Entertaining Mr. Sloane

Entertaining Mr. Sloane Summary | Act 1 Summary

Note: As is correct in British English, in this play "Mr" and other abbreviated forms of address are spelled without punctuation.

As the play begins, Kath is showing a parlor room in her house to Mr Sloane, a prospective boarder. After a brief discussion about the terms of lodging, Sloane agrees to take the room. The conversation quickly turns personal. Kath reveals that she had a son who died and that she is a widow. Without any prompting, a few moments later, Kath confesses that her son was illegitimate and that she was never married. Her sudden intimacy doesn't seem to faze Sloane, who appears to take everything in stride.

Kath becomes more and more flirtatious, finally wrapping Sloane's arms around her and giving him what she calls a "motherly kiss." Telling Sloane that he needs "a bit of luxury," Kath asks whether Sloane would prefer a rubber pillow for his bed or one with feathers. She adds: "You'll live with us then as one of the family?"

Kath's talk of family leads Sloane to declare that he was raised in an orphanage after his parents died when he was young. Kath is impressed by his air of refinement and declares that he possesses "the air of lost wealth." Sloane adds that he believes his parents were indeed wealthy and portrays them as a very respectable and upper-class couple. He declares his filial devotion to his parents' memory, telling Kath that he makes an annual trip to where they are buried to tidy up their tombs. He suggests that Kath accompany him on his next trip.

Kath notes that her lost son would be about Sloane's age now. She says that Sloane shares her son's refinement. Sloane turns his likeness to her son to his advantage, playing on her maternal affections. "I need ... understanding," he says. Kath responds to his ploy for sympathy by touching his neck and his check. She remarks on his delicate skin.

Sloane and Kath's conversation is interrupted by the appearance of Kath's father, Kemp. A man with poor vision, he initially mistakes Sloane for his son, Ed. Kath explains impatiently who Sloane is and why he's here. Kemp says they have no room to rent. Angry now, Kath scolds her father for his rudeness and tells him to entertain Mr Sloane while she goes off to prepare tea.

Sloane tells Kemp that he looks familiar, and he wonders aloud where they might have met before. Kemp says they have never crossed paths. Their conversation also turns personal, as Kemp tells Sloane about his son, to whom he never speaks. When Sloane expresses surprise at such behavior, Kemp explains why he disowned Ed. Although the explanation is veiled, it is clear that Kemp disowned his son because Ed is gay. Kemp alludes to the fact that he caught his son and another boy having sex (referring to it as a "felony") when Ed was seventeen.

The talk turns to the seedy state of the neighborhood, where people from other areas come to dump their garbage. Sloane suggests that Kemp find someone with political pull to help him stop the littering. Kemp says he knows just the person: his boss. Unfortunately, his boss is dead, the victim of an unsolved murder that happened two years before. Sloane becomes curious, asking several questions about the murder and the ensuing investigation.

Suddenly, Kemp realizes that, in fact, the two men have met before. Now it is Sloane's turn to deny it. Even though Sloane reminds Kemp of his poor eyesight, Kemp swears he recognizes Sloane. With a hint of menace, Kemp says that he could "identify" Sloane if necessary. Sloane becomes defensive and insults Kemp, who responds by stabbing the young man in the leg with a fork.

Kath returns to find Sloane in pain and bleeding on the sofa. She chastises her father for his violence. Sloane says that Kemp belongs in a mental institution; "Colney Hatch" is the name of a local lunatic asylum. Kath instructs her father to go fetch some antiseptic (Dettol) for the wound. Meanwhile, Kath locates some bandages and suggests that Sloane remove his trousers so that she can nurse his wound. One moment Kath is denying that she has any ulterior motive in getting him undressed, and the next moment she is coyly praising Sloane's smooth young body. As she inspects him, she makes a strange discovery. Although Sloane is a blond, the hairs on his leg are quite dark. Sloane is rather mum about this fact.

When Sloane attempts to move to clothe himself, Kath quickly commands him to keep still. She then tells him that she's nude under her dress, and when he finds her nylon sticking between the sofa cushions, she praises her legs. When Sloane attempts to fondle her breasts, Kath backs away as though she were insulted.

Kemp reappears, and Kath tells him to go fetch Mr Sloane's suitcase from his former lodging house. Sloane leaves them to go up to his new room. After Sloane exits, Kemp attempts to convince his daughter that he has seen the young man before. As she dismisses the idea, the two of them hear a rapping at the window. Kath announces that it is her brother Ed. Kemp says he won't speak to his son and goes off to fetch Sloane's belongings.

Kath tells Ed about Sloane and that he has offered to take a room in the house. Ed protests. He says that a young man living in the house with her would cause a scandal. Kath says Sloane is a respectable young man, but her brother isn't buying it. She says she needs the money because she's going to put their father in a nursing home in the next year. Ed ignores her arguments, reminding his sister that a scandal could jeopardize his position among his associates, who are well-off, upstanding citizens.

Ed discovers Sloane's abandoned trousers and demands to meet the young man. Kath, fearing her brother's dismissal of the young boarder from the house, begs her brother not to send Sloane away. "I'm to be his mamma," she pleads. As soon as Ed lays his eyes on the handsome young man, however, his opposition abruptly ends. As with his sister earlier, Ed's conversation with Sloane quickly turns intimate. He finds an excuse to send his sister from the room. Alone with Sloane, Ed quizzes him on his background. Ed is pleased to hear that Sloane grew up in an all-male orphanage and that he is fond of sports and other masculine pursuits. For Ed, this talk of male companionship elicits a bittersweet memory. He recalls engaging in such activities with his "mate," an allusion to his boyhood friend, Tommy, with whom he had sexual relations in his youth.

The conversation becomes explicitly erotic. Ed becomes more and more excited as he hears about the young man's physical prowess - the wrestling, the boxing and the workouts in the nude. Sloane stokes the fire, extolling the beauty of his own body and toying with Ed's fantasies. Ed cross-examines Sloane about women and, in particular, his sister. Would Sloane ever respond to Kath's sexual overtures? Sloane assures Ed that he has no interest in his sister.

Just as Kath earlier tried to entice Sloane with gifts, such as comfortable pillows and her own body, so, too, does Ed try to barter for Sloane's affections. Ed boasts of his possessions, his cars and his rich friends, as well as his ability to use his influence to benefit Sloane. He offers to make the young man his chauffeur and dress him up in a sexy uniform. They make plans to discuss the job offer over a drink.

Kath returns to the room and learns that Sloane will be working for her brother. After Sloane exits, Ed tells his sister that he is going to pay Sloane's boarding expenses and that she is not to take any money from him. Ed also forbids his sister to buy any presents for Sloane. He then mentions his plans for the next day, which include having drinks with his well-off friends. This talk of fashionable living leads Kath to suggest that she'd like to see her brother's elegant rooms at the hotel where he lives. He says that he will invite her, on one condition: that she persuade their father to speak to him. Ed grows upset as he wonders why his father will not see him.

Kemp enters just after his son has left. Kath implores her father to speak to Ed. He refuses. She pleads with him to no avail. Her father is feeling sorry for himself. He thinks he's dying. He thinks she will run off with Sloane and leave him alone. He thinks she doesn't love him. He thinks she'll put him in a nursing home. She evades the issue by sending him off to bed.

After Kath's father leaves, she slips into a see-through nightgown and calls Sloane back to the parlor. She creates a romantic mood with lighting and scents. She pretends to be preoccupied with knitting as he appears. She protests that the lighting, which she arranged, is exposing her naked body to him. He tries to make a pass at her, and she rebuffs him. She presents him with photographs of her former lover and of herself when she was younger and prettier. She teases him by withholding a final photograph, which turns out to be a snapshot of the location where she lost her virginity. When the snapshot slips from her hand, Sloane moves to reach for it. As he does, Kath manages to entangle her body with his. She murmurs seductive endearments as the curtain falls.