Summary

A one-act play of the social-realism model.

This play would be a difficult play to stage because of its emotional extremes, extreme violence—countless references to blood—and despairing view of human nature and human relationships. The title of the play is a savage comment on humans who, exemplified by the inmates of boarding house, enjoy listening to other people's grief and tragedies. The audience watching the play being performed would be implicated in Naish's condemnation of the neighbours, who have eyes and ears everywhere.

The play appears to be set in the UK in a boarding house. The action revolves around the characters Amy Bioletti and Johnny Manchini; Joe Bioletti, Amy's father and a chorus of unseen 'auditors' – the neighbours. The play opens with Johnny holding a razor to Amy's neck, trying to persuade her to cut her throat. They are down and out and Amy has had an affair but she returned to Johnny and is now pregnant to him.

Johnny is attacked by Amy's father Joe Bioletti when he turns up at the boarding house after receiving Amy's letter revealing that she is pregnant to Johnny. Johnny manages to kill him with the razor. He then convinces Amy to slit her own throat. The depth of his betrayal is shocking when it is realized he never intended to commit suicide himself but to take revenge on Amy for her betrayal. His intent was for her and her unborn child to die.

While this is a play of social realism the use of disembodied voices or chorus is consistent with Naish's non-realism works. Again, female duplicity and a despair about life which Johnny claims is a "waste of breath" are characteristics of this play as it is of many of Naish's works. But Naish does not reserve this characteristic for women as both Johnny in this play and Ray in The Auditors betray the women who either love them or are developing feelings for them.