Season 51 Play 1 – Falling Short by James Robson

Falling Short
14th – 19th September 1998

Directed by

Phil Holbrough

Cast

Giles Short – Peter Hall
Verity Short – Gilly Rogers
Frances Feldman – Laura Judge
Fergus Rutherford – Douglas Swift
Trish Evans – Gillian Albone
Font Cairns – Edward Cowan
Monty – Glen Boldy
Adrian Smethers – Laurie Toczek
Melissa Smethers – Linda Dargon
Hans Jaffa – Gordon Lakin
Gillette – Peter Berry

Synopsis

Tell the truth for 12 hours or risk losing your Jaguar, your job, your Georgian Des Res and possibly your wife – in one fell swoop. This is the dilemma in which Giles Short finds himself as a result of falling in with a ruthless entrepreneur whilst entertaining business clients. We hear skeletons falling out of the cupboards and see Giles’ life crumbling before our eyes as he is obliged to be honest to colleagues and clients. He feels terrified and guilty, yet strangely exalted as he loses a skin of dirt each time he speaks the truth. This fast and furious comedy is reminiscent of ‘The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin’.

Directors Notes

Imagine having to tell the absolute truth for a day! No fibs, no white lies, no polite compliments, just the pure unadulterated truth. That is the task bestowed upon Giles Short. A once honourable, successful fiction editor at the Rutherford Publishing House faces his
most desperate gamble to date.

A foolish gentleman’s wager with the dubious, often ruthless “entrepreneur” Hans Jaffa, involves a Jaguar car, a hugely desirable Georgian residence, along with its priceless contents and a man’s honour.

Giles Short is risking everything he owns, he is risking his very soul. The truth for 12 hours ? No problem! We shall see.