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Bullet-proof Pyjamas
A theater play, this is best described as a romantic comedy dealing with different kinds of sexual preference. Four women are in love with the same Russian millionaire, Igor, but he is in love with Carlos, the young gay Spanish private eye he has employed to spy on his young wife whom he suspects of infidelity. Igor maintains a conventional front and feels his wife is compromising his reputation. But behind this outward appearance of respectability, Igor, a tormented man, indulges darker passions. The four women in love with him are Jackie, his wife; her sister Isobel (his ex-fiancee); his secretary Marguerite whose passion for Igor has remained unrequited for five long years; and Igor's confidante, Helga, a Swedish S&M specialist who has, perforce, become a psychotherapist for many of her confused male clientele. The four men involved are two as above Igor and Carlos, plus Jackie's lover Victor, an adman, whose frivolous disposition justifies the label Madman; a gay man, Joe, who runs a military disposal store and who helps Jackie and Victor find the bullet-proof pyjamas of the title; and Horace, hen-pecked husband of Marguerite whom Helga guides towards rebellion. The contrasting and conflicting motivations of these eight people drive them towards a chaotic confrontation out of which a semblance of order emerges. The intention of the play is to amuse by exploring absurdities in the human condition, The emphasis is on dialogue and situation. There is optional, incidental nudity as the play opens, and, in the last scene, a discretely staged sexual encounter that is interrupted by unexpected arrivals. The author claims, as influences, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Restoration dramatists such as Richard Sheridan.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2011
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September 23, 2013AUTHOR’S COMMENT: Actually there is little comment I can make about this farcical comedy except to recommend it to those who regard farce as the highest form of satire – and also to all those who don’t regard it so. By farce I mean, a drama in which human foibles are presented as an absurd but inevitable adjunct to being human. In this play we meet four women who are in love with the same Russian millionaire, but he is in love with the young gay Spanish private eye that he has employed to spy on his young wife whom he suspects of infidelity. By way of introduction, here are the characters who populate this farce.
Jackie Rasumovski: A volatile and attractive young woman who is unashamedly hungry for money and affection not necessarily in that order or from the same source. She is sort of in love with Igor but somewhat frightened of him especially when also in love with another man, which is often.
Igor Rasumovski: A gloomy and self-punitive middle-aged Russian whose financial genius as a corporate takeover merchant has enabled him to restore the family fortune that was lost to communism. His guilt over gay leanings has morphed into need for self-inflicted pain.
Victor: Mid-thirties and handsome in a 1930s matinee idol fashion, as also reflected in his fashion sense. Works in advertising and tends to see life as a package of commodities, but is humorous about his lack of serious intent. He regards problems as part of the small print he neglected to read, and a cause for product return. Currently Jackie’s participatory lover.
Carlos: A young, gay Spaniard, in his twenties, who is articulate in the English language but challenged in its syntax. He is happy about almost everything including his sexuality, but excepting his present employment as a private eye.
Isabel: Jackie’s older sister, but not that much older. Formerly engaged to marry Igor, but became disengaged as she discovered more and more about his private life. Now prefers to sponsor younger impecunious men of artistic aspiration.
Helga: An exceptionally attractive Swedish dominatrix who doubles as informal psychotherapist for her clients, which include Igor, with whom she is also in love, but not so much as to complicate her business. She allows nothing to stand in the way of the expression of her desires and opinions, not even an appallingly inadequate command of spoken English.
Horace: A timid and submissive middle-aged man who has an inner strength and redoubtable fortitude, which he is mostly too polite to reveal. He bears a remarkable resemblance to Donald Pleasance. His marital situation is difficult since he is married to …
Marguerite: A tragic middle-aged woman of striking stature and appearance whose life would be much happier were she not in love with Igor, as whose suffering private secretary she has been slaving for five long years of unrequited
yearning.
Joe: A gay guy who runs an army disposal store. Among his customers are many muscular young men who find military uniforms and accessories to be valued fashion statements. He also caters to the wider public who go camping.
Jackie Rasumovski: A volatile and attractive young woman who is unashamedly hungry for money and affection not necessarily in that order or from the same source. She is sort of in love with Igor but somewhat frightened of him especially when also in love with another man, which is often.
Igor Rasumovski: A gloomy and self-punitive middle-aged Russian whose financial genius as a corporate takeover merchant has enabled him to restore the family fortune that was lost to communism. His guilt over gay leanings has morphed into need for self-inflicted pain.
Victor: Mid-thirties and handsome in a 1930s matinee idol fashion, as also reflected in his fashion sense. Works in advertising and tends to see life as a package of commodities, but is humorous about his lack of serious intent. He regards problems as part of the small print he neglected to read, and a cause for product return. Currently Jackie’s participatory lover.
Carlos: A young, gay Spaniard, in his twenties, who is articulate in the English language but challenged in its syntax. He is happy about almost everything including his sexuality, but excepting his present employment as a private eye.
Isabel: Jackie’s older sister, but not that much older. Formerly engaged to marry Igor, but became disengaged as she discovered more and more about his private life. Now prefers to sponsor younger impecunious men of artistic aspiration.
Helga: An exceptionally attractive Swedish dominatrix who doubles as informal psychotherapist for her clients, which include Igor, with whom she is also in love, but not so much as to complicate her business. She allows nothing to stand in the way of the expression of her desires and opinions, not even an appallingly inadequate command of spoken English.
Horace: A timid and submissive middle-aged man who has an inner strength and redoubtable fortitude, which he is mostly too polite to reveal. He bears a remarkable resemblance to Donald Pleasance. His marital situation is difficult since he is married to …
Marguerite: A tragic middle-aged woman of striking stature and appearance whose life would be much happier were she not in love with Igor, as whose suffering private secretary she has been slaving for five long years of unrequited
yearning.
Joe: A gay guy who runs an army disposal store. Among his customers are many muscular young men who find military uniforms and accessories to be valued fashion statements. He also caters to the wider public who go camping.
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