History Theatre / Rumors

* Ernie and Cookie Cusack - Charley and Claire's analyst and his eccentric wife, a school headmistress (or cook with a television show, again, depending on the version). They both are something of a cuckoolander.

* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: Both Cusacks are on the receiving end of this, off-screen, while cooking dinner.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: Ernie and Cookie's relationship in a nutshell. InUniverse, the characters get kinda annoyed by it.

* ContrivedCoincidence: The stolen Porsche which destroyed Lenny's car happens to be Charley's, according to Officer Welch.
** Lenny gets annoyed with the gossip mongers at his club. The one who started the rumor about Charley having an affair with another woman happens to sell [=BMWs=], the same type of car that Lenney just got into a wreck with.

* InterchangeableAsianCultures: InUniverse: Chris justifies Mei Li's (the cook) absence by saying she's in Japan to care for her ill mother. Claire points out Mei Li's chinese.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Officer Welch decides not to investigate the shots further because the other guests' shenanigans amused him, and he'd rather be home with his wife.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Glenn lets slip that two shots have been fired, just when Officers Welch and Pudney had finished discussing the stolen car and were about to leave.

* OccamsRazor: The simplest solution to the story is that Myra and Charley fought, Myra stormed off, Charley dismissed the servants, took too much anti-anxiety pills, wrote a suicide note that he later ripped up and threw down the toilet, and then botched a suicide because the medicine made him delirious. At the end, Lenney makes up a story that involves alcohol, a night of passion, a Spanish speaking robber that he can't understand but can recite what he said verbatim, the unlikely named servants running away without calling for help, Myra being knocked unconscious by falling down the stairs, Charley accidentally taking the anti-anxiety pills instead of pain medicine, trying and failing to write a note to his friends explain the situation, ripping it up and flushing said note so that his friends don't assume he tried committing suicide, and finally being too delirious to explain what happened and losing consciousness. [[spoiler:The WhamLine seems to indicate that the latter story has more than a grain of truth to it.]]
* OnlySaneMan: Officer Welch is this, his fearful behaviour notwithstanding.

* PowerCrystal: Cassie believes in the healing power of crystals much to the frustration of her husband. Glenn at first asks her to hide it, but when Cassie loses the crystal down the toilet, he calmly, but somewhat sarcastically explains to everyone what the gems are supposed to do, how they should used, and how they need to cleaned in surprising detail showing he paid attention to his wife's eccentric hobby. [[NiceGuy Ernie]] sees nothing wrong with this and encourages it as it gives her comfort.

* WhamLine: [[spoiler:"It's me, Myra!" It comes from the basement where Lenney, acting as Charley to the cop, claims Myra fell.]]

* OccamsRazor: The simplest solution to the story is that Myra and Charley fought, Myra stormed off, Charley dismissed the servants, took too much anti-anxiety pills, wrote a suicide note that he later ripped up and threw down the toilet, and then botched a suicide because the medicine made him delirious. At the end, Lenney makes up a story that involves alcohol, a night of passion, a Spanish speaking robber that he can't understand but can recite what he said verbatim, the unlikely named servants running away without calling for help, Myra being knocked unconscious by falling down the stairs, Charley accidentally taking the anti-anxiety pills instead of pain medicine, trying and failing to write a note to his friends explain the situation, ripping it up and flushing said note so that he's friends don't assume he tried committing suicide, and finally being too delirious to explain what happened and losing consciousness. [[spoiler:The WhamLine seems to indicate that the latter story has more than a grain of truth to it.]]

** Lenny gets annoyed with the gossip mongers at his club. The one who started the rumor about Charley having an affair with another woman happens to sell BMWs, the same type of car that Lenney just got into a wreck with.

** Lenney gets annoyed with the gossip mongers at his club. The one who started the rumor about Charley having an affair with another woman happens to sell BMW's, the same type of car that Lenney just got into a wreck with.

* FawltyTowersPlot: This happens multiple times. While everyone is running around treating injuries, checking on each other, going to the bathroom, cooking, and stalling for time, they don't have time to tell the others what the current lie is while they keep Charley's supposed suicide attempt secret. Eventually it all implodes and they all get told that Charley is shot, but okay. Then it starts all over again when they try to cover it up to the cops and Officer Welch picks apart their nonsensical story. [[spoiler:Eventually, Lenney tells a good enough lie that Officer Welch decides to let it all go. He doesn't believe a word of it, but he's so done with the nuttiness at this point [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere that he decides to go home to his wife.]]]]

* HollywoodGeography: InUniverse: Chris justifies Mei Li's (the cook) absence by saying she's in Japan to care for her ill mother. Claire points out Mei Li's chinese.

** The majority of the characters are this. Behind each other's backs they gossip, spread rumors, and mock each other. Eventually they all get so frustrated (and some also get drunk) that they stop being subtle and outright start bickering like children. However, all of them agree to help Charley and each other and at the end of the day they're all friends.

* CigaretteOfAnxiety: Chris hasn't smoked in 18 months, but the situation gets to her and she tried to get a cigarette. It gets to a point where she lights up a Q-tip just to have the sensation of smoking something.

* Lenny (Leonard) and Claire Ganz - Charley's accountant and his wife, they have recently celebrated their own anniversary. They both belong to a golf club. On their way to the party, Lenny's new BMW was struck in a hit and run that left the car devastated and caused them a delay.
* Ernie and Cookie Cusack - Charley and Claire's analyst and his eccentric wife, a school headmistress. They both are something of a cuckoolander.

* AccidentalTruth: [[spoiler: Myra asking for help from behind the cellar door]] seems to validate Lenny's nonsensical story.

* TheGhost: Charley and Myra. [[spoiler: Or rather, just Charley.]]

* SupremeChef: Cookie manages to prepare some excellent dinner between acts. {{Downplayed}}, since the food needed just to be cooked.

* WhamLine: [[spoiler: "It's me, Myra!"]]

* TheDreaded: Officer Welch.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: Ernie and Cookie's relationship in a nutshell.

* FawltyTowersPlot

* ThemeNaming: The male guest (Ernie notwithstanding) and Officer Welch's (nick)names all end with an "en" sound, and the ladies' names all begin with "C". {{Lampshaded}} by the women.

* AwwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Lenny-as-Charley's story about how much he loves his wife makes Claire melt in smiles.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: OfficerWelch decides not to investigate the shots further because the other guests' shenanigans amused him, and he'd rather be home with his wife.

* Ken and Chris Gorman - Ken is Charley's attorney, and his wife Chris is one too, although she mainly works on contracts and as a housewife, too. They are the first guests to arrive and have to break in the Brocks' home from the rear door when they find no one welcoming them.
* Lenny (Leonard) and Claire Ganz - Charley's accountant and his wife, they have recently celebrated their own anniversary. They both belong to a golf club. On their way to the party, Lenny's new BMW was struck in a hit and rum that left the car devastated and caused them a delay.

* Ben Welch and Sam Pudney - two police officers who come to the Brocks' house in Act II.

* TheAllegedCar: Lenny's car becomes involved in a road accident, then later gets further abused by Cassie.

* ThemeNaming: The male guests'(except for Ernie, and only if Leonard is called "Len") and Officer Welch's names all end with an "en" sound, and the ladies' names all begin with "C". {{Lampshaded}} by the women.