ONE ACT REVIEW "Crimson Cocoanut" (1913) by Ian Hay (1876-1952)

Ian Hay AKA John Hay Beith Four Male Two Female One Act Comedy Running time 25 minutes A word of warning about Ian Hay - He was a prolific novelist with his name on a dozen plays, but most of his writing involved co-authors. For example full length comedy "Little Ladyship" 1914 was adapted from a Hungarian Novel by a writer called Stella who died in 1967 - meaning that the play is still in copyright, and this applies to most of his dramatic works, but there are a few exceptions worth following up. "Crimson cocoanut" contains the sort of low-brow humour that children can understand. It may be the first script exploration of the ticking-bomb-passing theme. A look at the lighter side of terrorism, the plot revolves around a clearly labeled spherical bomb (the cocoanut) planted in a greasy spoon by a dysfunctional anarchist couple. There is sleuth work by a bumbling scotland yard investigator. There is a romantic sub-plot as the unservile waiter attempts to woo the kitchen hand. It would be easy to modernize, by using an intercom instead of a speaking tube, through which the kitchen hand is courted. Unsuspecting restaurant customer Jabstick could easily step on his own MP3 player instead of his hat and so forth, but the jokes would remain as funny. Ian Hay was a northern British war hero who died a major general. One act farce "Blank Cartridge" (three male, two female) is about an Englishman who purchases a Scottish estate, complete with game-keeper and staff, as a hunting lodge. His daughter conspires to supply him with blank cartridges, to fake the accidental shooting of the game-keeper and deter his failing and erratic aim from blood sport. She inherits the estate and the heart of the former laird. Bring out the tartan costume. There's a set of prompt copies in the state library. I have spoiled the ending, but hopefully supplied the type of sensible synopsis, which can be so hard to find for some works. PDF on-line http://archive.org/details/crimsoncocoanuto00hayirich by the same author, with co-author Alfred Edward Woodley Mawson (1865-1948) http://archive.org/details/IanHay1934PresentMargate Consult the Australian Copyright Council to confirm the rights on this playwright have lapsed.