The Foreigner

by Larry Shue

What does a shy Englishman in search of rest do when he visits a fishing lodge in Georgia? In Larry Shue's hilarious farce, Charlie Baker, a proofreader by day and boring husband by night, adopts the persona of a foreigner who doesn't understand English. When others begin to speak freely around him, he not only becomes privy to secrets both dangerous and frivolous, he also discovers an adventurous extrovert within himself.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, Humor, Fiction, Comedy

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4-1/2 stars

I wish I’d started on a day when I could have read the entire play in one day. I was able to read Act 1 one day and Act 2 the next day and that worked well enough. It’s a quick read.

The print in my (this) edition is so tiny that it did slow me down a bit. It was hard for me to read. This edition does have illustrations at the end, of the stage set and of a special effect.

Thanks to a recommendation and some urging from GR friend Caroline, I finally read this very funny and entertaining play. I’m so glad that I got to it, eventually.

I chortled my way through it and there were a few times I burst into laughter. It was fun to read. I found it to be wickedly funny, smart, and witty. Uplifting too! I had a couple issues with the ending and enjoyed the first act more than the second, but overall it has a wonderful resolution, with an extra twist at the end. It’s mostly a very silly story but it’s smart, and there is also seriousness and a lot of heart. Especially in the first act it reminded me a bit of The Importance of Being Earnest, and that is high praise since it’s probably my favorite play.

It looks as though at least one full-length (high school) performance of the play and excerpts from at least one professional production are available to watch online. It’s tempting to watch it/some of it. I’d love to see it performed.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I began to read this play I thought it seemed very familiar, then it clicked, and I realized I had seen it acted out in person. In fact, I saw it at our local community college in the fall of 2018. The cast did a good job then, and I have enjoyed reading it again now, five years later.

From Larry Shue's Production Notes:

"Speaking of villains, let there be no such thing as "comedy villains" here. Our malefactors must be, within the style of the play, the real thing - obsessive, cunning, and dangerous. They will be funny, but only if they can first make us recoil."

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ultimate I-laughed-so-hard-I-cried read. The characters here are outlandish and lovable, and it's even funnier performed, if that's possible. "The Foreigner" is a hidden gem that should be shelved right alongside The Importance of Being Earnest.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. While it didn't have the subtlety and complexity of some plays, it functions well as what it is - a very funny story of a man caught in an awkward situation who discovers himself capable of more than he imagined. Straightforward in its presentation, Shue nevertheless handles the elements of this play with skill, creating a fast-paced, engaging, and entertaining comedy that is worth the read and would be lots of fun to see performed.

[Tomislav · Rating 4 out of 5]

21 January 2009 - ****. I read a Dramatists Play Service playbook. I've seen productions by both the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater over the years, and enjoyed it. It’s a hilarious play that premiered in 1983, that I know well. The main character is Charlie Baker, who, while on a vacation in a Southern hunting lodge, pretends to be some vague sort of Slav who does not understand English, so as to be left alone. His plan backfires and he is soon the confidant of everyone there. I was reading Charlie's lines out loud to my spouse, who has seen it with me. Well, it probably did help to remember the slowed and exaggerated accents the actors had used to teach Charlie “English.” Faw-werk (fork). Lay-ump (lamp).

Blasny, blasny.

[Denise Goodkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have seen this play twice, by two different professional companies and loved it both times; but reading the script turned out to be even better. I found myself howling with laughter, and often the jokes came so fast I'm sure the audience would miss some as the cast would not be able to wait long enough between laughs before going on to the next line.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is much better -- and darker -- than I'd anticipated. It's not a farce, though I read a couple of descriptions that made it sound like one. And thank goodness it's not. It's still funny and at times silly, but pretty down to earth.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a comedy, there are two polarizing tones at play and very little jokes.

[Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.75/5
Recommendation: See it live if you ever have the opportunity, but if not then give it a read

I've seen this play (twice I think?) and it's hilarious to watch! I'm excessively critical when it comes to comedies, so the fact I gave this five stars is a huge deal. I will admit, after having seen it live, reading it wasn't quite as good, as I personally feel it relies a lot on the physical and vocal comedy. Nevertheless, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read. It's probably the best comedic play I've seen or read to date.

[Maleigha Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.0

Read for English class

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny play with some good characters and a nice premise.

I was bothered a bit at how plainly bad the bad guys were and fully good the good guys were and so there is no ambiguity. Plus the play misses a couple of the ideas it opened up dealing with making up for the regrets in one's life.

This being said, the play is quite funny (even with the obvious jokes), characters are sympathetic, and I enjoyed reading it.

[Jesse Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun play to read! The Comedy really picks up in Act II. I don’t know how you’d make the technical effects realistic, but I’m sure some theater magic could accomplish anything. The dialogue has some brilliant comedic moments.

[Hanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The funniest thing I've both read and seen in a long time! Quick, brilliantly constructed, yummy characters and a happy ending. Several good monologues, too!

[Brian McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just plain funny. Can this show even be done today?

[Martin Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1983, The Foreigner tells the story of Charlie Baker, a painfully shy fellow from England who has come to a remote town in rural Georgia for some R&R. His wife (whose indifference to him has been marked by a prodigious number of affairs with other men) is dying; he despairs of losing her and also that he does not seem to have a personality. His friend Froggy LeSueur, a British military man on assignment in America, has found him this restful spot and, to ensure that no one bothers him, has told the proprietress Betty Meeks that Charlie is a foreigner and neither speaks nor understands a word of English.

Betty, a cheery if not-too-bright elderly lady, is thrilled at the prospect of having a gen-u-wine foreigner at her inn, and quickly takes to the quiet young fellow. Soon, she's convinced that she and Charlie have developed a special way of communicating with one another (she's positive that she taught him his first words of English, "Thank You," his reflexive response to a proffered cup of coffee). The lodge's other residents--Catherine Simms, a pretty young heiress who is engaged to a patient, smooth-talking reverend named David Marshall Lee, and her somewhat dull-witted brother, Ellard--join the Charlie bandwagon, too. "You're such a good listener," Catherine tells the silent Charlie; Ellard, who will lose his share of the family inheritance unless he proves to Catherine that he's intelligent, finds that he is able to rapidly "teach" Charlie how to talk and read, with the latter "mastering" Shakespeare within hours.

As for Charlie himself, the new persona fits better than he ever imagined. He finds himself developing that elusive personality, as he learns his new made-up tongue, falls in love with Catherine, and devises a heroic plan to save her, Betty, and Ellard from the Ku Klux Klan. Sure, it's a little improbable, but it's great fun and also very sweet.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

We love a good farce! Funny plot, funny characters, funny all around -- if done RIGHT. A little worried about how my director will handle the characters who are MEMBERS OF THE KU KLUX KLAN... a little worried about that. I'm sure if I saw a regional or national theatre production of this play I would love it, I just am not entirely certain I would love it at the high school level. Not really sure how this is gonna go...

[liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story and it was funny, though probably much funnier when acted out. It was a super quick read—I read the whole thing in like an hr and a half maybe? I wish it was longer, but I know it was written for the stage.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riot, and a very pleasant surprise. Has a lot of heart, some true tension, and if it sells out some of its moral ambiguity towards the end it saves itself by being so damn funny.

[Patricia L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our book club read The Foreigner at our last meeting. It was so fun.
Our readers were hand picked for their experiences which brought further depth to the already deep and hilarious
writing.

[Yonni Georgoulis]

My first college play I acted in :)

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on a script reading committee for a local theater group and this was recommended. Fun, but it seems a bit dated.

[Nomad nimrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm, winning, hilarious play, empathetic to all its fully-formed and downright lovable protagonists, and still relevant (unfortunately) in terms of its xenophobic villains. Blasny, blasny!

[Gena Lott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute hoot!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't seen this in 20+ years. But reading it, performing in it, in this current climate, I appreciate this script even more.

[Gabie (OwlEyesReviews) · Rating 1 out of 5]

What did I just read?

I read this for a class and I'm really interested in seeing what kind of conversation is going to come out of this one because I absolutely hated it.

[KennyO · Rating 3 out of 5]

What are people like in their unguarded moments? How candidly would they converse if they were confident that no one nearby could understand their talk? Larry Shue explores this cleverly and deftly in The Foreigner. Having seen this play long ago, with Steve Vinovich starring, I was intrigued at coming upon this during a search for something else. When I later took an evening to read it much of the production I'd seen came back to mind. It was fun to compare the printed word with my memory of the performance, especially that of the portrayal of and interaction among characters. If you're one for reading plays this is a good one, unless you require dark moods or deep meaning. This is lighter fare.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny play about a glum Englishman deposited by his friend in a backwater Georgia lodge for a holiday. Through a misunderstanding, the people there think he can't speak English, and because of this, some of them start babbling evil secrets to him, a young woman unburdens herself of the doubts about her love life, and a young man thought to be dense by others discovers his gifts for "teaching" English. Hilarity ensues.

I enjoyed this, but can't help but wonder if it's a little dated. Can you put the KKK in a comedy, even if they are the inept villains of the piece? This would have to be well directed and acted, or it could easily slip into offensiveness.

[Libroslibra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this a couple of times and had the blessing/curse of seeing a production of it recently at a local theater. The characters are cartoonish, yes, but that's because Shue was lampooning the stereotypes as well as the ridiculous nature of hate groups such as the one represented in the play. BTW, in my experience, a Southerner would never actually say "The Klan." If anything were said at all, which by and large it wouldn't be, one might say "Kluxers."

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read, but I imagine better to watch. It moves quickly, which is usually good, but sometimes I felt in this case things were being rushed. "That escalated quickly" doesn't even begin to cover the ending. All that said, the characters are lovable and funny, the premise solid, and the conclusion both surprising and satisfying (mostly).