BELCHER’S LUCK - THE GENERATIONS - Where The Difference Begins - A Climate of Fear - Birth of a Private Man

Oct 13, 2026

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Belcher’s Luck by David Mercer explores mental and social breakdown in present-day England through the troubled young intellectual son of Belcher. Rejected by his father, he is adopted by a refined, chaste, repressed homosexual aristocrat, creating a double paternal influence from both working-class lechery and upper-class restraint. Martin Esslin’s commentary frames the resulting tension as a portrayal of a neurotic nation shaped by irreconcilable cultural gulf, noting provocation and critical response.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages120

Reading Time3 h 5 min

AccessFree to download

The Generations

Where The Difference Begins

A Climate of Fear

Birth of a Private Man

Three TV Plays

Ride a Cock Horse

The Long Crawl Through Time (New Writers 3)

The Parachute

Let's Murder Vivaldi

In Two Minds

belchers luckdavid mercer A PLAY BY | BELCHER'S LUCK
by
DAVID MERCER | | --- | "Belcher's Luck is an important play,"wrote Martin Esslin in The New YorkTimes."Mercer,whose script for thefilm Morgan has made him widely known,is fascinated by the problems of mentaland social breakdown.Here he has founda splendidly telling image for theneurosis of present-day England in theperson of a young intellectual,theillegitimate son of Belcher,a lusty,coarse soldier who has been the lifelongcompanion of an upper-class general.Belcher rejects his son;the old generaladopts him.The boy thus has twofathers:the rude working-class lecher,and the refined,chaste,repressedhomosexual aristocrat. "The tension between these twocontradictory influences has made theboy mad and impotent.It is a tellingpicture of a country rendered neuroticby the unreconcilable gulf between itstwo nations,its two cultures.I suspectthat this may be the reason why itangered the critics.It is a little too nearthe bone.But it is a fine play...” David Mercer began his career as atelevision playwright and is generallyheld to be one of the most successfulmasters of that medium.In 1964 hescored a great success with his stage playRide a Cock Horse which led to his being (continued on back flap) Property ofCUAclrama Domated By on Palmer Cauridg # BELCHER’S LUCK # THE GENERATIONS Where The Difference BeginsA Climate of FearBirth of a Private Man THREE TV PLAYS A Suitable Case for TreatmentFor Tea on SundayAnd Did Those Feet RIDE A COCK HORSE THE LONG CRAWL THROUGH TIME(New Writers 3) THE PARACHUTEwith Let's Murder VivaldiIn Two Minds # Belcher's Luck DAVID MERCER C David Mercer 1967 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED All performing rights in this play are strictly reserved andapplication for performances in all countries sbould be madeto Margaret Ramsay Ltd,I4a,Goodwin's Court,LondonW.C.2.No performance of the play may be given unles.s alicence bas been obtained prior to rebearsal. Library of Congress Catalog Card Nmber:67-21836 This play was first performed on November I7th,I966by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the AldwychTheatre,London with the following cast: SIR GERALD CATESBY...Sebastian ShawHARRY BELCHER...David Waller LUCY...Helen Fraser VICTOR...John Hurt HELEN RAWSTON...Sheila Allen Director David Jones

FAQs

What central conflict drives the character in Belcher’s Luck?

The character is shaped by two contradictory paternal influences: a coarse working-class soldier and a refined, repressed homosexual aristocrat.

How does the play connect personal tension to national culture?

It presents the boy’s neurosis and impotence as an image of a country rendered neurotic by the unreconcilable gulf between two nations and two cultures.

When and where was Belcher’s Luck first performed?

It was first performed on November 17, 1966 by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych Theatre in London.

Oct 13, 2026

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