Look Back In Anger

• Jimmy Porter – Michael Sheen
• Alison Porter – Claire Skinner
• Cliff Lewis – Dominic Rowan
• Helena Charles – Hermione Norris
• Colonel Redfern – Philip Bowen

Act I
It is a dismal Sunday afternoon in Jimmy and Alison’s cramped attic in the English Midlands. Jimmy and Cliff are trying to read the Sunday papers and the radical weekly as Jimmy snaps, claiming it from Cliff. Alison tries to do the week’s ironing and is only half listening as Jimmy and Cliff launch into the expository dialogue.

It becomes apparent that a great social gulf yawns between Jimmy and Alison. Her family is upper middle class military, perhaps verging on upper class, while Jimmy is decidedly working class. He had to campaign hard against her family’s disapproval. As he puts it: “Alison’s mummy and I took one look at each other, and from then on the age of chivalry was dead.” Also, the sole family income is earned with sweets stall at the local market – an enterprise which is well beneath Jimmy’s education, let alone Alison’s station.

As Act 1 unfolds, Jimmy becomes increasingly vituperative, transferring his contempt for Alison’s family to her, calling her pusillanimous and generally belittling her. The argument gets rough, with the ironing board being overturned and Alison’s arm burned. Jimmy exits to play his trumpet off stage.

Alison and Cliff play a tender scene, during which she confides him that she has accidentally become pregnant and cannot bring herself to tell Jimmy. Cliff urges her to tell him. When Jimmy returns, Alison announces that her actress friend Helena Charles is coming to stay, and it is obvious that Jimmy despises Helena even more than Alison. He flies into a rage, and conflict is inevitable.

Act II
Another Sunday afternoon, with Helena and Alison making lunch. Alison gives a clue as to why she took Jimmy on: her rebellion against her upbringing, plus her admiration of Jimmy’s campaigns against the dereliction of English post-war, post-atom bomb life. She describes Jimmy to Helena as a knight in shining armour. Helena tells her firmly that “You’ve got to fight him.”

Jimmy enters, and the tirade continues. When the women put on hats and say that they will go to church, Jimmy’s sense of betrayal peaks. When he leaves to take an urgent phone call, Helena announces that she has forced the issue by sending telegram to Alison’s parents, asking them to come and rescue her. Alison is stunned, but agrees that she will go.

Alison’s father, Colonel Redfern, has come to take her back to the family home. Although sympathetic, the Colonel is, as he admits himself, out of touch with the modern world. “You’re hurt because everything’s changed,” Alison tells him, “and Jimmy’s hurt because everything’s stayed the same.”
Helena arrives to say good-bye, intending soon to leave herself. Alison is surprised that Helena is staying on for another day, but she leaves, giving Cliff a note for Jimmy. Cliff then hands it to Helena and leaves, saying, “I hope he rams it up your nostrils.” Almost immediately, Jimmy bursts in. His contempt at finding a farewell note makes him turn on Helena again, warning her to keep out of his way until she leaves. Helena then tells him that Alison is expecting, to which Jimmy admits being grudgingly surprised. His tirades continue, however. They come to blows, then as the curtain falls, Jimmy and Helena are kissing passionately and falling on the bed.

Act III
In a replay of Act I, Helena at the ironing-board is wearing the red shirt Jimmy wore in Act I. Months have passed. Jimmy is notably more pleasant to Helena than he was to Alison earlier. She actually laughs at his jokes, and the three of them – Jimmy, Cliff and Helena – get into a music hall comedy routine which clearly is not improvised. Cliff announces that he has decided to strike out on his own. As Jimmy leaves the room to get ready for a final night out for the three of them, he opens the door to find Alison, looking like death. Instead of caring for her, he snaps over his shoulder “Friend of yours to see you” and leaves.

Alison explains to Helena that she has lost the baby – in one of his cruelest Act I speeches, Jimmy wished for Alison to conceive a child and lose it – the two women reconcile, but Helena realises that what she has done is immoral and in turn decides to leave. She summons Jimmy to hear her decision and he lets her go with a sarcastic farewell.

The play ends with a sentimental reconciliation between Jimmy and Alison. They revive an old game they used to play, pretending to be bears and squirrels, and seem to have reached a truce.

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