The impact Osborne had on British Theatre is remarkable. Look Back in Anger brought class as an issue before British audiences. The critic Kenneth Tynan, who referred to the plays ‘instinctive leftishness’ in his Observer review, wrote in a piece on ‘ The angry young movement’ that Jimmy Porter “represented the dismay of many young Britons who came of age under a Socialist government, yet found, when they went out into the world, that the class system was still mysteriously intact.
In Act 1, we see all three characters socialising in the flat. We can sense that they are all board, as there is only the sound of Alison’s iron thumping in the background. As there is nothing to do, Jimmy and Cliff read the Sunday papers. Jimmy appears to be the top man and he seems to be very full of himself. He makes very long complex speeches, which gives the audience the impression that he is a well-educated man. We find out, through exposition, that Jimmy’s background is somewhat different to Alison’s. She comes from a very wealthy family, where as Jimmy comes from a lower middle class background. This is the main issue that Jimmy uses to have a go at Alison repeatedly.
Jimmy: “You don’t suppose your father could have written it, do you?”
Alison: “Written what?”
Jimmy: “What I just read out of course.”
Alison: “Why should my father have written it?”
Jimmy: “Sounds rather like daddy, don’t you think?”
Alison: “Does it?
Jimmy: “Is the Bishop of Bromley his nom de plume, do you think?”
As the play moves on Jimmy and Cliff start play fighting, this eventually gets out of control, leaving Alison with a minor burn on her arm. Jimmy never seems to know when to stop.
When we did this scene in class, I acted the part of Alison, where as my colleagues acted the parts of Cliff and Jimmy. In this scene I tried to show my emotions quite clearly. I was extremely angry with Jimmy and I showed this by gestures and facial expressions. The gestures I used were very clear hand movements such as, outstretching my arm when addressing Jimmy. I did this to make my self bigger and more superior to Jimmy. My facial expressions were very clear also; I would scrunch up my face in an angry manor, and try to make my face as stubborn as possible. I did this to try and make Jimmy believe I was serious, and he had gone too far.
When Alison burns her arm, Jimmy leaves the room, leaving Cliff to be a shoulder to cry on for Alison. Then Alison tells Cliff (and the audience, by using cognitive access) that she is pregnant, this adds to the tension onstage. An offstage telephone call at the end of Act 1, tells us that another character, Helena Charles who is a friend of Alison’s, is about to enter the flat.
In Act II, Helena arrives. She is a threat to Jimmy, as she knows how to stand up to him. When Helena and Alison have a long private chat, we find out Alison sacrificed all her family and friends to be with Jimmy. As the act continues, Helena decides to confront Jimmy. Helena sticks up for herself against all of Jimmy’s horrible remarks. Helena: “Why do you try to be so unpleasant?”
Jimmy: “What’s that?”
Helena: “Do you have to be so offensive?”
Jimmy: “You mean now? You think I’m being offensive? You underestimate me. Doesn’t she?”
Helena: “I think you’re a very tiresome young man.”
The four characters sit around the table for dinner; we see Jimmy’s real feelings towards Alison and her family. As the second act continues, more and more tension arouses as Jimmy threatens Helena. This is not easy for Jimmy, as Helena is a stronger character than Alison; Helena uses confrontation to challenge Jimmy. Helena is extremely unhappy about Alison living in the flat with Jimmy so she privately tries to persuade Alison to leave the flat and go home to her parents. Helena phones Colonel Redfern, Alison’s dad to come and collect her so she is not in the dangerous clutching hands of her husband any more. As act two comes to an end we see Alison say her goodbyes to Helena and Cliff. Jimmy is not present, as he has gone visiting the sick relation of a friend. Helena’s stay at the flat has made Alison face up to her unhappiness. When Jimmy returns Helena hands him a letter from Alison, and he tries to show he is not bothered by her departure.
Jimmy: “Oh how can she be so bloody wet? Deep loving need! That makes me puke!”
To the shock of the whole audience, Helena then kisses Jimmy passionately. The act ends in surprise.
In act three, John Osborne resolves the complications established in acts one and two. This is the longest time gap throughout the whole of the play. In the beginning of act three scene one, John Osborne parallels the opening of the play. Helena has replaced Alison. In the beginning of Act one, Alison’s things have been on the dressing table now Helena’s things are there.
Cliff: “That stinking old pipe!”
Jimmy: “Shut up!”
Cliff: “Why don’t you do something with it?”
Jimmy: “Why do I spend half of Sundays reading these damn papers?”
Cliff: “It stinks!”
Jimmy: “So do you, but I’m not singing an aria about it. The dirty ones get more and more wet around the mouth and the posh ones are more pompous than ever. Does this bother you?”
Helena: “No I quite like it.”
Jimmy and Helena openly have a deep passionate kiss, this apparently shows their true feelings for each other. Cliff decides to leave, as there is nothing left to keep him there. Alison is no longer there to need his shoulder to cry on. At the end of Act three scene one, Alison enters wearing her raincoat, her hair untidy and she looks rather ill. Jimmy leaves the room and Alison and Helena are left to talk alone together.
In act three scene two Alison and Helena sit down and have a cup of tea together. We then come to learn Alison’s true feelings and thoughts through one of her few monologues. Alison doesn’t really want to be at the flat.
Alison: “Oh why am I here? You must all wish me a thousand miles away!”
Helena: “I don’t wish anything of the kind. You’re more right to be here than I.”
Alison tells Helena that she has lost the baby. Alison is feeling rather guilty, she tells Alison she is leaving Jimmy, but she makes it quite clear that she is not stepping aside for Alison to go back to him. Helena leaves quite abruptly leaving just Alison and Jimmy in the flat. As Jimmy and Alison both make their long speeches at the end, the audience knows that they are both hurt and feel each others pain to their loss counting around the lost child. At the end of the play Alison and Jimmy return to using the metaphors of squirrels and bears giving us subtext that there is hope for the future. They have both suffered and through the loss of the child there might be some common ground for understanding.
