SEPARATE TABLES – CHARACTER NOTES
The play – which is in fact two linked one-Act plays - is set in a shabby but genteel Bournemouth hotel in the early 1950s and, except where otherwise indicated, all characters will need to use 1950s-style received pronunciation (RP).
All parts, apart from Mabel and Doreen, are more or less equal in size (though four characters only appear in one Act of the play, so their roles are concentrated in that Act.) The waitresses Mabel and Doreen are small roles, but still well-characterised.
(Note: In the original script of “Table No 7”, Major Pollock has been prosecuted for molesting women in the local cinema, though Rattigan always intended this to be code for homosexual soliciting, which British theatre censorship in the 1950s would not have allowed him to discuss directly. Rattigan wrote a version for the play’s Broadway production which was more explicit about the Major’s offence, but in the event it was not used and was only rediscovered in the 1990s. It is this version which will be used in this production: it is printed in the edition of the play published by Nick Hern books.)
Character Playing age Notes
Female
Mrs Railton-Bell 50s-60s Domineering, snobbish and censorious, the self-appointed spokesman for the residents of the Hotel Beauregard.
Sybil Railton-Bell Late 20s-30s Mousy, downtrodden, neurotic and painfully shy daughter of Mrs Railton-Bell. Appears only in “Table Number 7”
Lady Matheson 50s-60s Impoverished but cultured widow of a Civil Servant, the timid and slightly dithery acolyte of Mrs Railton-Bell. Probably rather more genuinely upper-class than Mrs R-B.
Miss Meacham 50s-60s Eccentric spinster, huntin’, shootin’ fishin’ type, spends most of her time studying the racing form and communing with the spirits of the dead.
Jean Tanner/Stratton early 20s In “Table by the Window” she appears as Charles Stratton’s girlfriend, determined to be unconventional, with marriage and children very definitely not on the agenda. By “Table No 7” she and Charles are married with a baby, and her conversation consists mostly of baby-talk. To her husband’s horror, staunchly supports Mrs R-B’s campaign against Major Pollock. “A ruthless young woman” is Mr Fowler’s assessment.
Miss Cooper 20s-30s The hotel Manager, whose calm and efficient exterior reveals little of her feelings. In love with John Malcolm. Independent-minded, and not intimidated by Mrs R-B. To a large extent her character is the “glue” that holds the two plays together.
Anne Shankland 40ish A model at the end of her career, once married to John Malcolm. Terrified at the prospect of growing old and life alone after another divorce, she has engineered a “chance” meeting with her ex-husband in the hopes of rekindling the relationship. Cold, vain and manipulative – but also a complete emotional wreck. Appears only in “Table by the Window”.
Mabel Any age Waitress at the Beauregard Hotel. “taciturn, gloomy & dependable”. Not RP.
Doreen Young Another waitress, “flighty, talkative and undependable”. Not RP.
Male
John Malcolm (Ramsden) 40ish Pugnacious radical journalist with a chip on his shoulder and a bit of a drink problem. Has a hidden past as a disgraced Labour MP and junior Minister who was imprisoned for assaulting his ex-wife Anne Shankland. Now half-heartedly in a relationship with Miss Cooper, but still in love with Anne. From Hull, a former docker; has a slight northern accent (could consider changing this to another regional/non-RP accent if necessary). Only appears in “Table by the Window”.
Charles Stratton 20s A medical student: boyfriend, then husband of Jean Tanner. By the time of “Table No 7” he is showing signs of being worn down by fatherhood and Jean’s attempts to hen-peck him. Liberal and rational, the only one of the hotel residents to oppose Mrs R-B’s campaign against Major Pollock.
Mr Fowler 50s-60s Mild-mannered retired public schoolmaster, lives in permanent anticipation of visits from former pupils who never actually turn up.
Major Pollock mid-50s In appearance and manner a too-accurate representation of a public school educated retired army Major. In fact this is a sham, put on to disguise insecurity and self-loathing. He has struck up an unlikely friendship with Sybil Railton-Bell. Only appears in “Table No 7”, in which it is revealed that he has recently been bound over for “persistently importuning male persons” on the promenade.