Character Relationship Map: Simon and Laura

Characters

• Simon Foster (played by Peter Finch) — protagonist

  Simon Foster is one half of an argumentative theatrical couple who have been together for about 20 years. He and Laura are given a new lease of life when they play a faux-harmonious version of themsel...

• Laura Foster (played by Kay Kendall) — supporting

  Laura Foster is one half of an argumentative theatrical couple who have been together for about 20 years. She and Simon are given a new lease of life when they play a faux-harmonious version of themse...

• Janet Honeyman (played by Muriel Pavlow) — supporting

  Janet Honeyman is the scriptwriter associated with the television production. The film adaptation changed her from the Canadian scriptwriter in the original play to an English character; the provided...

• David Prentice (played by Ian Carmichael) — supporting

  David Prentice is an ambitious young BBC producer. Ian Carmichael played the role in the stage play and film; in the later television version, he instead played Simon Foster. The provided plot summary...

• Bertie Burton (played by Hubert Gregg) — supporting

  Bertie Burton is Simon and Laura's agent. In the film adaptation, the character was changed from the German-accented Wolfstein in the play to an English agent. The plot summary does not describe his s...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• David Prentice → Simon Foster (Professional Television Producer) — David represents the newer television profession surrounding Simon's acting work.

  David Prentice is identified in the production information as an ambitious young BBC producer, while Simon is the theatrical performer at the center o...

• Janet Honeyman → Laura Foster (Professional Scriptwriter) — Janet is professionally connected to Laura through the television script.

  The production notes describe Janet Honeyman as the couple's scriptwriter.

• Janet Honeyman → Simon Foster (Professional Scriptwriter) — Janet is professionally connected to Simon through the television script.

  The production notes describe Janet Honeyman as the couple's scriptwriter.

• Bertie Burton → Laura Foster (Professional Agent) — Bertie represents Laura as part of the couple's entertainment work.

  The production notes identify Bertie Burton as the agent connected with the theatrical couple.

• Bertie Burton → Simon Foster (Professional Agent) — Bertie represents Simon in the couple's professional career.

  The production notes state that the theatrical couple's agent is Bertie Burton.

• Simon Foster → Laura Foster (Romantic Long-term Partner) — They are a long-established couple whose relationship is central to the story.

  The plot describes Simon and Laura as an argumentative theatrical couple who have been together for about 20 years.

Story Analysis

A theatrical couple's artificial television harmony exposes the comic absurdity of early television production.

Plot Progression

1. The Theatrical Couple — Simon and Laura are introduced as a long-established but argumentative theatrical couple. Their relationship provides the human center for the television satire.
2. A Television Reprieve — The couple receives a new lease of life through a television opportunity. They must perform a falsely harmonious version of themselves.
3. Home Under Cameras — Their own home becomes the setting for a daily soap opera. The production turns their private relationship into a manufactured television image.
4. The Broadcast Machine — The story examines television serial conventions and the world behind the cameras. The approaching 200th edition raises the comic pressure surrounding the production.
5. The Disastrous Edition — Filming of the soap opera's 200th edition goes disastrously wrong. The breakdown becomes a free-for-all rumpus before the cameras and the film's central comic spectacle.