Two short plays produced by Harold Clayton.
A Private Room
A play by Arthur Pinero.
[Starring] Mary Jerrold and Arthur Wontner
The action of the play takes place in a private room at the Cafe Costanza, a restaurant in Soho.
The Monkey's Paw
A thriller by W. W. Jacobs.
[Starring] Henry Oscar and Beatrice Varley
Dramatised by Louis N. Parker.
The action of the play takes place in the living room of an old-fashioned cottage on the outskirts of Fulham. Time. 1903
Pinero's A Private Room is a short, sentimental piece of atmosphere, telling how Carlton Belcher (name, not description) was unable to have the private room of his choice at the Cafe Costanza because it was reserved for a certain retired general and a titled lady; and how and why, on this date every year, the same couple meet in the same room.
The other exploits the stark, dramatic situation. Louis N. Parker's dramatisation of W. W. Jacobs's The Monkey's Paw is one of the most famous and well-proven one-act plays ever written. Since 1903 countless audiences have been thrilled by the dilemma of the parents, granted three wishes through 'the monkey's paw', whether the last wish will bring tragedy or happiness: the final few minutes are certainly in the top class for dramatic effect. (Peter Forster)