Also the name of a hilarious play by
Peter Shaffer who is famous for having written
Amadeus and
Equus. As the play opens, we hear Brinsley Miller and his girlfriend Carol walking around their living room, getting things ready for their
guests who will be arriving shortly. They move around with confidence, adjusting things, and rearranging the room to be more
stylish. The only catch is, the stage is
pitch black. Suddenly, a
fuse blows, and the lights come on, except now Brinsley and Carol are blind, the fuse having blown all the lights in the room. And so begins a wondefully clever
comedy of errors that switches light and dark: whenever the characters can see, the stage is dark, whenever they can't, the stage is lit. More than just a clever
premise, the play offers a
commentary on the state of
contemporary art and
social conventions.
On a personal note, this is probably the funniest play I have ever seen or acted in. I played Brinsley (the lead) in a high school production and the three performances we did were definitely not enough... the whole cast wanted to keep on doing it!! One note of caution: the play requires a lot of physical comedy, so expect to be very bruised, slapped, and wet by the time the play is over. Also, it seems as if Shaffer has written three versions of the play, so check them all out to see the various changes he has made.