Latin! or Tobacco and Boys
Encyclopedia
Latin! or Tobacco and Boys is a play by Stephen Fry
, written in 1979. It was first performed at 'The Playroom', an L-shaped space in St Edwards Passage that belonged to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
. It is about life at the fictional Chartham Park Preparatory School For Boys, a prep school
in England
, and ends up in Morocco
, via an illicit affair.
'. When the audience sits, the play starts. Dominic addresses the students (played by the audience), and after yelling at them, starts teaching, until Brookshaw enters. After the students have left the room, Brookshaw explains to Dominic that he was merit-adding (see below) (taking over for the headmaster while he was sick) and noticed that Cartwright had gained an enormous amount of merits, and that Dominic was marrying the headmaster's daughter because she saw him doing it. Brookshaw then explains that he knows the reason for the adding of the points. It turns out that Dominic had been taking Cartwright for 'extra Latin periods' in which Dominic would engage in sexual liaison with the 13 year old Cartwright. Dominic admits to this and says that making love with Cartwright was the only satisfaction for Dominic's want to remain young. Brookshaw says that he won't tell anyone about the illicit affair if firstly, Dominic sends all of his naughty students to Brookshaw, instead of the headmaster, to be beaten. And secondly, that Dominic would beat him for two days a week with a wet towel and other curious objects. When the students' CE's come, Cartwright's score is curiously high amidst the mediocrity of everybody else in his class. Later Brookshaw says that Cartwright's test paper had been corrected by a foreign hand that is Dominic's and Dominic is forced to leave the school. Later, when Brookshaw is the makeshift headmaster while the headmaster is sick, he reads a letter to the assembly from Ghanim Ibn Mahmud (Dominic) and Abu Hassan Basim (Cartwright). It turns out that Dominic and Cartwright have become Islam and now live in Morocco, and Dominic has adopted Cartwright. After the assembly, Brookshaw starts writing a letter back, and the play ends.
's earlier writings. This type of writing is also seen in Fry's book, The Liar
Mark Cook of 'Time Out' Magazine said that it was a 'chuckle provoking piece'. Whereas Kieron Quirke of The Observer said that it was a play written by 'a clever 22-year old seeing how many times he can say bum and still be taken seriously'.
, The Cock Tavern Theatre
in Kilburn
, and The Everyman Theatre in Canberra, not to be confused with the Everyman Theatre
in Liverpool.
, then a fellow undergraduate. It was directed by Simon Cherry, with Stephen Fry
playing Dominic Clarke, and John Davies, a law undergraduate at Cambridge
, playing Herbert Brookshaw. It won the Fringe First prize.
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
, written in 1979. It was first performed at 'The Playroom', an L-shaped space in St Edwards Passage that belonged to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
. It is about life at the fictional Chartham Park Preparatory School For Boys, a prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and ends up in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, via an illicit affair.
Central/semi-Central Characters
- Dominic Clarke: a young LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
teacher/schoolmaster in his mid-twenties. A character known for his 'sharp voice when teaching, but younger one when engaged in normal conversation'. - Herbert Brookshaw: a teacher/schoolmaster in his late fifties.
- Rupert Cartwright: a semi-central character, a student in Dominic's Latin class.
Other Students in Dominic's Latin class
- Barton-Mills
- Catchpole
- Elwyn-Jones
- Figgis
- Harvey-Williams
- Hoskins (deceased)
- Hughes
- Kinnock
- Madison
- Potter
- Smethwick
- Spragg
- Standfast
- Whitwell
Plot
While the audience is walking in a teacher (Dominic) is marking exercise books 'with three different coloured birosBallpoint pen
A ballpoint pen is a writing instrument with an internal ink reservoir and a sphere for a point. The internal chamber is filled with a viscous ink that is dispensed at its tip during use by the rolling action of a small sphere...
'. When the audience sits, the play starts. Dominic addresses the students (played by the audience), and after yelling at them, starts teaching, until Brookshaw enters. After the students have left the room, Brookshaw explains to Dominic that he was merit-adding (see below) (taking over for the headmaster while he was sick) and noticed that Cartwright had gained an enormous amount of merits, and that Dominic was marrying the headmaster's daughter because she saw him doing it. Brookshaw then explains that he knows the reason for the adding of the points. It turns out that Dominic had been taking Cartwright for 'extra Latin periods' in which Dominic would engage in sexual liaison with the 13 year old Cartwright. Dominic admits to this and says that making love with Cartwright was the only satisfaction for Dominic's want to remain young. Brookshaw says that he won't tell anyone about the illicit affair if firstly, Dominic sends all of his naughty students to Brookshaw, instead of the headmaster, to be beaten. And secondly, that Dominic would beat him for two days a week with a wet towel and other curious objects. When the students' CE's come, Cartwright's score is curiously high amidst the mediocrity of everybody else in his class. Later Brookshaw says that Cartwright's test paper had been corrected by a foreign hand that is Dominic's and Dominic is forced to leave the school. Later, when Brookshaw is the makeshift headmaster while the headmaster is sick, he reads a letter to the assembly from Ghanim Ibn Mahmud (Dominic) and Abu Hassan Basim (Cartwright). It turns out that Dominic and Cartwright have become Islam and now live in Morocco, and Dominic has adopted Cartwright. After the assembly, Brookshaw starts writing a letter back, and the play ends.
Chartham Merit-adding System
The Chartham merit-adding system is the system in which boys are commended or not commended, and are congratulated or punished as a result. The Chartham merit-adding system is thus, if a boy is good, he gets a merit, if he is very good, he gets a plus, if he gets 3 pluses, he gets 'free tuck' which means that you get free food. Then, if the boy does very well in all fields of school, and shows 'initiative far beyond his age', he gets a star, worth 25 points, and a 5 pound 'tuck' token. The opposites of these things respectively are the demerit, the minus (if a boy gets 3 minuses, the boy gets no tuck at all), and the black hole (-25 points,'offender eats crap, is caned; ritually kicked out by headmaster every morning').Style
The play is known for its sexual explicitness, something of a trait of Stephen FryStephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
's earlier writings. This type of writing is also seen in Fry's book, The Liar
Critical Reception
The play was well received when it first played at the 1980 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and it won the Fringe First prize.Mark Cook of 'Time Out' Magazine said that it was a 'chuckle provoking piece'. Whereas Kieron Quirke of The Observer said that it was a play written by 'a clever 22-year old seeing how many times he can say bum and still be taken seriously'.
Revivals
The play has had many revivals, including one at the Burton Taylor Studio in central OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, The Cock Tavern Theatre
The Cock Tavern Theatre
The Cock Tavern Theatre was a multi-award winning pub theatre located in the heart of Kilburn in the north-west of London. The venue specialised in new works and critical revivals...
in Kilburn
Kilburn
Kilburn is an area of north west London, England, which is divided between three London Boroughs, Brent, Camden, and a small part in Westminster. The main thoroughfare running northwest-southeast is Kilburn High Road, part of the modern A5 road which forms the boundary between the boroughs of Brent...
, and The Everyman Theatre in Canberra, not to be confused with the Everyman Theatre
Everyman Theatre
The Everyman Theatre stands at the north end of Hope Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. Established in 1964 in a former cinema, it encouraged local talent and played a part in the development of new artistes and writers. The theatre was rebuilt between 1975 and 1977, and was closed again for...
in Liverpool.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
For the 1980 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Latin! was performed at Riddles Court, Royal Mile, by the Cambridge University Mummers. The dates were 18-23 and 25–30 August 1980, at 5:15pm, tickets costing 90p. It was part of a double bill, the other play being written by Robert FarrarRobert Farrar
-External links:*...
, then a fellow undergraduate. It was directed by Simon Cherry, with Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
playing Dominic Clarke, and John Davies, a law undergraduate at Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, playing Herbert Brookshaw. It won the Fringe First prize.
External links
- http://www.thinknoevil.com/latin_review.htm. The Reviews
- http://www.edfringe.com/
- http://www.australianstage.com.au/reviews/canberra/latin-or-tobacco-and-boys--everyman-theatre-2657.html
- http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/reviews/theatre/latin.htm
- http://www.cocktaverntheatre.com/
- http://www.stephenfry.com/