History Theatre / TheMysteryOfIrmaVep

A two-act Penny Dreadful by Charles Ludlam in the style of his "Theatre of the Absurd", ''The Mystery Of Irma Vep'' is a satire of several theatrical and film genres, including Victorian melodrama, farce, and the 1940 Creator/AlfredHitchcock film ''Film/{{Rebecca}}''. Lady Enid has just married Lord Edgar Hillcrest and moved to his ancestral home on the moors, Mandacrest. Lord Edgar's first wife, Irma Vep, was killed by a werewolf attack, but he still keeps her portrait on the mantelpiece. The house is also populated by two servants, the one-legged handyman Nicodemus Underwood and Jane Twisden the maid who has her own interest in Lord Edgar. In the course of a flashback, the audience also meets Alcazar, an Egyptian guide, and Pev Amri, an ancient mummy. In total, there are eight characters, four male and four female. And [[ActingForTwo two actors]] of the same sex to portray all of them.

* ActingForTwo: Eight characters and two actors. Stagings of the show generally require at least two costumers for each actor to allow for the rapid changes (60 quick costume changes over just 100 minutes!) just off set, generally while the character holds a conversation with themselves.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfRoles: As noted above, eight characters and two actors. Stagings of the show generally require at least two costumers for each actor to allow for the rapid changes (60 quick costume changes over just 100 minutes!) just off set, generally while the character holds a conversation with themselves.

A two-act Penny Dreadful by Charles Ludlam in the style of his "Theatre of the Absurd", ''The Mystery Of Irma Vep'' is a satire of several theatrical and film genres, including Victorian melodrama, farce, and the 1940 Creator/AlfredHitchcock film ''{{Rebecca}}''. Lady Enid has just married Lord Edgar Hillcrest and moved to his ancestral home on the moors, Mandacrest. Lord Edgar's first wife, Irma Vep, was killed by a werewolf attack, but he still keeps her portrait on the mantelpiece. The house is also populated by two servants, the one-legged handyman Nicodemus Underwood and Jane Twisden the maid who has her own interest in Lord Edgar. In the course of a flashback, the audience also meets Alcazar, an Egyptian guide, and Pev Amri, an ancient mummy. In total, there are eight characters, four male and four female. And [[ActingForTwo two actors]] of the same sex to portray all of them.

* SignificantAnagram: When Irma Vep reveals her true nature, she indicates this is exactly what her name is.

A two-act Penny Dreadful by Charles Ludlam in the style of his "Theatre of the Absurd", ''The Mystery Of Irma Vep'' is a satire of several theatrical and film genres, including Victorian melodrama, farce, and the 1940 Creator/AlfredHitchcock film ''{{Rebecca}}''. Lady Enid has just married Lord Edgar Hillcrest and moved to his ancestral home on the moors, Mandacrest. Lord Edgar's first wife, Irma Vep, was killed by a werewolf attack, but he still keeps her portrait on the mantelpiece. The house is also populated by two servants, the one-legged handyman Nicodemus Underwood and Jane Twisden the maid who has her own interest in Lord Edgar. In the course of a flashback, the audience also meets Alcazar, an Egyptian guide, and Pev Amri, an ancient mummy. In total, there are eight characters, four male and four female. And two actors of the same sex to portray all of them.

* TalkingToHimself: Nicodemus and Lady Enid have multiple conversations in the show, as do Lord Edgar and Jane.

A two-act PennyDreadful by CharlesLudlam in the style of his "Theatre of the Absurd", ''The Mystery Of Irma Vep'' is a satire of several theatrical and film genres, including Victorian melodrama, farce, and the 1940 Creator/AlfredHitchcock film ''{{Rebecca}}''. Lady Enid has just married Lord Edgar Hillcrest and moved to his ancestral home on the moors, Mandacrest. Lord Edgar's first wife, Irma Vep, was killed by a werewolf attack, but he still keeps her portrait on the mantelpiece. The house is also populated by two servants, the one-legged handyman Nicodemus Underwood and Jane Twisden the maid who has her own interest in Lord Edgar. In the course of a flashback, the audience also meets Alcazar, an Egyptian guide, and Pev Amri, an ancient mummy. In total, there are eight characters, four male and four female. And two actors of the same sex to portray all of them.

* ShoutOut: At one point, Lady Enid excitedly delivers the line, "[[{{Gaslight}} The lights are dimming!]]"

A two-act PennyDreadful by CharlesLudlam in the style of his "Theatre of the Absurd", ''The Mystery Of Irma Vep'' is a satire of several theatrical and film genres, including Victorian melodrama, farce, and the 1940 AlfredHitchcock film ''{{Rebecca}}''. Lady Enid has just married Lord Edgar Hillcrest and moved to his ancestral home on the moors, Mandacrest. Lord Edgar's first wife, Irma Vep, was killed by a werewolf attack, but he still keeps her portrait on the mantelpiece. The house is also populated by two servants, the one-legged handyman Nicodemus Underwood and Jane Twisden the maid who has her own interest in Lord Edgar. In the course of a flashback, the audience also meets Alcazar, an Egyptian guide, and Pev Amri, an ancient mummy. In total, there are eight characters, four male and four female. And two actors of the same sex to portray all of them.

** Later in the same scene, Lady Enid requests that Nicodemus be brought into the room to which Jane responds that he can't come into the room for obvious reasons.