History Theatre / HowTheOtherHalfLoves

* UnConfession: Frank Foster is trying to tell William Featherstone about the latter's wife Mary supposedly having an affair with Bob Phillips. Fiona Foster, who unbeknownst to Frank actually ''did'' had an affair with Bob, thinks Frank is talking about her and trying to humiliate her in front of William, leading to a conversation rife with misunderstandings. Fiona is right in the middle of confessing to the affair when Frank interrupts and unwittingly sets her straight, at the very moment when she is about to mention ''herself'' as Bob's paramour.

* UnConfession: Frank Foster is trying to tell William Featherstone about the latter's wife Mary supposedly having an affair with Bob Phillips. Fiona Foster, who unbeknownst to Frank actually ''did'' had an affair with Bob, thinks Frank is talking about her and is trying to humiliate her in front of William, leading to a conversation rife with misunderstandings. Fiona is right in the middle of confessing to the affair when Frank interrupts and unwittingly sets her straight, at the very moment when she is about to mention ''herself'' as Bob's paramour.

* FakeAlibi: To cover for their affair and explain their absence on Wednesday night, Bob Phillips and Fiona Foster both separately lie to their spouses that they were consoling, respectively, William and Mary Featherstone, each over being supposedly cheated on by the other. To ensure that the Featherstones do not get wind of this fiction, Bob and Fiona swear their spouses to secrecy over the matter. In the second act, Frank Foster discovers that Fiona was ''not'' with Mary that night, but mistakenly thinks that the latter was having an affair with Bob and that Fiona lied to cover for Mary (rather than for herself). This leads to a very confused conversation, with abased reproach on her part and puzzlement on his, leading to him unwittingly setting her straight right at the moment when she is about to confess.

--> '''Fiona:''' Oh, darling, I think you're sinking really low.

* UnConfession: Frank Foster is trying to tell William Featherstone about the latter's wife Mary supposedly having an affair with Bob Phillips. Fiona Foster, who unbeknownst to Frank actually ''did'' had an affair with Bob, thinks Frank is talking about her affair and that he is trying to humiliate her in front of William, leading to a conversation rife with misunderstandings. Fiona is right in the middle of confessing to the affair when Frank interrupts and unwittingly sets her straight, at the very moment when she is about to mention ''herself'' as Bob's paramour.

* UnConfession: Frank Foster is trying to tell William Featherstone about the latter's wife Mary supposedly having an affair with Bob Phillips. Fiona Foster, who unbeknownst to Frank actually ''did' had an affair with Bob, thinks Frank is talking about ''her'' affair and that he is trying to humiliate her in front of William, leading to a conversation rife with misunderstandings. Fiona is right in the middle of confessing to the affair when Frank interrupts and unwittingly sets her straight, at the very moment when she is about to mention ''herself'' as Bob's paramour.

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Frank, incorrectly believing that Bob and Mary are having an affair, invites William over to let him know, and initiates the conversation by saying that Fiona had deceived him (meaning that she had lied about meeting Mary on the night in question, which he assumes she did to cover for Mary). Fiona mistakenly thinks he is talking about the affair ''she'' had with Bob (which Frank actually doesn't know about), and believes Frank is trying to humiliate her by airing her dirty laundry in front of William.

* The UnConfession: Frank Foster is trying to tell William Featherstone about the latter's wife Mary supposedly having an affair with Bob Phillips. Fiona Foster, who unbeknownst to Frank actually ''did' had an affair with Bob, thinks Frank is talking about ''her'' affair and that he is trying to humiliate her in front of William, leading to a conversation rife with misunderstandings. Fiona is right in the middle of confessing to the affair when Frank interrupts and unwittingly sets her straight, at the very moment when she is about to mention ''herself'' as Bob's paramour.

* FakeAlibi: To cover for their affair and explain their absence on Wednesday night, Bob Phillips and Fiona Foster both separately lie to their spouses that they were consoling, respectively, William and Mary Featherstone, each over being supposedly cheated on by the other. To ensure that the Featherstones do not get wind of this fiction, Bob and Fiona swear their spouses to secrecy over the matter. In the second act, Frank Foster discovers that Fiona was ''not'' with Mary that night, but mistakenly thinks that the latter was having an affair with Bob and that Fiona lied to cover for Mary (rather than for herself).

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Frank, incorrectly believing that Bob and Mary are having an affair, invites William over to let him know, and initiates the conversation by saying that Fiona had deceived him (meaning that she had lied about meeting Mary on the night in question, which he assumes she did to cover for Mary). Fiona mistakenly thinks he is talking about the affair ''she'' had with Bob (which Frank actually doesn't know about), and believes Frank is trying to humiliate her by airing her dirty laundry in front of William. She is only set straight at the very moment when she is right on the ''brink'' of confessing.
--> '''Fiona:''' Well, William, what my husband is trying to say, in rather a sordid way, is that he is trying to tell you about a petty trivial little love affair between Bob Phillips... and...
--> '''Frank:''' ...and your wife, William. Precisely. ''(Fiona does a massive double-take)''

''How the Other Half Loves'' is a theatrical {{farce}}, written by Alan Ayckbourn in 1969.

* FakeAlibi: To cover for their affair and explain their absence on Wednesday night, Bob Phillips and Fiona Foster both separately lie to their spouses that they were consoling, respectively, William and Mary Featherstone, each over being supposedly cheated on by the other. To ensure that the Featherstones do not get wind of this fiction, Bob and Fiona swear their spouses to secrecy over the matter. In the second act, Frank Foster discovers that Fiona was ''not'' with Mary that night, but mistakenly thinks that Bob and Mary are having an affair, so he assumes that Fiona lied to cover for Mary (rather than for herself).

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Frank, incorrectly believing that Bob and Mary are having an affair, invites William over to let him know, and initiates the conversation by saying that Fiona had deceived him (meaning that she had lied about meeting Mary on the night in question, which he assumes she did to cover for Mary). Fiona mistakenly thinks he is talking about the affair ''she'' had actually had with Bob (which Frank actually doesn't know about), and believes Frank is trying to humiliate her by airing her dirty laundry in front of William. She is only set straight at the very moment when she is right on the ''brink'' of confessing.

The cast of six consists of three married couples: the wealthy Frank and Fiona Foster whose relationship is polite and rather evasive, Frank's employee Bob Phillips and his wife Teresa who fight frequently, and another employee William Featherstone and his timid wife Mary. The plot concerns an adulterous affair between Fiona and Bob, both of whom rope in William and Mary as their alibis to conceal the affair. This prompts both of the wronged spouses to invite the Featherstones to dinner on successive nights, with both dinners being staged simultaneously on the same set, the Featherstones swivelling back and forth between them. The chain of comical misunderstandings resulting from the affair continues into the final scene.

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Frank, incorrectly believing that Bob and Mary are having an affair, invites William over to let him know, and initiates the conversation by saying that Fiona had deceived him (meaning that she had lied about meeting Mary on the night in question, which he thought she'd done to cover for Mary). Fiona thinks he is talking about the affair ''she'' had actually had with Bob, and believes Frank is trying to humiliate her by airing her dirty laundry. She is only set straight at the very moment when she is right on the ''brink'' of confessing.

* TheUnapologetic: William finds it very difficult to apologise for his controlling behaviour toward Mary. He tries to but cannot spit out the word "sorry"; she takes it.

The play was first performed at the Library Theatre in 1969, with Creator/ElisabethSladen in the role of Fiona.

''How the Other Half Loves'' is a theatrical farce, written by Alan Ayckbourn in 1969.