Set in the 1970’s and late ‘80’s in England’s midlands, Vera, a hairdresser with a penchant for Sinatra and romance, urges her stick-in-the-mud son Freddy to let go of his passion to study Shakespeare and pursue a career in medicine. When Vera falls terminally ill, a grateful Freddy learns that Dr. Hogan, a lusty ex-paramour of Vera’s, has alleviated her suffering, providing her with a gentle death by morphine. Inspired by Dr. Hogan’s noble action in euthanizing his suffering mother, Freddy honors both Vera and her doctor by pursuing a career in medicine, with a sub-specialty in mercy killing. But Vera’s ghost is restless and asks Freddy to investigate how noble Dr. Hogan’s act of mercy actually was.
SYNOPSIS
Here I set out to write a serious play about euthanasia and the ethical issues that surround it. But having written my share of serious plays, it felt time to see if I could write a comedy. This is a story whose genesis is (not exactly) “ripped from the headlines” – Harold Shipman was an English GP who murdered about 250 of his patients. He committed suicide without talking about his reasons. My step-mother was English, and I spent a lot of time in England both as a family member and a professional amongst a wide range of social classes. I have always enjoyed Martin McDonagh and Charles Busch and here was my effort in honoring the genre. This play does not pretend to have a position on euthanasia, it is intended as a romp.
BACKGROUND ON THE PLAY
Claudia Horace – A wealthy matron, early 70’s
Vera Cooper – A hairdresser, late 30’s
Freddy Cooper – Vera’s son, a student and a doctor, ages 17 and 32
Martin Hogan – A doctor, mid 40’s and 60ish
The Warden – A Warden, middle aged
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
The play takes place in Vera’s living room, Freddy’s office, and a prison cell.
