Scribd
Upload
1K views8 pages

If I Were You: Written by - Douglas James

The play introduces Gerrard, a playwright living alone, and an Intruder who wants to kill Gerrard and steal his identity to use his home and car for robbery schemes. The Intruder enters Gerrard's home with a gun but Gerrard manages to outwit him. Gerrard tricks the Intruder into checking outside for police by having him look in a dark cupboard, then locks him inside. While the Intruder shouts to be let out, Gerrard calmly calls for the police. Gerrard is so pleased by outsmarting the Intruder that he decides to use the story as the plot for his next play.

Uploaded by

V Gaming
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
1K views8 pages

If I Were You: Written by - Douglas James

The play introduces Gerrard, a playwright living alone, and an Intruder who wants to kill Gerrard and steal his identity to use his home and car for robbery schemes. The Intruder enters Gerrard's home with a gun but Gerrard manages to outwit him. Gerrard tricks the Intruder into checking outside for police by having him look in a dark cupboard, then locks him inside. While the Intruder shouts to be let out, Gerrard calmly calls for the police. Gerrard is so pleased by outsmarting the Intruder that he decides to use the story as the plot for his next play.

Uploaded by

V Gaming
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

If I Were You

Written By – Douglas James


Author’s Description

Douglas James born in May in 1929 as


written frequently for television, most
notably as the creator of The Riordans,
RTE’s long-running serial in the 1970s. He
has also written a number of plays
including The Savages, The Ice Goddess
and North Traffic Straight Ahead, an
Character’s Description
If I Were You is the story of Gerrard a cultured
playwright. He is something of a mystery man.
He is not very social, lives in a lonely cottage in
the wilds of Essex, gives his orders on the
phone and never meets the tradesmen.
The Intruder, who looks somewhat like Gerrard,
wants to murder Gerrard and thereafter steal
his identity. He is a robber who specialises in
the theft of jewels and plans to use Gerrard’s
house and car for his schemes.
Summary
The play opens with Gerrard answering a phone call which
is from a client to whom he promises to deliver the props
for rehearsal. He is busy packing for travel in this
connection when a flashily dressed Intruder, wearing an
overcoat and a soft hat and carrying a revolver in his hand
enters the room. However, before he can take Gerrard by
surprise, the Intruder bumps accidentally against a table,
and alerts Gerrard to his presence. Not at all nonplussed,
Gerrard tries to figure out who the Intruder is when the
latter threatens him with dire consequences if his
questions are not answered. The Intruder declares that he
is not there to tell him about himself but to learn more
about Gerrard.
The Intruder, who looks somewhat like Gerrard, wants
to murder Gerrard and thereafter steal his identity.
He is a robber who specialises in the theft of jewels
and plans to use Gerrard’s house and car for his
schemes. By assuming his identity, he can evade the
police and lead a peaceful life. The Intruder further
surprises Gerrard by telling him that he has noticed
his manner of speech and has taken care to adopt a
resemblance to him in looks too. He needs to change
his identity because the cops are searching him for
having killed on of their colleagues. He also tells
Gerrard how he has come to know about him, and his
habit of keeping aloof, by overhearing a conversation
between two people.
But it is the clever Gerrard who has the last laugh when he fools the
Intruder into believing that he, too, is running from the law and is
about to flee. He explains to the Intruder that unfortunately one
of his men has been caught.
He is expecting trouble that night. That is why he is ready to make
his getaway. He has a disguise outfit ready; false moustaches and
what not.
He adds that he has posted a man on the road to call him the moment
he sees the police.
The Intruder seems taken in.
As the telephone bell rings, Gerrard tells the Intruder that it might
be the call from the Informer. He completely befools the Intruder
by making him check for himself if everything is safe outside
before they escape. He makes him peep into a dark cupboard giving
While the Intruder keeps rattling the door and
shouting, “Let me out of here!”, Gerrard gets
down to business. Very coolly he answers a phone
call, apologising that he wouldn’t be able to
deliver stage props in time for rehearsal. At the
same time he requests the caller to send the
sergeant to his place. All this while he guards
the cupboard with the Intruder’s revolver.
Gerrard is so impressed by this incident that he
decides to use it as the plot for his next play.

You might also like