Out of Order

by Ray Cooney

When Richard Willey, a government junior minister, plans to spend the evening with Jane Worthington, one of the opposition's typists, things go disastrously wrong in this hugely successful sequel to Two into One.

Genres: Theatre, Plays

150 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute British sex farce.
I was in it at Circa 21 Dinner Theatre.
The audiences laughed. I got hit with the window too often.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very funny play about a government minister whose seemingly infinite capacity to improvise his way through the consequences of his shenanigans is massively tested. He's meeting a secretary for a dalliance in a hotel, when the affair is interrupted by the discovery of a man, trapped when the hotel window came crashing down on his neck. Richard decides to try to hide the body and calls in his assistant to help. A hilarious farce ensues. I would love to try to stage this, but it would depend on massively skilled physical comedians and a window prop that would work to perfection (and never injure any actors in the process!)

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still enjoy Mr Cooney’s sense of humor and desire to setup & use plenty of physical schtick.

However, some of the material is just outdated or implausible now. I’m trying RUN FOR MY WIFE next to see if it Can work in modern times.

[Julian Munds · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very much a well constructed farce, and would be a wonder to see staged. It's an impossible read but it's not meant to be read.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic, hilarious bedroom farce with a slamming window!

[presi! · Rating 4 out of 5]

does it count that i read it if i saw it at the theatre aka the way god intented plays to be read?

you can take mr willey out of the funi but not the funi out of mr willey

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny but not my favorite thing. Pretty standard farce fare.

[Annie Yang-Perez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Farce is just not my cup of tea