Kind Hearts and Coronets

6m, 2f (with doubling) running time: 2 hours

Kind Hearts and Coronets was voted number 6 in the BFI list of best British films of the 20th century! This brand new stage adaptaion doesn’t require sets as such but it needs strong performers and lots of doubling – like in the film, where Alec Guinness played all the various murder victims!

SYNOPSIS: Archie Gascoyne Williams is a man on a mission.  He comes from a long, illustrious (and very wealthy) family – that of the Gascoynes – through his mother. But she was disowned by the family because she married beneath her rank, by marrying a travelling salesman in ladies underwear. Nevertheless, as Archie discovers, he by the laws of heredity, is in line to inherit the title of Earl Gascoyne (and the family fortunes) should the intervening Gascoynes die.
 

So he decides to set about working his way up the family tree until he inherits the Gascoyne fortune by the simple expedience of murdering those members of the family that are in his way. 

And, besides having his eyes set on the Gascoyne title, he also has his eye on Sibella, the extrovert, sexy sister of Archie’s best friend Grahame Hallward, as well as Edith Gascoyne and a nursery maid. Life’s never simple, is it?
 
This black comedy is adapted by Derek Webb from the original novel by Roy Horniman, on which the classic Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets was based. It requires strong versatile performances by the leads, but also has several interesting comic roles for other actors. The play doesn’t require scenery as such, but swift changes of furniture and props are essential. Part of the fun of the piece is that the audience will be aware of the doubling up of the main parts, but many minor parts can be played by different members of the cast.

FOR A FREE PERUSAL SCRIPT CLICK HERE