A Little Change

A Farce in One Scene

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About this book

Edwin's yawns threaten the peace of his marriage almost as soon as it begins. He and Ethel are staying at a seaside hotel in Dumpington, where she admires the scenery and he longs for a change. Her requests for reassurance turn into a quarrel over Miss Carruthers, whose appearance Edwin defends while Ethel finds fault with each feature.

Sydney Grundy's comedy uses a single scene, rapid exchanges and private asides to expose the gap between polite words and jealous thoughts. Captain Plunger also takes an interest in an acquaintance, and a waiter punctures the resort's claims to offer pleasant recreation. A local newspaper adds another joke through its determined defence of the town's healthy air. The play offers readers a compact example of stage farce, built from newlywed irritation, verbal double meanings and the awkward business of keeping up appearances.