Mr Whatnot: Synopsis

Cast: 4 male / 3 female
Running time (approximate): 2 hours - not including the interval.
Availability: Relatively Speaking is available for professional and amateur production.
Acting edition: Published by Samuel French.

Characters

○ Mr Whatnot (Mint) (A mute piano-tuner)
○ Lord Slingsby-Craddock
○ Lady Slingsby-Craddock
○ Amanda (Their daughter)
○ Cecil (Her fiancé)
○ A Tweedy Lady
○ Pedestrian
○ Butler
○ Vicar
○ A Gardener
○ A Maid

Note: Roles such as the maid, Tweedy Lady, pedestrian, butler, vicar and gardener can be doubled.

Mint (or Mr Whatnot), an innocent and silent piano tuner with an incredible imagination, is summoned to an aristocratic family home Craddock Grange to tune the piano. Lord Slingsby Craddock's daughter Amanda is engaged to Cecil, who wishes to try out the new piano in preparation for the wedding.

Mint falls in love with Amanda and through a series of ever more surreal encounters - such as a tea party which turns into trench warfare - manages to engineer the chance to be with his love despite all the odds.

He is foiled at the last moment in his attempt to marry Amanda though and she reluctantly marries Cecil, who takes her to his home. Cecil leaves the dejected Amanda alone in her new bedroom, but as she gets into bed, she joyously finds Mint in there too.

Article by Simon Murgatroyd. Copyright: Haydonning Ltd. Please do not reproduce without permission of the copyright holder.