The Vortex

In Florence Lancaster's London drawing room, conversation moves from expensive furnishings to friends' appearances, musical talent and the trouble of growing older. Helen Saville and Pauncefort Quentin trade pointed remarks while waiting for their hostess, and Clara Hibbert arrives with a headache and a request to borrow a fan. The small demands of this fashionable circle give the play its quick, cutting rhythm, while Helen's concern for Florence's son Nicky introduces a more serious note.

At a house party, Nicky's engagement to Bunty brings his relationship with his mother under strain. Florence objects to Bunty's outspoken opinions, and Nicky challenges his mother's claim to authority. His later talk with Helen reveals uncertainty about love, work and his own prospects of happiness. Readers interested in family tensions can follow how a polished social manner gives way to irritation and vulnerability, with piano playing, casual insults and apparently light conversation carrying the pressure of each encounter.