The play is set in an up and coming area of London. Marion is a ruthless property developer who became successful after she was released from a psychiatric hospital. Her husband Clegg is a butcher and owns a family butcher shop which has just failed. Clegg hates his wife because she's so independent and prosperous — more prosperous than him. Also she doesn’t care about his loss of money, his loss of income or his wounded pride. How does he deal? He tries to think of ways to kill her. Marion’s wimpish assistant Worsely keeps trying to off himself. Marion wants to acquire a building where pregnant Lisa, her children and her extremely apathetic, almost catatonic husband Alec live. Marion strives to get the man she wants just as eagerly as she buys up her precious property.
Tropes:
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Marion is a ruthless broker who buys up cheap buildings in London, forces out tenants who are very poor and helpless and then she profits from the high-end and expensive housing.
- Death of a Child: Quite shockingly, the play ends with a death of a baby. Mrs Arlington's baby dies in a fire when their house burns down.
- Screaming Birth: Averted. When Lisa goes into labour, the script says she breathes heavily and is in pain, but she does not scream.
- Spoiled Sweet: Mrs Arlington is described as a very young woman, about twenty, who is well dressed, well bred, with the good nature of someone who has never met difficulties or been disliked. Deconstructed because she is as nice as possible, but Lisa, who is forced to lodge in their luxurious house, still thinks Mrs Arlington is insufferable and intolerable. Lisa is jealous of her beauty, her carelessness, and how easy her life is compared to her own family's struggles.
- Suicide as Comedy: Marion's employee Worsely is trying to kill himself and never succeeds. And he does try: he says he has tried it six times during his first scenes and other attempts appear throughout the play. Methods he tries or considers trying include cutting his wrists, jumping, explosives, using a gun, poisoning, setting a house on fire etc.Worsely: You know what you were saying about a plastic bag. Suppose I put a plastic bag around my head and tied it tightly round the neck. What could possibly go wrong?
Clegg: Some of them nowadays has safety holes
Worsely: Not all. I would have a look - Running Gag: There are several Worsely's unsuccessful suicide attempts, all played for comedy. He describes his attempts in elaborate detail.
