The couple (married or not, heterosexual or not, with or without children) is one of the fundamental elements of social life. The modern couple, however, provides a privileged setting for communication free from the social conventions that still apply with neighbors, friends, and even the rest of the family. In a couple, almost anything can be said. In a fusion couple, the two partners essentially become one, and talking to the other is almost like talking to oneself. The partner becomes a confidant or confessor, an ally or adversary, but always in a spirit of frankness.
Yet, the household can also be a place of deceit when the threat of adultery endangers the very existence of the couple, which is the premise of most farces. The struggles, the dignity, and the petty compromises of life as a couple can serve as the basis for countless comedies, whether in the somewhat absurd closed world of two people together, or through the disruptive intrusion of ‘others’ into the intimacy of this both comforting and suffocating world.
Asking the new neighbours over for dinner to get to know them: a risky move that could end up costing more than it’s worth and a perfect opportunity for a poker comedy where every player must eventually show their hand.
About the exciting adventure of living together. Sketchs
John and Christine have invited two of their friends for dinner in their London home. Natalie arrives without her husband, distraught, having just heard that the plane bringing him home crashed at sea. With the potential widow they wait with baited breath for news confirming whether her husband is among the survivors … and learn that they are the winners of that evening’s super jackpot lottery draw. From then on, the operative words are “controlling emotions”. And that is just the beginning of this eventful evening, with twists, turns and revelations galore.
Involuntary adultery can easily lead to involuntary manslaughter, but getting rid of the body of evidence is a whole different matter…