Janet Wilson Meets the Queen

Cooper, Beverley; Cooper, Beverley

Cooper, Beverley

monographic

text

First produced 2016 at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa, Ontario. Geographic setting: Vancouver, British Columbia. Historical period: 1969-1971. Characters: male adults: 1; female adults: 2; female teenagers: 1. Play includes speeches suitable for actors auditioning, and for young actors.

Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory

English

Drama

Black Comedy

cwrc:90f561fe-4eb1-4eea-9b19-37e132733c45

2018-09-26T00:11:45.882Z

Janet Wilson Meets the Queen is a black comedy about political apathy. The first act is set in Vancouver in 1969, when the political landscape is changing quickly and drastically. The central character of Janet is a mother who holds great faith in the British monarchy, their traditions and history. She lives with her teenaged daughter, Lilibet, and her aging and cranky mother, Granny, and husband, Jim. Janet is valiantly trying to hold together her dysfunctional family. When Robbie, her nephew from San Francisco, arrives on her doorstep, looking for refuge from the Vietnam War draft, Janet feels compelled to convince Robbie to return home to face his responsibilities. The second act moves forward to 1971 as Janet is looking forward to a royal visit to Vancouver by Queen Elizabeth. While Janet's family is irrevocably affected by the changing political landscape, she struggles for equilibrium, attempting to hold on to a world that refuses to stay still. Janet Wilson is a woman who is afraid to change as the world changes rapidly around her.