Three Farces and a Comedy
In a writing career of over 60 years, Ben Travers is regarded as the master of the ‘Aldwych Farces’. This collection is being published at a time where farces are coming back into fashion following the smash hit of One Man Two Guvnors, and the success of The Magistrate both at the National Theatre, as well as the recent productions of Noises Off and What the Butler Saw. The four plays in this collection are representative of Travers’ work at its best and most characteristic.The plays include the classic farces Rookery Nook (1926), Thark (1927), Plunder (1927) & The Bed Before Yesterday (1977).Several of these plays have enjoyed modern revivals, Plunder in 1977 at the National Theatre, and Rookery Nook in 2009 at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
Ben Travers (1886-1980) was a British playwright best remembered for his long-running series of farces, which were first produced in the 1920s and 1930s. He is regarded as the master of the "Aldwych Farces". He had 21 plays produced. Many of these were made into films and later television productions. He also wrote novels and other works during a career spanning almost 60 years. Introduced by Andrew Morgan, the four plays in this collection are representative of Travers’ work at its best and most characteristic.