OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  Lennox Robinson 

• Adapted / Translated From

  Guy de Maupassant

• Setting

  A hotel yard in Rouen. Inside a bus.

• Notes

  Protests were made about the production to the Department of External Affairs by both the German and Fench legations. The Gate Theatre was told by the Department of Justice that it had violated the Emergency legislation. Roly Poly was withdrawn after three nights.

• Synopsis

  During the Franco-Prussian war, a French prostitute is travelling on a bus, which comes to a Prussian checkpoint. An officer there won't let the bus proceed until she sleeps with him, which she refuses to do, but eventually relents under pressure from the other passengers, who then treat her with disgust after the deed is done.

• Play Type

  Adaptation/Translation
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

Cast size

• Male

  13

• Female

  6

• Total

  19

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  01 November 1940

• Producer

  Presented by Edwards-Mac Liammoir Gate Theatre Productions

• Original Venue

  Gate Theatre/Amharclann an Gheata
  

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme and from press cuttings.