One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Contents
About This Pack...... 1
Background Information...... 2
Teaching Information ...... 4
Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis...... 6
Find Out More ...... 11
1 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack
About
This learning pack supports the National Theatre’s production of One Man, Two Guvnors, directed by Nicholas Hytner, which opened on 24th May 2011 at the National’s Lyttelton Theatre in London.
Our packs are designed to support viewing the recording on the National Theatre Collection. This pack provides links to the UK school curriculum and other productions in the Collection. It also has a plot synopsis with timecodes to allow you to jump to specific sections of the play.
1 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Background Information Recording Date – 15th September, 2011 Location – Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre Age Recommendation – 12+
Cast
Dolly...... Suzie Toase Lloyd Boateng ...... Trevor Laird Charlie "the Duck" Clench ...... Fred Ridgeway Pauline Clench ...... Claire Lams Harry Dangle ...... Daniel Rigby Francis Henshall ...... James Corden Rachel Crabbe ...... Jemima Rooper Stanley Stubbers ...... Oliver Chris Gareth ...... David Benson Alfie ...... Tom Edden Ensemble ...... Polly Conway Ensemble ...... Derek Elroy Ensemble ...... Paul Lancaster Ensemble ...... Fergus March Ensemble ...... Gareth Mason Ensemble ...... Clare Thomson
'The Craze'
Guitar...... Grant Olding Guitar ...... Philip James Drums ...... Benjamin Brooker Ensemble ...... Jolyon Dixon
2 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Background Information Recording Date – 15th September, 2011 Location – Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre Age Recommendation – 12+
Creative Team
Director ...... Nicholas Hytner Writer ...... Richard Bean (after Carlo Goldoni) Associate Director ...... Cal McCrystal Designer ...... Mark Thompson Music ...... Grant Olding Fight Director ...... Kate Waters Choreographer / Staff Director ...... Adam Penford Sound Designer ...... Paul Arditti Lighting Designer ...... Mark Henderson
3 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Teaching Information
This production is particularly suitable for:
• Drama and theatre students studying Goldoni’s A Servant of Two Masters for A ‘Level • Anyone studying Commedia dell’arte, physical comedy and slapstick • Anyone interested in re-imagined contemporary productions of classic plays • Drama and theatre students studying Nicholas Hytner as a contemporary practitioner
In particular you might like to explore:
• Richard Bean’s adaptation of Goldoni’s original A Servant of Two Masters and whether moving the action of the play to 1960s Brighton makes it more relevant and more amusing for a contemporary audience. • How the design of the production contributes to the storytelling and physical comedy • How the principles of commedia dell’arte are used in the production. • How the music and sound design help to create the world of the play.
There are a number of other productions in the National Theatre Collection that relate to this one, which you and your students may wish to explore alongside it.
Other comedies
Production Date Playwright Director London Assurance 2010 Dion Boucicault Nicholas Hytner
She Stoops to Conquer 2012 Oliver Goldsmith Jamie Lloyd
Twelfth Night 2017 William Shakespeare Simon Godwin
4 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Teaching Information
Other adaptations of classic plays
Production Date Adaptor/Playwright Director Yerma 2017 Simon Stone after Nicholas Hytner Federico García Lorca
Other productions featuring members of the same creative team
Production Date Artist
London Assurance 2010 Richard Bean - Adaptor Hamlet 2010 Nicholas Hytner - Director Julius Caesar 2018 Nicholas Hytner - Director
London Assurance 2010 Nicholas Hytner - Director Othello 2013 Nicholas Hytner - Director
London Assurance 2010 Mark Thompson - Designer
She Stoops to Conquer 2012 Mark Thompson - Designer
Julius Caesar 2018 Paul Arditti - Sound Designer Coriolanus 2017 Mark Henderson - Lighting Designer Antigone 2012 Mark Henderson - Lighting Designer
5 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis
One Man, Two Guvnors is based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni. While the plot is largely the same, this version renames the characters and moves the location from Venice, Italy to Brighton, England. Goldoni’s characters were based on commedia dell’arte stock characters, while Richard Bean certainly took influence, his are more naturalistic characters.
Pre-show: A skiffle band “The Craze” sing Brighton Line.
Act One, Scene One (0:02:20): In Charlie Clench’s house in Brighton, Charlie, Alan Dangle, Pauline Clench, Harry Dangle, Charlie’s bookkeeper Dolly and Charlie’s old friend Lloyd Boateng are celebrating the engagement of Pauline and Alan.
(0:08:26) Francis Henshaw, the minder for revered London gangster Roscoe Crabbe arrives to claim money owed by Charlie.
6 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis
He and Dolly openly flirt, with Francis offering to take her away to Majorca for a holiday. Roscoe was originally engaged to Pauline and has returned to claim her back. The guests are incredulous, as they thought Roscoe Crabbe was recently murdered by his twin sister’s boyfriend.
(0:12:43) Roscoe enters, demanding to have Pauline back now he has returned, but both Pauline and Alan refute his claim. Charlie agrees to pay his debts. Once alone, Roscoe reveals to Lloyd that she is actually Rachel, Roscoe’s sister. It is true that Roscoe’s dead, and her and her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers are planning to elope to Australia together.
Act One, Scene Two (0:21:27): In a Brighton street, Francis tells the story of how he was recruited by Roscoe/Rachel. It’s easy enough work, he says, but he’s permanently hungry. Stanley Stubbers enters, who is keeping a low profile following the murder of Roscoe. He offers to employ Francis as his minder and deliver letters for him while he keeps a low profile at the Cricketers Arms Inn. Despite already being employed, the prospect of having more money for food is too great. Francis’ other boss, Rachel, enters and gives him more jobs to do including another letter to deliver, which immediately begins confusing Francis.
(0:36:00) Alan enters, demanding to see Roscoe and vowing to kill him. Hearing this, Stanley becomes terrified Roscoe is still alive and hunting him.
(0:41:18) Francis re-enters with letters for both of his employers. Confused and hungry, he inadvertently eats Stanley’s letter so gives Stanley one of Rachel’s. Through this, Stanley discovers Rachel is in Brighton.
Act One, Scene Three (0:53:13): Back in Charlie’s house, Charlie is trying to convince his daughter to marry Roscoe with the financial benefits it would involve, but Pauline insists she wants to marry Alan ‘for love’.
7 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis
(0:54:54) Rachel (as Roscoe) arrives to follow up on her money. Alone with Pauline, she reveals her true identity, telling Rachel to go along with the planned wedding to give her and Stanley time to elope, leaving her free to marry Alan.
Act One, Scene Four (1:01:32): Inside the Cricketers Arms, Francis’ anxiety - and hunger - is reaching boiling point.
With the help of the old, decrepit waiter Alfie and unfortunate members of the audience, he struggles to provide lunch for both bosses while keeping them separate from each other and satisfying his insatiable hunger.
Interval
Act Two, Scene One (1:30:19): In the street Harry tries to convince Charlie to call off the marriage between Roscoe and Pauline but he refuses. Alan continues to vow violent revenge if he cannot marry
8 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis
Pauline.
(1:34:07) Pauline enters and Alan turns on her, accusing her of adultery. Pauline leaves in a fury at the accusation.
Act Two, Scene Two (1:38:34): Dolly meets Francis in the street and gives him a letter for Roscoe. The two of them flirt, with Francis taking on the persona of the dashing Irish lover, Paddy, to improve his confidence. As Paddy, he arranges to take Dolly away to Margate for a holiday.
(1:47:54) “Roscoe” enters with Charlie, who still hasn’t given Roscoe the £6,000 he owes. Francis’ two employers nearly meet, with Francis managing to keep them separate at the cost of a beating from both.
Act Two, Scene Three (1:54:47): Back inside the Cricketers Arms, Francis is doing ironing for Roscoe. He discovers a picture of Stanley in Roscoe’s things. Stanley enters and discovers Francis with the photograph. Francis concocts a lie involving the fictitious Paddy to explain why he has it which leads Stanley to conclude Rachel is dead. Devastated, he leaves.
(1:58:07) “Roscoe” enters asking to see his diary. Francis accidentally gives him Stanley’s diary. Francis uses the same fib to explain how he had the diary in his possession, leading Rachel to conclude Stanley is dead. In her grief she reveals her identity to Charlie and Francis.
Act Two, Scene Four (2:03:08): Charlie tells Harry that Pauline is welcome to marry Alan. Alan enters and Charlie tells him the truth about Rachel; Alan is delighted.
Act Two, Scene Five (2:04:24): On Brighton pier, Rachel and Stanley independently mourn the death of the other. Lloyd enters and reunites them. Rachel tells Lloyd to go and get Francis so she can reprimand
9 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis
him. Rachel and Stanley agree to marry and stay in England.
(2:09:47) Lloyd re-enters with Francis. Francis uses the lie of Paddy again to talk himself out of trouble, and convinces both Rachel and Stanley to give him £150 each to take Dolly to Majorca. The police turn up and they all exit in a hurry.
Act Two, Scene Six (2:14:24): Back in Charlie’s house, Charlie and Alan try and convince Pauline to forgive Alan. Eventually, after much grovelling, she does.
(2:16:40) Lloyd, Rachel, Stanley and Francis enter. The two couples are reconciled, and Harry agrees to be Stanley’s lawyer to have him acquitted in the murder trial. As they discuss Dolly’s upcoming trip with Francis/Paddy, his deception unravels and he admits Paddy is made up and he was the employee of both guvnors. Stanley and Rachel forgive Francis and give him the time off to go to Majorca with Dolly.
The End
10 One Man, Two Guvnors − Learning Pack
Find out more
Read
The Rehearsal Insights Pack, featuring the rehearsal diary from this production, written by Staff Director Adam Penford.
Watch
The World of Commedia dell'Arte
Commedia dell'Arte: Character Shape
Commedia dell'Arte: A Historical Overview
Commedia dell'Arte: Language
Commedia dell'Arte: Emotion
Explore
More materials relating to the production including the costume bible, costume designs, prompt scripts, programme, stage management reports and more are held at the National Theatre Archive, which is free to visit. Find out more here: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/archive
11