The White Liars
by Peter Shaffer

Name: The White Liars
Brand: Peter Shaffer
SKU: 9780573606120
Rating: 3.68 (62 reviews)

The White Liars Book Cover — The White Liars Cover

Highlights

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Male

One Act30 mins1960sInterior SetComedy

Synopsis

The White Liars depicts a fateful encounter between a down-and-out fortune teller, a rock musician, and his agent.

The agent bribes Baroness Lemberg to fake some hocus-pocus over a crystal ball, ostensibly to discourage the musician from pursuing his girlfriend.

The trickery entangles each of them in a dense web of mendacity.

Published in tandem with Black Comedy

Press Reviews

"Farce with a capital F."
— Christian Science Monitor

"A tour de force."
— New York Newsday

"A lot of fun."
— The New Yorker

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
BRINDSLEY MILLER a young sculptor, mid twenties, intelligent and attractive, but nervous and uncertain of himself.	—	—	a young sculptor, mid twenties, intelligent and attractive, but nervous and uncertain of himself.
CAROL MELKETT(Brindsley's fiancee) Brindsley's fiancee. A young debutante; very pretty, very spoiled; very silly. Her sound is that unmistaktable, terrifing debutante quack.	female	—	Brindsley's fiancee. A young debutante; very pretty, very spoiled; very silly. Her sound is that unmistaktable, terrifing debutante quack.
MISS FURNIVAL a middle-aged lady. Prissy and refined. Clad in the blouse and sack shirt of her gentility, her hair in a bun, her voice in a bun, she reveals only the repressed gestures of the middle-class spinster -- until alcohol undoes her.	female	—	a middle-aged lady. Prissy and refined. Clad in the blouse and sack shirt of her gentility, her hair in a bun, her voice in a bun, she reveals only the repressed gestures of the middle-class spinster -- until alcohol undoes her.
COLONEL MELKETT Carol's commanding father. Brisk, barky, yet given to sudden vocal calms which suggest a deep alarming instability. It is not only the constant darkness which gives him his look of wide-eyed submission.	male	—	Carol's commanding father. Brisk, barky, yet given to sudden vocal calms which suggest a deep alarming instability. It is not only the constant darkness which gives him his look of wide-eyed submission.
HAROLD GORRINGE(Brindsley's neighbor) the bachelor owner of an antique-china shop, and Brindsley's neighbor, Harold comes from the North of England. His friendship is highly conditional and pssesive: sooner or later, payment for it will be asked. A specialist in emotional blackmail, he can become hysterical when slighted, or (as inevitably happens) rejected. He is older than Brindsley by several years.	male	—	the bachelor owner of an antique-china shop, and Brindsley's neighbor, Harold comes from the North of England. His friendship is highly conditional and pssesive: sooner or later, payment for it will be asked. A specialist in emotional blackmail, he can become hysterical when slighted, or (as inevitably happens) rejected. He is older than Brindsley by several years.
SCHUPPANZIGH a German refugee, chubby, cultivated, and effervescent. He is an entirely happy man, delighted to be in England, even if it means being employed full time by the London Electricity Board.	male	—	a German refugee, chubby, cultivated, and effervescent. He is an entirely happy man, delighted to be in England, even if it means being employed full time by the London Electricity Board.
CLEA Brindsley's ex-mistress. Mid-twenties; dazzling, emotional, bright, and mischevious. The challenge to her is to create a dramatic situation out of the darkness is ultimately irresistable.	female	—	Brindsley's ex-mistress. Mid-twenties; dazzling, emotional, bright, and mischevious. The challenge to her is to create a dramatic situation out of the darkness is ultimately irresistable.
GEORG BAMBERGER an elderly millionaire art collector, easily identifiable as such. Like Schuppanzigh, he is German.	male	—	an elderly millionaire art collector, easily identifiable as such. Like Schuppanzigh, he is German.