Harold Brighouse wrote “Hobson’s Choice”. Mr. Brighouse was born in Lancashire 1882. Harold Brighouse wrote a lot of plays featuring Lancashire. Harold was a very clever in school but wasn’t interested in going to University. Mr. Brighouse was brought up happily in middle-class family. Mr. Brighouse’s father was called by the name of John Brighouse. Mr. Brighouse was a Theatergoer. He went to local theatres. When went on holiday to London he found a whole different world. Mr. Brighouse returned and quitted his job in the office to become a full time play writer.
Mr. Brighouse and some local people formed a group called Manchester School of Dramatists. Manchester School of Dramatists wrote about ordinary people and their lives. The newly formed group changed the art of plays. During 1800-1900 plays were mainly about the rich and popular. Manchester School of Dramatists changed play writing and involved the poor and ordinary. In 1914 the play industry halted because of the outbreak of World War One, which lasted for four years. At the start of World War One Mr. Brighouse was in France. He was forced to leave France and return home. At this point Mr. Brighouse really started to concentrate on writing his plays.
When Mr. Brighouse started to write his plays with passion and pride he wrote the play “Hobson’s Choice.” The genre of this play was comedy. Hobson’s Choice was eventually shown at the end of World War One. The play was written rapidly. Mr. Brighouse changed the course of the final act and set the play back in time to the 1800. The phrase “Hobson’s Choice” is well known. To have “Hobson’s Choice” is to have no choice at all. “Hobson’s Choice” comes from the 17th Century Cambridgeshire horse trader choice Hobson. Hobson’s customers in theory had free choice but in practice they bought what Hobson wanted them to buy. As in the play Maggie leaves Hobson a choice but the threat of legal action made Hobson vulnerable and he didn’t have a choice but to let Vickey and Alice of the shelf.
William Mossop a lanky fellow. Aged about 30 years. Willie is not naturally stupid but is ” stunted mentally by a brutalized childhood.” Willie clothes are mentioned as “a poorer edition of Tabby’s.” When Willie comes up the trap door like a rabbit he is praised by Mrs. Hepworth, “these are the best made pair of boots I’ve ever had.” In the film Willie looks up at Mrs. Hepworth and Mr. Hobson as a child looking up at adults. The next scene Maggie calls Willie up from the cellar. Willie comes up then hesitates to come close to Maggie then demands Willie to show her his hands. Willie holds them out hesitatingly saying, “there dirty” (like child). Maggie values Willie’s skills,
“You’re a natural born genius at making boots.” Maggie referred to the big shops of Manchester. Willie is scared of going to bigger shops. Willie in the play always spoke the truth. Maggie asks Willie to marry her. Willie is baffled and when Willie is amazed he says “by gum.” Willie’s attitude changes he doesn’t want to marry Maggie and he tells her face-to-face. When the word is broken out, Hobson gets angry. Willie stands up for himself when getting whipped. Willie kisses Maggie to get Hobson angry and then runs out of the door with Maggie. Maggie praises Willie by telling him, “I knew you had it in you, lad.” A month later, Maggie and Willie go back to Hobson’s shop. Maggie tells Vickey and Alice that Willie and her are getting married. Alice doesn’t want Willie as her brother-in-law. Maggie back Willie up, “he’s as good as you are now, and better.”
Willie interrupts her “Way, come Maggie,” this shows that Willie still respects Vickey and Alice. Vickey calls Willie a queer. Maggie forces Vickey and Alice to kiss Willie and show that there are equal. Maggie at the end of act two still doesn’t trust Willie. She carries her own ring. An actor playing the part of Willie Mossop in act one and two will have to play the part like as if he was a kid. The actor will have to be amazed easily. When Maggie asks him to marry her he will have to move back when saying, ” by gum.”
In the first two acts the actor will as a shy and defenseless person. The actor will have to look puzzled by opening his eyes wide and speaking very slowly. Near the end of act one when Willie is whipped with Hobson’s belt, the actor will have to make a slight change. The actor will speak more like a man than a child but the audience will still see that he is scared. To stress how the actor can play Willie’s part like a child at the start of the play, the actor will say his lines looking half way up from the trap door observing the so called adults (Mrs. Hepworth and Mr. Hobson).
