Detective: Good morning Madame, I am Detective … I’m investigating the disappearance of the young man in this photograph. He was last seen on this road on Monday evening. May I come in?
The landlady might want time to think, so she doesn’t answer the questions immediately. Instead, she simply says the exact words that she spoke to Billy:
Landlady: Why don’t you come in out of the cold? When you have written the dialogue in full, act it out, speaking the parts you have written.
‘The Landlady’ on Stage and Screen
The first photograph is from a stage play adaptation of ‘The Landlady. The second is from a film. In each case, the actress playing the landlady has entered into the part in her facial expressions and her movements. Her character has been created in costume, in make-up and in hairdressing.
Taking each photograph in turn:
a. Give a mark out of 10 to each actress according to how successfully you think she is acting the role of the landlady. Your answer should mention facial expression, gesture, eyes and anything else you notice.
b. Give a mark out of 10 for costume, hair and make-up in each case. Then answer both questions in relation to the actor playing Billy in the first photograph.
2 Top Tip
A twist is a sudden, unexpected turn; in the tail means it happens at the end. Roald Dahl’s stories often end with an unexpected moment that takes you by surprise and reveals something shocking. It is only at the end that you understand that something has been hinted at throughout the story.
