Habeas Corpus
Alan Bennett
A fast-paced, surreal farce that centers on the Wicksteed family and their various sexual obsessions and physical insecurities. Set in a middle-class household, the play features a cast of characters—including a randy doctor, his frustrated wife, and a flat-chested daughter—all chasing after physical satisfaction or transformation. It is a frantic, comedic exploration of the human body and the habeas corpus (the right to have the body) in both a legal and a carnal sense. The play is noted for its rhythmic, almost choreographed comedy and its sharp-witted dialogue.
Dr. Arthur Wicksteed: A GP with a wandering eye who is more interested in his patients' bodies than their health, driving the play's various comedic and carnal pursuits. Muriel Wicksteed: Arthur’s long-neglected wife, who finds herself caught up in her own unexpected romantic revival when an old flame suddenly reappears in her life. Mrs. Swabb: The Wicksteeds' cleaning lady who serves as a one-woman Greek chorus, commenting on the family's absurd behaviors and shifting the play's meta-theatrical gears.
First Performance: 1973, at Oxford Playhouse / Queen's Theatre, London
A popular success; noted for its departure from Bennett’s more realistic work into the realm of stylized, physical farce.
Original Actors: Alec Guinness, Margaret Tyzack, Patricia Hayes