Call It a Day
Dodie Smith
Dear Octopus
by Dodie Smith
West End
Synopsis
Successfully produced in London and New York, Dear Octopus is the story of a family from which none of its members are either able or quite willing to escape.
On the occasion of a golden wedding anniversary, the children and grandchildren gather to reminisce and acquaint each other more fully with their activities.
The life of this English family is shown in terms of the chatter of the youngsters, the careers and nursery memories of the middle-aged, and the sense of the swift passing of the years; the sweetness of an old nurse, the minor frictions and abiding loyalty of brothers and sisters, the feast-day toast, and the benevolent tyranny of the grandmother.
Woven throughout the proceedings is a love story between Fenny, companion to Mrs Randolph, and Nicholas Randolph.
Press Reviews
"Dodie Smith’s play presents a beautifully drawn, four-generation celebration of a golden wedding anniversary on the eve of the second world war."
— The Guardian
"Dodie Smith’s slow burning pre-war family saga will suck you in."
— The Independent
"Filled with zingers that are really, properly laugh-out-loud funny."
— London Theatre
"Gripping and evocative."
— The Reviews Hub
"Smith's writing is witty, detailed and keenly observed, capturing the fractious family's dynamics so skilfully that their conversations feel entirely fresh and relatable."
— The Stage
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| Dora Randolph Seventy-two, a small, white-haired and still pretty woman, charmingly dressed. |
| Hilda Randolph Forty-two, plain, intelligent and rather nervy. |
| Margery Harvey Forty, fair, pretty, but much too fat. |
| Cynthia Randolph Thirty-seven, with a sensitive, attractive, but faintly tragic face. |
| Nicholas Randolph Thirty-five, attractive, but not conventionally good-looking. Their Grandchildren |
| Hugh Randolph Twenty-three, very nice-looking. |
| Gwen (Flouncy) Harvey Twelve, golden-curled, plump and affected. |
| William (Bill) Harvey About ten, a nice-looking little boy. |
| Kathleen (Scrap) Kenton Small, thin, rather peaky-looking, about nine, with a very shy manner. |
| Belle Schlessinger Their sister-in-law, small, trim, very fashionably dressed. |
| Edna Randolph Hugh’s mother, forty-five, handsome and very smart. |
| Laurel Randolph Hugh’s wife, twenty-two, a very lovely, fair girl. |
| Kenneth Harvey Margery’s husband, forty-five, pleasant-looking and stoutish. |
| Grace (Fenny) Fenning Dora’s companion, twenty-nine, slender and unobtrusively pretty, with a pleasant, unaffected manner. |
| Nanny Patching A nurse, sixty-two, comfortable-looking. |
| Gertrude A parlourmaid, fifty, heavily-built. |
| Charles Randolph Seventy-five, a very handsome old man. |
Publication
Dear Octopus is a comedy play written by Dodie Smith and published by Samuel French .
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Performance Rights
Available for Licensing
Amateur Only
Fee: Minimum Fee: $110 per performance
Restrictions: Major Markets Only (US) / Standard Restriction (UK)
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