Summary

The play is set in the Houses of Parliament in London in the 1970s. The Prologue takes place in the Westminster Clock Tower, behind the clockface of Big Ben. Michael Cocks stands behind the clockface staring outwards. Below, in the Members’ Lobby, people start running back and forth sharing the news that there is about the be a snap election. Throughout the play, aside from the main characters, Members of Parliament (MPs) are introduced before they speak by the House Speaker who calls out the name of their constituency before they speak. In the text, MPs are referred to by the name of their constituency (e.g. Bromsgrove, Paddington South) rather than their names.

Various MPs discuss the rumored snap election, especially the surprising fact that the news has been revealed by Walter Harrison, the Deputy Chief whip for the...