Rumours

The British version of Neil Simon’s play was first presented at Chichester Festival Theatre on 1st August 1990. This riotously funny farce centres on the efforts of eight party guests to spare their unfortunate host and themselves, from scandal. Ken and Chris arrive at the party to find their host Charley, a prominent Government official, in his bedroom, too dazed to speak, with a bullet wound in his ear lobe. His wife, Vivian is nowhere to be seen. Len and Claire arrive, having been injured in a car crash and are soon joined by Ernest and Cookie, then Glenn and Cassie, each with their own problems. Following a second accidental gunshot that leaves Ken temporarily deaf, the police arrive. Len, pretending to be Charley, concocts a touching and fantastic explanation that in the end proves more credible than they dared hope.