to some extent, but the play does not reveal the essence of this feeling.
Really, she, a complex nature, didn’t see that he was primitive? Sometimes a smart enemy is better than a helpful fool. With the not at all angel Stanton, she would have found much better common language. Smart people will understand each other, even if their moral principles differ. And they might have fun together. But Complexity and Primitive (even a superpositive primitive) are certainly not a pair.
Freda, in her open disdain and contempt for the stupid Robert, was much more understandable to me than Olwen with her tenderness. Love for the cynic Martin is even more interesting than love for a fool.
Martin, according to Olwen, is “a born intriguer and cunning as a cat.” He happily pits Freda and Gordon against each other, enjoying how jealous they are of each other. He likes to test his power over people. Martin is a narcissist and a hedonist, he takes advantage of people, plays psychological games with them, and they believe in his sincerity. Is all this disgusting? Yes, definitely. But, watching Robert, you begin to experience such melancholy and boredom that you understand how bored his brother Martin probably was. The measured, everyday “correct” life was not for him. He longed for adventure and thrills. Martin is rich, handsome and smart. They say about such people: “He’s crazy.” He got everything too easily, and he doesn’t value anything. Women and men all fall in love only with him. He is bisexual. Was Martin really gay, or was he just looking for new experiences and wanted to “try everything,” like he tried drugs? He is a bored type, his illness is boredom, and Martin is looking for any way to dispel it.
Once the truth about Freda's unrequited love for Martin becomes known to everyone, it is Freda's turn to look stupid. Or does a person generally become stupid when he is in love, and the arguments of reason turn out to be powerless? She not only passionately loved Martin, she pursued him, hung herself around his neck, humiliated herself, almost lay at his feet... This Freda is extremely unattractive. The importunity of women is not attractive at all. And Olwen’s reluctance to impose herself on Robert, her silence about her feelings, is much more understandable to me. This is apparently incomprehensible to Freda - she easily informs her husband that Olwen is in love with him, as if not understanding what a humiliating and unpleasant position he is putting her in. If she herself has no pride, and it costs her nothing to shout out to the whole world about who she loves and how she loves, this does not mean that others have the same disposition and temperament. Restraint in expressing her emotions and self-esteem helped Olwen remain “undiscovered” for a long time.
Did she secretly hope that, having become disillusioned with Fred and Betty, Robert would finally appreciate her devotion? Or did she herself love the “invented image”, not understanding how weak and fragile Robert’s spiritual world was, that he could not withstand a collision with reality? Olwen has never been interesting to him as a person, as a person; he generally needs maximum simplicity, primitiveness in a partner. The more difficult it is, the worse it is for him personally - this is Robert’s motto. The complexity irritates him. He cannot understand such people and only gets angry, wanting to simplify them and the whole world so that it would be more convenient for him to live. After Betty, a mute girl could appear who would only smile sweetly - for Robert that was enough. He himself will create in his simple imagination a picture of her equally simple spiritual world. It will be similar to him. And then not a single word will be spoken in the wrong way or in the wrong tone, and he will never be disappointed in his chosen one.
At the moment of “exposure,” sharp and shrill notes appear in Betty’s voice. And at the same time, what she really turned out to be more interesting than that one which she portrayed. She married Gordon, a homosexual. According to her, it was love. But is this true? What social class is Betty from? Why is she the only woman who so emphasizes the value of the rich gifts that Stanton gave her? Gordon is handsome and rich. The dream of a girl from a not very wealthy family. A kind of “Prince Charming” image. The fact that he is not interested in anything other than dance music is exactly in keeping with Betty’s nature. It would seem perfect couple. Having learned that he prefers men, Betty does not even think about breaking up with her husband. What does she value - the opportunity to be close to someone for whom she has platonic feelings, or her position in society, comfort and prosperity? This is not entirely clear. Betty still does not become completely sincere. If she were a truly loving and suffering woman, perhaps Gordon's sister Freda would treat her as a victim of circumstances, but she does not feel the slightest sympathy for Betty. Whereas it never occurs to her to suspect that the same Olwen needs money from Robert, believing in her sincere love for him. (Oluen tries to talk about the lack of sympathy for Betty as the wife of a gay man at the beginning of the second act, but Robert irritably cuts her off. Betty is a victim of a situation in which she is not to blame, but her character is such that Freda and Olwen consider her incapable of strong and deep feelings. Therefore, sympathy is denied to her.)
On the other hand, what is so terrible about the love of comfort and prosperity? It's easy for someone who grew up with everything ready to eat, like Robert, Martin, Freda and Gordon, to judge others. Betty did not become any worse in my eyes by revealing her calculating nature. Whereas in Robert's mind she immediately turned into the devil in the flesh. Like many men, Robert does not understand women. Betty can't do anything. She can only look good. Appearance is her only trump card. And it costs a lot of money. Men who admire the appearance of women never think about how much it costs, and what kind of lifestyle they need to lead to meet their expectations.
Why, having charmed Robert, does Betty not take advantage of it? After all, he is rich and influential person. His marriage is unsuccessful, he and Freda have no children. Wouldn't she benefit from a relationship with him? Why, in search of “consolation,” does Betty rush into the arms of Stanton, and not Robert? Of course, the principled Robert would never approve adultery, for him this is unthinkable, even if the marriage is fictitious. But... it would be possible to touch him, arouse pity, a desire to take care of her. Betty doesn't use her charm to get closer to Robert. What does this mean?
Robert is not capable of loving anyone, people must correspond to the ideal pictures that he painted in his imagination, he himself “does not dare” to approach Betty, subconsciously fearing disappointment. Is it comfortable with such a person? You have to play a role all the time, there is no opportunity to be yourself... Stanton is ready to understand and accept people as they are. With it you can take off the mask and relax.
Betty cannot help but be hurt that she, so beautiful and feminine, is neglected by two men: her own husband and her lover. If Gordon's indifference, extremely offensive to any wife, can be explained by his sexuality, then the skeptical attitude of Stanton, a “straight man,” irritates her. He sees his relationship with her as fun. Even if she herself does not have any feelings for him, she, like many women, would like them to be not indifferent to those with whom they meet. But he loves Olwen. And this feeling has always touched me personally, because it is extremely rare to meet men who are interested in the inner world of a woman.
Stanton seems to be the smartest and most insightful character, and has what might be called a "negative charm". Betty is too similar to himself - a calculating, cunning person who loves comfort more than anything else. He started his career from scratch, and when he achieved everything he strived for, he began to lack spiritual comfort - communication with a person whom he could trust completely and completely. And, unlike such “pillars of society” as Robert, it would be interesting to communicate with him. He could find all this in Olwen.
At the same time, his act - stealing money - is absurd from all points of view. This suggests that smart, calculating pragmatists are capable of stupid actions. Why does he steal five hundred pounds? In order to question your position in the company, there must be a very serious reason. Stanton could have been arrested. He could have lost everything. So why did he take such a risk? It turned out that the reason was absurd. He wanted to buy an expensive gift for his mistress Betty. A woman with whom he does not value his relationship at all.
I admit that at this moment in the performance I felt that this was not even funny. In the plot, in my opinion, this is a bit of a stretch. Or the flaw of the author, who explained it this way: “Don’t think that I had such a cunning plan. Nothing like it. This doesn't happen in life. It was just an improvisation, a ridiculous, stupid accident.”
I personally also have doubts about Gordon's homosexuality. He was still infatuated with Betty and proposed to her. For what? It seemed to me that Gordon was one of those people who can be influenced. They can be “directed” in one direction or the other. A spineless type who has no inner core, he can become a “slave” of some strong bitchy woman, just as he became the “psychological slave” of Martin Kaplan, for whom he, by his own admission, would be ready to do anything: any act , for any crime. Martin instilled in him his skeptical views about women (perhaps he was amusing himself), and Gordon gained a new faith: in perfect love two men.
And for Martin, a natural gambler in psychological games, nothing could be more fascinating than a game of “cat and mouse” at the same time with Freda and Gordon: sister and brother, ready to tear each other to pieces. Because they both fell in love with him. Martin loved to make people look like idiots and twirl and twirl them like puppets.
Robert's naivety is excessive. In general, naivety is a quality that adorns some women and very young men. But not those who are already over thirty. Because it comes across as idiotic. His assumptions about his brother's character make me smile. He believed that Martin could have shot himself, lamenting the suspicion that Robert had stolen the company's money. That’s what he said: “contrite.” When he learned of Betty's relationship with Stanton, he called his business partner a "low, dirty seducer." It seems that he is ten or twelve years old. And any thought about “earthly” rather than sublime relationships causes disgust. This is already a kind of delayed emotional development, which personally does not cause tenderness for me.
Although I understand that you can also get tired of the cynicism and duplicity of everyone else and reach out with your soul to something like this “ big child“, as Olwen, who loves him, put it. If she wanted to open his eyes to those around him, thereby elevating herself (this is humanly understandable, who could resist the temptation to still fight for their happiness?), she was severely punished. Robert couldn't bear the truth. He decided to shoot himself.
If Olwen were a saint, she would come to self-denial and believe that she should sacrifice her own dreams of shared love. Because someone like Robert would not be happy with her (he is too superficial a person for that, while Stanton is a deep person). But she is not a saint. And she is no stranger to selfishness.
She knew about Betty and Stanton, Martin, and remained silent for a whole year. She moved to London and began to meet with her friends less often. “I kept everything to myself” as long as I could, suffering in all alone. And trying not to wallow in self-pity.
Unlike the other characters, Olwen still confesses herself. She was not “pinned to the wall” with evidence of guilt. She decides to tell everything, not yet knowing that Stanton has “evidence” - a scrap of her dress found on the floor in Martin’s house.
Yes, Martin did not steal the company’s money and did not shoot himself, his death was an accident. But stealing money is not such a crime compared to the “other truth,” the whole truth about Martin, that would emerge during the trial. Then everything would be revealed: his bisexuality, relationships with his brother’s wife, his mistress’s brother, drug addiction, the attempted rape of Olwen. AND psychological portrait Martina would be such an embarrassment to society that none of the Caplen and Whitehouse families would need to know about it. Martin would lose all sympathy and be branded a psychopath, a sadist and a pervert. In what light would Freda, Gordon, Stanton and Betty be shown?
They all agree that no one should know what happened between Martin and Olwen, not because (or not only because) they don’t blame her for it. They are saving their own reputations. You need to know the mentality of the British to imagine the horror of public opinion experienced by people who value this reputation. Olwen, realizing this, remained silent not out of fear of possible punishment (she could have been acquitted after learning all the circumstances), but to spare the company and everyone around her.
All the characters, except Robert, live in an ambiguous situation, they pretend, wear masks, and from time to time hint that they know each other's secrets. And this life is quite acceptable for them. They do not suffocate from the feeling of the falsehood of their life, some even experience pleasure, a piquant sensation of a certain psychological game. It's more interesting for them. Ambiguity can also be a pleasure. And I guess the man who loved ambiguity like no other was Martin Kaplan. For Robert, ambiguity would cause unbearable suffering; he would not be able to live like this. And in this regard, one can sympathize with him from the bottom of my heart.
And at the same time, having learned the “facts” about Martin, you think: maybe he wasn’t so bad after all? After all, facts are, after all, according to Priestley’s interpretation, only half-truths...
John Boynton Priestley
Dangerous bend
Dangerous bendJohn Boynton Priestley
MTF Agency Drama Library
After a small dinner at the home of Robert and Freda Kaplan, everyone gathered in the living room. There were only a few guests - Freda's brother and his wife Betty and a couple of close people from their company. Olwen recognized the box and said that Martin, Robert’s brother, who shot himself a year ago, showed it to her. Freda said that she could not see it because Martin received the box on the day of his death, after Olwen had last seen him. This misunderstanding interested Robert, who wanted to get to the bottom of the truth. However, his guests had more secrets than he expected.
John Boyton Priestley
Dangerous bend
Play in three acts
Characters
Robert Kaplan.
Freda Kaplan.
Betty Whitehouse.
Gordon Whitehouse.
Olwen Peel.
Charles Trevor Stanton.
Maud Mockridge.
Hotel in the Caplen house in Chantbury Close. After dinner. The second and third acts take place there.
Act one
When the curtain rises, the stage is dark. And suddenly - a muffled revolver shot, followed by a desperate female scream, a minute of silence. Then Freda mockingly says: “Well, that’s it!” – and turns on the light above the fireplace. Now it’s clear that she’s nearing thirty, she’s pretty and full of life. She remains by the fireplace for another minute. Sitting in an armchair in front of the fireplace is Olwen, Freda’s contemporary, dark-haired, with delicate features.
Betty is reclining on the couch, very young and very pretty; Miss Mockridge sat in an armchair in the middle of the room, exactly what you would imagine a fashionable, middle-aged literary lady to be.
All of them were in evening dresses and, while waiting for the men who remained to smoke, they had obviously just listened to the radio. Freda went to the table, ready to turn off the radio, and then the announcer began speaking in a purely professional tone.
Speaker. You were listening to a play written specifically for radio broadcasting in eight scenes by Mr. Humphrey Stowett, entitled “Don't Wake the Sleeping Dog.”
Freda (slowly approaches the table). That's it. I hope you weren't too bored, Miss Mockridge?
Miss Mockridge. Not at all.
Betty. I don't like listening to plays and boring conversations. I love dance music and so does Gordon.
Freda (turning off the radio). You know, Miss Mockridge, my brother Gordon is tormenting us - as soon as he comes to us, he immediately rushes to catch music for dancing.
Betty. I love turning off all sorts of self-important, pompous talkers, click - and it’s gone.
Miss Mockridge. What did he say the play was called?
Olwen. "Don't wake a sleeping dog."
Miss Mockridge. What does a sleeping dog have to do with it?
Betty. And at the same time: you don’t need to touch anything, then you won’t hear too much.
Freda. What won't you hear?
Betty. Lies, because they all lied. Not now, like before.
Miss Mockridge. How many scenes did we miss?
Olwen. I think it's five.
Miss Mockridge. They probably piled up mountains of lies in those scenes. That’s why he got so angry, this husband.
Betty. Which one of them was the husband? The one who spoke through his nose as if he had a runny nose?
Miss Mockridge (with liveliness). Well, yes, who made a nasal noise, and then left and shot himself. Really, this is real drama.
Freda. Perhaps too runny nose.
Miss Mockridge. A runny nose is also a drama.
Everyone laughs, and then a muffled burst of laughter comes from the dining room.
Betty. Do you hear how much fun our men have?
Miss Mockridge. They were probably amused by some obscenity.
Betty. No, they're just gossiping. Men are desperate gossips.
Freda. Of course.
Miss Mockridge. That's how it should be. Only indifferent people do not like gossip. No, let my publishers gossip with all their might.
Betty. Yes, but our gossips pretend to be busy.
Freda. They had an excellent excuse, because now all three of them are directors of the company.
Miss Mockridge. Yes, sure. Miss Peel, I think you should marry Mr. Stanton.
Olwen. Yes? Why is this?
Miss Mockridge. To complete the picture. Then there would be three such tender married couples here. I thought about it all the time during dinner.
Freda. How do you like it, Olwen?
Publisher Robert Kaplan and his wife Freda warmly welcome country house friends and relatives. This “nice little group,” according to one guest, chats happily and exchanges gossip. Until the topic of conversation becomes “truth.” Together with Priestley's heroes, we will unravel the tangle of relationships, unravel the knots of secrets, plunging into the exciting detective story performance. Robert Kaplen - Hansel I. A. Freda Kaplen - Yunger Elena Vladimirovna Gordon Whitehouse - Florinsky G. A. Betty, his wife - Karpova V. A. Olwen Pill - Voitkevich Charles Stanton - Uskov V. V. Maud Mockridge - Chokoy Tatyana Explanatory the text is read by Tobias E. M. Production - G. Kozintseva
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John Boynton Priestley
Dangerous bend
J. B. Priestley. Dangerous Corner, A Play in Three Acts (1932) .
Characters:
Robert Kaplan .
Freda Kaplan .
Betty Whitehouse .
Gordon Whitehouse .
Olwen Peel .
Charles Trevor Stanton .
Maud Mockridge .
The scene is the living room of the Caplens' house in Chantbari Kloe. The time is after lunch. There is one set for all three acts.
ACT ONE
The curtain rises - the stage is dark. A muffled shot from a revolver is heard, immediately followed by a woman’s scream, and there is dead silence. After a short pause, Freda’s somewhat ironic voice is heard: “Well, that’s all!” – and the light above the fireplace turns on, illuminating the living room. Freda is standing by the fireplace: she is a young, beautiful, cheerful woman, about thirty. Olwen, an interesting brunette, the same age as Freda, sits in front of the fireplace. Not far from her, stretched out on the couch, lies Betty, a young and very pretty woman. In the middle of the room, sitting comfortably in an armchair, sits Miss Mockridge, a writer, elegant, middle-aged, with the appearance typical of women of her profession. They are all in evening dress and have obviously just listened to a radio program (the radio is right there on the table), waiting for the men who lingered in the dining room. Freda is about to go to the receiver to turn it off when a typical announcer's voice is heard.
Speaker. You have just listened to the eight-scene play “Sleeping Dog!”, written especially for us by Humphrey Stott.
Freda(slowly approaching the radio). That's all. I hope you weren't bored, Miss Mockridge?
Miss Mockridge. Not at all.
Betty. I don't like these plays, with their boring conversations. Like Gordon, I prefer dance music.
Freda(turning off the receiver). You know, Miss Mockridge, whenever my brother Gordon comes here, he pesters us with dance music on the radio.
Betty. I love turning off all these solemn, pompous rants - just like that, cut them off.
Miss Mockridge. What was the name of this play?
Olwen. "Sleeping dog!"
Miss Mockridge. What does the dog have to do with it?
Betty. And despite the fact that there is no need to interfere with lying.
Freda. Who should be stopped from lying?
Betty. Well, of course, they all lie, right? And they lied.
Miss Mockridge. How many scenes did we miss?
Olwen. I think it's five.
Miss Mockridge. I can imagine how many lies there were in these scenes. It’s understandable why this man was so angry. I mean my husband.
Betty. But which one of them was the husband? Wasn't it the one who spoke in such a nasal voice, as if he had polyps in his nose?
Miss Mockridge(briskly). Yes, the one with the polyps, he took it and shot himself. It's a pity.
Freda. Because of polyps.
Miss Mockridge. And because of the polyps – it’s a pity!
Everyone laughs. At this moment, muffled male laughter can be heard from the dining room.
Betty. Just listen to these men.
Miss Mockridge. They are probably laughing at some obscenity.
Betty. Wherever they are, they’re just gossiping. Men love to gossip.
Freda. Of course.
Miss Mockridge. Well, let them be healthy! People who don't like gossip usually aren't interested in their neighbors. I really wish my publishers liked to gossip.
Betty. At the same time, men pretend to be busy.
Freda. Our people now have an excellent excuse for gossip: all three have become directors of the company.
Miss Mockridge. Well, yes, of course. Miss Peel, I think you should marry Mr. Stanton.
Olwen. Oh, why?
Miss Mockridge. To complete the picture. Then there would be three married couples adoring each other. I kept thinking about it during lunch.
Freda. Are you caught, Olwen?
Miss Mockridge. I myself would not mind marrying him, just to become one of the members of your charming circle. You are a surprisingly nice little bunch.
Freda. We?
Miss Mockridge. Isn't it?
Freda(a little mockingly). "Nice little company." How terrible it is!