SYNOPSIS: The Big Life starts off with all the men, and Sybil coming to England. Sybil and Bernie, who are engaged, break up because Bernie thinks that she was flirting with another man. The men all together decide to make a pact. This says that they will finish having things like cigarettes and alcohol; sleep just 4 hours per night; fast once a week and no relationships with women, and make a £5 bet with admiral that they will stick to what they say. The next scene is in the B&B, where Zulieka, Mary and Kathy are sitting and doing odd jobs, when Sybil enters. She tells them of how she broke up with Bernie, and the women all decide that they no longer want anything to do with men. Meanwhile, the men are on a tube looking for somewhere to stay, and someone mentions the B&B, but Bernie says he’d rather sleep on the streets. They decide in the end to go there and get rooms. The women continue to talk of how useless men are. Then in Piccadilly Circus, Admiral and Jacqueline the prostitute are sitting eating chips, when Lennie and Dennis enter, complaining they have still not found a job and how rude people are being to them. The reverend enters and starts preaching, and Admiral is insulted as he feels he is implying that he plays the devil’s music, so plays louder. The members of the congregation start singing and Lennie and Dennis have an argument. In the B&B, Bernie enters in his new postman’s uniform, and Sybil exits. Zulieka explains that the other man she was talking to was an uncle of hers. Ferdy and Zulieka discuss his book and some memories. Ferdy gets too comfortable and is scared he may be breaking the pact, so he runs away. In the next scene, Dennis has hurt his ankle and Lennie takes him to hospital. Lennie is wearing a bus conductor’s uniform, so even he has a job now. Mary who is a nurse flirts with Lennie only for a moment. Kathy, the sister nurse and looks at Dennis’s ankle, talking of memories of loved ones who have died in war. Kathy exits, but gives him a kiss before doing so! Ferdy is seen wandering around the streets of Piccadilly Circus at night, who bumps into Jacqueline. She teases him about being in love. Lennie then arrives home, which he finds to be empty. Mary and Sybil come in, and Sybil encourages Mary to flirt with him. Dennis walks in and accuses him of breaking rules. He denies it and Mary says he didn’t, either. Then when all the men are in Piccadilly Circus, Jacqueline torments them about their pact. As she is exiting, Eros, who is played by admiral, comes to life and puts all the men under a love spell and they dance with the women until the act ends.
In the next act, the first scene just shows the people getting up for work and sleeping; with the song pass me by in the background. It ends with Dennis saying he wants to return home.
Then in the B&B, the men and women are getting in each others way and argue over who is better than who. There is no winner but both sides think they have won and are on top Ferdy decides to go to meet the professor, but is sent back by a rude, racist secretary. Ferdy sings the song the price we pay. Next, outside Piccadilly Circus, few people are there who include Jacqueline, the reverend, Ferdy and Admiral. Reverend has been pick- pocketed and Jacqueline lends him some money. They both exit as Dennis enters. He is surprised to see Ferdy, and Ferdy hides. Admiral comes and Dennis asks him advice on women. Dennis has to give him £5 for breaking the pact, and suggests a song, for which he charges too. Then Lennie comes along and Dennis hides. He also asks the same question, pays £5 and is given the same song and charges extra money for the song. A few moments later, Bernie comes along and Lennie also hides. The same request is made as did Lennie and Dennis. Just before the song, Lennie decides to come out and tells Bernie, “I knew it, you do it, you blew it”! Dennis comes out and does the same to Bernie and Lennie. Just then, Ferdy comes out and accuses the three of breaking the pact. Ferdy does not get away, as he had requested Admiral earlier on to write a letter to Zulieka. The four decide not to ask Admiral for any further help and to find their love themselves. In the mean time, all the women in the B&B receive presents from the men and believe they are genuine, until Admiral comes along, stating that this was all a joke to get revenge. He tells the women that they should take revenge from the men. Taking Admiral’s advice, the women go to the club. The four men go to the club, but are unable to see the faces of the women, so go over to the women, who hold their given presents. They are shocked to then realise that the women had swapped the presents around and so the men insult the women. They call Kathy names, who then does a dance, implying that she is not what she seems to be. Then ion the B&B, the men beg the women to accept them, and the women continue to tease them, until Zulieka receives a letter saying her father has died. This stops all the commotion and the 8 get together. Then at Piccadilly Circus, everyone is there, saying goodbye to Zulieka, who is going to her father’s funeral. The reverend arranges a date with Jacqueline, and everyone is happy. The play ends with the song, don’t let the love stop.
Throughout the scene changes, Mrs Aphrodite is talking of her own experiences as a young woman, to add a little comedy to the play.
FIRST RESPONSES:
KEY MOMENTS:
I think one of the key moments was when Ferdy went to see the professor, and was called a “nigger”. This was because it suddenly made the mood and atmosphere very tense. You felt very sorry for Ferdy, because he didn’t really do anything. It clearly showed racism and discrimination against Black people.
Another key moment was the ending, when Zulieka found out about her father. This finally made everyone realise that they needed to be strong and supportive for Zulieka. Everyone finally got together with their true love and so did the reverend, with Jacqueline! This was an emotional moment, because something very sad had happened, but had caused something good to happen. The mood was at first very tense, but as Zulieka laws leaving, it livened up with the singing and dancing. It made you feel sorry at first, but when the Reverend got together with Jacqueline, to go on a date, the audience was very shocked and laughed.
DIRECTORIAL CHALLENGES:
I think that one major challenge for the director was having Mrs Aphrodite in the audience, but her telling her story to the others of when she was a young woman. This is because she would have to divert all the attention to herself while scene changes were taking place. I think it worked out well though because she had a spotlight on her, so the audience would know where to look.
There was one part of the play that I would improve if I were the director. The song before the interval seemed as if the play was about to finish or had finished, and confused the audience for a little while. I would have had Mrs Aphrodite there after the song to say that there would be a short interval, so it would be clearer.
CONCLUSION:
I think the show was a successful one. It had a bit of everything in it. A little comedy, music, dancing and it had the serious side to it too. I think that the fact that there
Zoya Khan 1354 13228 Wednesday 20th July 2005 Paper 1- Unit 2
