Episode in the life of an author - One Act Play

Author: Jean Anouilh

One of the most popular French dramatists since World War II, Jean Anouilh {ah-noo-ee'}, born on
23rd June, 1910 in Bordeaux, was sometimes called a mere entertainer. He is the most esteemed
contemporary French dramatist. One of the giants of the modern theatre, his plays have been
translated into many languages and produced all over the world.

Choreography and music are often integrated into his plots; yet a seriousness and a pessimistic
view of life lie beneath his farce and caricature. His protagonists usually reject compromise--and
thus life. The result is either death or a retreat into illusion that becomes untenable. Happy
resolutions are patently like fairy tales. His lovers are usually confronted by insurmountable money
problems because one is poor and the other wealthy. He is a subtle, witty and sardonic writer.

Anouilh's collected works are color titled after the dominant mood of each. His two collections of
Pieces noires, or black plays, include Eurydice (1941), which is a modernization of the Orpheus
legend, and Antigone (1944), an immensely popular and frequently performed modernization of
Sophocles' play set in World War II France. It stresses the grim choice between practical
compromise and unbending idealism. The best of the pink, or lighter, plays are Thieves' Carnival
(1938; Eng. trans., 1952) and Time Remembered (1939; Eng. trans., 1955). The witty pieces
brillantes, or glittering plays, include Ring Round the Moon (1947; Eng. trans., 1950), Colombe
(1951; Eng. trans., 1952), and The Rehearsal (1950; Eng. trans., 1961). The pieces grincantes, or
grating plays, return to the caustic earlier mood and include four devastating comedies: Ardele
(1949; Eng. trans., 1959), The Waltz of the Toreadors (1952; Eng. trans., 1956), Ornifle (1955; Eng.
trans., 1970), and Poor Bitos, or The Masked Dinner (1956; Eng. trans., 1963).

Episode in the life of an author is an excellent example of his individualistic style that is
eminently entertaining and irresistibly theatrical. It is humorous in its absurdity and its challenges
the traditional notions of plot, character development and resolution of conflict. It has characters
who enter, leave and enter again as they seek order in their lives from the art of author. They seem
depended on him to rescue them for the turmoil of their lives. Some are green with envy of the
earlier character which the author created because they live in a play they have ordered. In this
sense, they want him to write a story of their lives and, indeed, the play can be seen as the struggle
an author goes through as a piece is written. It is as absurd drama.

The play has thirteen characters and requires little by way sets and costumes except false noses for
everybody. It is an experimental play.

The language is simple and readily accessible to everyone. It challenges our ideas of order in the
world and in our everyday lives. The play authenticates the view that the primary function of the
theatre is entertainment.

The theatre of the Absurd

The theatre of the Absurd is an experimental theatrical style which came into prominence after
World War II in the woks of writers such as Samuel Becket, jean Genet etc. Many absurdist plays
contain grotesque (ugly) and ludicrous (comical) elements. By the term ‘Absurd’ as applied to this
moment carries the sense given to it by the thinkers. All these writers feel that man is “Out of
Harmony” and man always finds himself in exile in a meaningless universe. The term ‘Absurd’ is
also applied to the modern sense of human purposelessness in the universe without meaning or
value.

The “Theatre of the Absurd” is a term coined by Hungarian-born critic Martin Esslin, who made it
the title of his 1962 book on the subject. The term refers to a particular type of play which first
became popular during the 1950s and 1960sand which presented on stage the philosophy
articulated by French philosopher Albert Camus in his 1942 essay, The Myth of Sisyphus, in which
he defines the human condition as basically meaningless

One of the most important aspects of absurd drama is its distrust of language as a means of
communication. Language, it seems to say, has become nothing but a vehicle for conventionalized,
stereotyped, meaningless exchanges. Dr. Culik explains, “Words failed to express the essence of

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human experience, not being able to penetrate beyond its surface. The Theatre of the Absurd
constituted first and foremost an onslaught on language, showing it as a very unreliable and
insufficient tool of communication. Absurd drama uses conventionalised speech, clichés, slogans
and technical jargon, which it distorts, parodies and breaks down. By ridiculing conventionalised
and stereotyped speech patterns, the Theatre of the Absurd tries to make people aware of the
possibility of going beyond everyday speech conventions and communicating more authentically.”

Farce: A sub- genre of the “Theatre of the Absurd”; Farce is a type of comedy designed to provoke
laughter. It commonly employs highly exaggerated or caricatured types of characters, put tem into
improbable and ludicrous situation and makes use of broad verbal humour, physical bustle etc.

Summary
The author and his wife Ardele are having a furious argument at the beginning of the play. They
appear in dressing gowns early in the morning in the author’s study. The entire play takes in the
author’s study. There are thirteen characters in total. Everybody comes to the author, expecting
him to do something about it. From the beginning till the end we see the author in his dressing
gown and he spends the entire time in his study.

The author and his wife Ardele have been married for twelve years. They seem to be arguing about
a letter that the author came across in the wife’s closet. The letter was addressed as “My own love”
and the author accuses his wife of having an affair. The author presumes that the letter must be
written by a man because the letter seems to address from a masculine perspective. She accuses
the husband of rummaging through her drawers and her cupboards, and humiliating her. Ardele
tells her husband that she wants to go back to her mother; the author reminds her that her mother
died in 1922. Ardele accuses him of making her miserable by reminding of her mother’s death. She
even tells him that she will go and live with her illiterate sister. She tells him that he must be happy
to get rid if her, so that he can go and be unfaithful to her. Slowly, Ardele twists the situation to her
advantage and accuses him of waiting for an opportunity to have an affair.

The first visitor to the house is Madame Bessarabo, who has come from Rumania. She is a journalist
and is accompanied by a photographer. She has come to interview the author about his play La
Marguerite and his opinion of love. She assures him that she will be true to his words and will not
betray him. La Marguerite was staged in Rumania and had three successful shows. The press and
the people were in unanimous agreement that it was a great play. However, the press and the
people also felt that the play was bit hard and that is why she wants to know what the author
thought of love. The author tells her that the title of the play is ambiguous.

The second visitors are the two plumbers. They have come to check the leak and repair the leak in
the house. They inform the author that they will check in the attic first and move down. After
sometime, the maid comes in to inform the author that the plumbers would like to cut off the water
supply.

The caller is a woman, who calls over the phone. She has dialed the number Jasmine one two one
two, and seems to be looking for her ex-husband, Leon. She asks the author if he is Leon. The
author replies that he is not. The woman wants to talk to her husband regarding a flat. She wants
him to look for a flat for her because she will have to vacate her old place. The woman again calls
the author the second time and enquires why her husband is not on the line.

There is another caller and he is the author’s friend Gustave. He is a writer as well. It seems
Gustave is having difficulty coming up with an appropriate ending for his play. His play is about a
woman with the boas, a beautiful woman who falls in love with a man in a train. It seems Paul Zed,
a producer has bought his play and wants to make it into a movie. Liliane Tresor had agreed to play
the part of a beautiful woman. On second thought, the actress had refused because she does not
want to die in the end. Moreover, the producer had asked him to change the ending and make it
into a happy ending. The friend is frustrated and says that since he is the writer he can do what he
likes with it. He says, “Is life supposed to be a picnic?” The author is busy with the interview but the
friend expects him to solve his problem.

There is another visitor and she is the author’s mother. The mother also appears bearing her
problem and expects her son to solve her problem. There is a bit of confrontation between the

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mother and the son. The mother wants the author to look for a flat for her, since she may have to
give up her old flat in case she loses the lawsuit. The author makes his mother sit down and places
a paper in her hands, and tells her that he has got lot of things to do.

The author again talks to Madame B. He states that he believes in Love. Madame B is happy and
immediately wants to send a cable to Rumania. The two plumbers enter the room and check for
any leak in the house. They move about the room in silence and leave through another door
without speaking a word. The author states that man is alone in the world.

The author’s friend Gustave calls again. Gustave tells the author about the new development with
his play. It seems Liliane Tresor; the actress has agreed to die of consumption and not of any other
disease. But the objection has come from the producer now. The producer does not want the
actress to die; instead he wants the actress to join a convent and become a nun in the end. The
producer thinks that death would be a depressing ending. The author again tells his friend that he is
busy and occupied and to call him later.

The next visitor is La Surette. He is a tramp and an ex-soldier. Just a week ago, the author had
given him seven thousand francs. Now he has come with another demand. He wants a pair of
boots, and money to pay for the gas company. We are also made known that during the war; La
Surette had helped the author. He had lent his bayonet to the author in time for the parade as the
author had misplaced his. Therefore, the author was saved from being court martialled. On this
small favour that La Surette had done to the author, he wants many more favours from the author.
The author refuses to give any more money to him, but on second thought helps him.

The woman calls again for the third time.

Ardele appears again to ask the author who will look after the cats when she’s gone. She has
changed her clothes into and outdoor one and is wearing an outrageous hat. She accuses the
author of being heartless because he says that the cats will be looked after by the maid. She tells
him that she is leaving and that the cats are miaowing because she is leaving.

There is another visitor to the author’s house. It is the housing inspector. He has come to check on
the author. The interview is still continuing when they are disturbed by the housing inspector. The
housing inspector is wearing black dress and informs the author that he has a requisition order for
surplus accommodation. The housing inspector keeps taking notes. He asks Madame B, if she is a
family. She says no. The housing inspector writes “Premises occupied by foreign émigrés”. He
notices the photographer also and enquires if the photographer is also one of the families. He
furiously takes notes. After that he declares that the author will get tenant in his house, brigadier
with eight children. Ardele goes near the housing inspector and informs him that she is leaving and
he can send in some other families as well.

At that moment the mother interrupts. She has come across an advertisement about a flat and asks
the author’s opinion regarding the flat. When the housing inspector hears this, he again takes
notes. The author tells his mother to keep quiet. At that moment, La Surette interjects by saying
that gas can wait but he needs the boots immediately.

The housing inspector interrogates the author about the first floor, second floor and the third floor.
The author finishes telling the inspector that there is no third floor. At that moment, the plumbers
come bounding in and tells that the leak is in the two empty rooms on the third floor, and that it
runs rights across some more rooms and ends in a big room with toy solders. The inspector is
excited and he goes up the stairs to check. The author is dismayed when the inspector goes up the
staircase.

La Surette again intervenes and tells the author how he had helped the author during the war. The
author hurls his boots to La Surette. La Surette immediately puts on the boots and talks about
dignity.

The mother again bugs him about the flat.

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Ardele accuses the author of having an affair and demands to know the name of the woman. The
author is confounded. He has no idea what his wife is talking about. She accuses her husband of
looking for an excuse to have an affair. She tells him “why should you choose today to discover I’m
deceiving you unless you’re deceiving me?” The author holds her arms and tells her to keep calm.
She again shouts at him saying he is physically molesting her.
La Surette again pokes his head through the door and asks the author what the author has decided
about the gas.

The author tells everybody to keep calm. At that moment, the woman calls again. The author tells
her that he is Leon and why shouldn’t he be Leon. The woman tells him that she needs to look for a
flat. Immediately he tells his mother to talk to the woman about the flat. The mother talks to this
woman on the phone. It is quite comical to see the two women talking. Both of them have no idea
and there is so much of confusion. Each one thinks that the other one has a flat. The mother is
excited with the prospect of finding a flat and flies out of the door. When one visitor leaves the
house, another comes in by the name of Gontran. Gontran is a giant of a man. He has come with
some problems. It seems he left his wife Lucienne three months ago for another woman. But now
he is agitated because when he calls up his wife, there is no response from his wife. He doubts that
his wife must be having an affair. It is quite comical see this giant man, crying for his wife. He says
“She’s deceiving me, old man; she’s been deceiving me ever since I left her!” .He begins to sob like
a child and faints in the author’s arm.

Meanwhile, we see Ardele creating havoc with the vases in the house. She goes on a rampage,
breaks down the vases and pulls down pictures and laughs hysterically.

The author yells on the top of his voice saying “let’s be calm”.

His friend dials again and hangs up the phone in anger because the author tells him to call again
later. He has called again to tell the author about the brilliant ending he came up with.

As the author hangs up the phone, Ardele comes accusing him. She accuses him if he was talking to
his girlfriend. When the author goes into the kitchen, she calls up the telephone operator and
enquires about the last caller. The operator gives the woman’s number. Here is another comical
scene. We hear Ardele talking to this unknown woman and accusing her of trying to steal her
husband. The woman in turn accuses Ardele of trying to steal her husband. They go on accusing
each other.

While the two women are fighting over the phone, we see the author dragging La Surette by the
collar. The author finds La Surette’s behavior with the maid disgusting. He shouts at the maid to
stop crying. In the play, the maid is seen crying from the beginning till the end. Now we know the
reason for her crying. La Surette has not only comforted, but has made the maid pregnant, and that
is why the maid has been crying the whole time. The author tries to calm down and tells everybody
to keep calm.

At that moment Madame B reappears with her photographer. They were in another room the whole
time. When she sees the author in a state she thinks that the author has gone mad. Thus instructs
her photographer to take his picture. The author shouts at her to leave. But she refuses to do so,
instead takes some more of the author’s picture.

This inspector reappears and tells that the author has 12 rooms to spare. He tells the author that he
will install one brigadier and two new recruits in the author’s house. On top of that some old age
pensioners will also be put in the author’s house. The author keeps chanting “I am quite calm. Quite
calm! I am becoming more and more calm” Madame B takes some more of the author’s picture.

The plumbers reappear and shout that everybody has to take cover and take care of oneself. They
say that they have found the leak, but something has gone wrong and there is nothing they can do
about it.

Water starts falling from the ceiling in a deluge. Everybody runs around in a panic. There is again
another caller, and it is the friend. He starts telling the author about the ending of his play.
Meanwhile Ardele enters the room carrying a pistol in her hand and starts shooting blindly. The

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author has to take cover not only from the water cascading from the ceiling, but also from his wife’s
bullet and at the same time trying to protect Gontran’s body. The author interrupts by saying that
he prefers a happy ending. The friend gets angry and shouts at the author saying that a lot of water
will flow under the bridge before her calls the author again. Ardele fires her last bullet and screams.
She is worried that she might have hit her husband. She falls into her husband’s arms and asks him
if he is hurt and faints in her husband’s arms. The woman calls again. The play ends when the
ceiling crashes onto the floor.

Comprehending the text: (Questions and Answers)

Q1. Explain the argument of the letter at the beginning of the play between the Author and Ardele?
Ans. The argument of the letter at the beginning of the play between the Author and Ardele was
that the Author was suspicious about a letter Ardele had received and he was saying that it was not
from her sister but a man had written it because at the end of the latter it was written ‘my own
love’.

Q2. What does Ardele say about her mother and sister?
Ans. Ardele said that the Author is trying to make her more miserable by reminding her that her
mother is dead and that she had nothing left in the world. But she said that her mother had left a
house for her and her sister (illiterate sister).

Q3. Where does she own a house in France? Who is the person living there now?
Ans. In France, she owns a house in One-Twenty-Two rues des Retailons in Saint-Male and that her
sister is living there now.

Q4. Who is Madame Bessarabo? Why does she visit the Author with the photographer?
Ans. Madam Bessarabo was a Rumanian Journalist. She visited the Author with the photographer to
interview the Author about his last play-‘La Marguerite’.

Q5. What subtle hint do we get from the title of the last play ‘La Marguerite’ about the Author’s
concept of love in the beginning?
Ans. The Author’s concept of love regarding the subtle hint in the title of the last play ‘La
Marguerite’ was ‘Marguerite-I love you, I love you not, I love you, I love you not’.

Q6. Why did the plumbers visit the Author’s house?

Ans. The plumbers visited the Author’s house for repairing the leak.

Q7. What similar incident took place in Madame Bessarabo’s great uncle’s house?
Ans. In Madame Bessarabo’s great uncle’s house, there too was leakage and there was water all
over the drawing room.

Q8.What does the woman want over the phone?

Ans. Over the phone, the woman wanted to talk to Leon, her first husband.

Q9. Who is Moliere? Who is compared to Moliere’s heroines?

Ans. Moliere is a famous French dramatist (1622-1673). He wrote comedies and farces mostly. The
maid is compared to Moliere’s heroines.

Q10. What does Madame Bessarabo say about Rumanians?

Ans. Madame Bessarabo said that Rumanians are such great idealist. They believe enormously in
sentiment.

Q11. What does Ardele refer as “oafish practical jokes”?

Ans. Ardele “oafish practical jokes” refers to the act of the plumbers’ cutting off water ( instructed
by the author) as she was taking shower.

Q12. How does the Author define love to Madame Bessarabo during their interview?
Ans. During their interview, the author defined love, like the marguerite, has leaves or rather
petals.

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Q13. Who is Gustave?
Ans. Gustave is a friend of the Author.

Q14. What is the story of “The woman with the Boas”?

Ans. The story of “The Woman with the Boas” is about a madly beautiful, woman who meets a man
in a train and falls in love with him.
Q15. Who agreed to enact the role in Gustave’s film?
Ans. Liliane Tresor agreed to enact the role in Gustave’s film.

Q16. What does Liliane Tresor refuse to Gustave?

Ans. Liliane Tresor agreed to enact the role in Gustave’s film but she refused to die at the end.

Q17. Why did the Author’s mother call him immediately?

Ans. The Author’s mother called him immediately because she wanted to know about the
apartment and she had to let them have her answer by this morning.

Q18. What does the Author’s mother say about her son’s married life with Ardele?
Ans. Regarding the Author’s married life with Ardele, Author’s mother said that if only, he had a
different wife then she could come and live with him.

Q19. How does Liliane Tresor agree to die in the end?

Ans. In the end, Liliane Tresor agreed to die by consumption.

Q20. How does Paul Zed like to end the film?

Ans. Paul Zed wanted to end the film by Liliane Tresor turning religious and going into a convent as
it would make it sell better in Canada and the Channel Islands.

Q21. Who is La Surette? How is La Surette related to the Author?

Ans. La Surette was a tramp and former colleague of the Author. When the Author and La Surette
were in the army, La Surette saved the Author from being court-martialled the time he mislaid his
bayonet.

Q22. What does he demand from the Author?

Ans. La Surette is demands a pair of boots and money for his gas connection.

Q23. What does the Author comment about man in general?

Ans. The Author says “Man is alone. Man is desperately alone”.

Q24. Who is Glothaire? What is the problem with it?

Ans. Glothaire is the cat of the Author and Ardele. It is sick.

Q25. Why does Glothaire look sad and why is he miaowing?

Ans. Glothaire looked sad and he is miaowing because Ardele was leaving.

Q26. Why did the housing inspector, the man in black, visit the Author?
Ans. The housing inspector, the man in black visited the Author because a complaint has been
lodged against the Author for insufficient occupation of the premises and that the Author was under
threat of a requisition order for the surplus accommodation.

Q27. Whom does the housing inspector want accommodate in the house of the Author?
Ans. The housing inspector wants to accommodate, a father of eight; Brigadier Lapomme in the
house of the Author.

Q28.What did the Man in black find in the end?

Ans. In the end, the Man in black found out that there were twelve rooms to spare.

Q29. Where did the leak start according to the plumbers?

Ans. According to the plumbers, the leak started in the two big empty rooms on the third floor that
runs right across the table tennis room, the winter garden and the two libraries and finishes up in
that big room where the Author has got collection of toy soldiers.

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Q30. What was the accusation made by Ardele about the Author?
Ans. Accusation made by Ardele about the Author is that he is having a secret affair with a woman.

Q31. What ‘terrible thing’ has happened to the lady telephoning?

Ans. Terrible thing that had happened to the lady telephoning was that she had to find a flat.

Q32. Who is Madam Pripon Minet? Why does the Author’s mother call her?
Ans. Madam Pripon Minet is the first wife of Mr. Leon. The Author told his mother that the woman
has a flat with four rooms and thus the mother called her.

Q33. Who are Lucienne and Lea?

Ans. Lucienne is Gontran’s wife whom he has left three months ago and Lea is a woman that
Gontran is in love.

Q34. Who is Gontran and why does he need a gun?

Ans. Gontran is the sixth visitor and a friend of the Author. He needed a gun as he wanted to
commit suicide.

Q35. What is Ardele’s opinion about Lea?

Ans. Ardele’s opinion about Lea is that – Lea looks like a stick, shriveled prune and hasn’t even got
any hair.

Q36. What is Gontran’s accusation about Lucienne?

Ans. Gontran accuses Lucienne that she is not answering the phone, his letters; she is deceiving
him and has been deceiving him ever since he left her.

Q37. What happened to Gontran while talking to the Author?

Ans. While talking to the Author, Gontran sobs like a child in the arms of the Author, fainted and
crumbles on the floor.

Q38. What does the woman on the telephone tell to Ardele while questioned?
Ans. When Ardele got the number of the caller from the exchange and dialed, a woman receives
the call. Further misunderstanding was created, both accusing each other of snatching husband
and flat.

Q39. What accusation did Ardele make to the Author while he was attending Gustav’s call?
Ans. While the Author was attending Gustav’s phone call, Ardele told the Author that she caught
him in the act. Ardele was accusing the Author that he was talking to his girlfriend and slaps him.

Q40. Why does Author get angry on La Surette?

Ans. Author got angry on La Surette as he was misbehaving with their maid Leonie in the kitchen
where he was sent to eat and drink.

Q41. What terrible thing does the maid inform the Author?
Ans. The maid informs the Author that she was pregnant and it was the cause of all the weeping.

Q42. Why does Madam Bessarabo like to take the photograph of the Author instantly?
Ans. Madam Bessarabo liked to take the photograph of the Author instantly because the Author was
behaving like a mad person and such kind of photograph of a person like him in such state will
make sensational headlines.

Q43. Why does the Author threaten to kill the photographer?

Ans. He was asked by Madame Bessarabo to photograph the author in an awful condition.

Q44. What was the suggestion made by the Man in Black after his careful investigation in the
Author’s house?
Ans. After his careful investigation in the Author’s house, the Man in Black suggested that as there
are twelve spare rooms, two policemen will be accommodated there.

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Q45. What made the Plumbers frantic in the end? What did they announce to others?
Ans. The Plumbers were frantic in the end because the leak which they found before was the wrong
one. Now they found the real one, something had gone wrong and water was trickling all over the
place. They couldn’t control it.

Q46.Who started shooting the Author in the end? What was the net result?
Ans. In the end, Ardele comes with a gun and started shooting at the Author, he dodges the bullets.
Ardele was scared of the bullet sound. When she finally shot the last bullet, she was in a frightened
state and screamed, finding him not hurt, then she throws herself into his arms and faints.

Q47. How does the play end?

Ans. In the end of the play, cascade of water brought down the ceiling. In the background, there
was lots of panic and Author was coming forward, dragging Ardele and Gontran who were both in
unconscious state. The décor falls to pieces as the Author addresses the public.

Q48. What do you mean by the term ‘Absurd Play’?

Ans. One of the most important aspects of absurd drama is its distrust of language as a means of
communication. Language, it seems to say, has become nothing but a vehicle for conventionalized,
stereotyped, meaningless exchanges. The Theatre of the Absurd constituted first and foremost an
onslaught on language, showing it as a very unreliable and insufficient tool of communication.
Absurd drama uses conventionalised speech, clichés, slogans and technical jargon, which it distorts,
parodies and breaks down. By ridiculing conventionalised and stereotyped speech patterns, the
Theatre of the Absurd tries to make people aware of the possibility of going beyond everyday
speech conventions and communicating more authentically.”

Features:
• It is different from other plays because of its unusual plot structure.
• The events in the play are not logically connected to each other, and to an average
audience, meaningless.
• The actions of the characters are senseless, useless and meaningless.

• One of the most important aspects of absurd drama is its distrust of language as means of
communication; they show it is unreliable and insufficient tool of communication; the broken
dialogues and conversation between the unknown woman, Madame Bessarabo and the
author are some of the examples of this.
• The characters are found to be troubled and strangely threatened.
• Meaningless plots, repetitive or nonsensical dialogue are used.
• Defies all norms of conventional drama. There is no dramatic conflict in absurd drama.
• Absurd plays are comical and irrational.
• To bring about laughter the absurd plays makes use of farce.
Q49. How does the author try to control the excitement of the people? What is the irony in it?
Ans. The author tries to control the excitement of the people by telling them to remain calm. He
says ‘let’s keep calm. Let’s keep calm to the end’.
The irony here is that it is he who needs to be calm. From the moment the play opens he seems to
be hassled. All the characters come to him with their problems and except him to solve their
problems. In the end he seems to be troubled. He doesn’t find a moment of peace. He needs
calming effect, not others. Therefore it is quite ironic to see him saying ‘let’s keep calm ‘, when he
is the person who needs to be clam.

Q50. Write a short note on farce as a sub-genre in the play “Episode in the life of an author”
Ans. Farce, a sub- genre of the “Theatre of the Absurd”; Farce is a type of comedy designed to
provoke laughter. It commonly employs highly exaggerated or caricatured types of characters, put

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tem into improbable and ludicrous situation and makes use of broad verbal humour, physical bustle
etc.

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