Simple Spymen
Simple Spymen is a farce by the English playwright John Chapman. The story concerns two street musicians who are mistakenly appointed by negligent army officers to act as bodyguards to protect a scientist from assassination by a foreign spy. The first production of Simple Spymen was directed by Wallace Douglas and presented by Rix Theatrical Productions on 19 March 1958 at the Whitehall Theatre, London. It ran there until 29 July 1961, a total of 1,403 performances. It was third in the long-running series of Whitehall farces produced by the actor-manager Brian Rix; it followed Reluctant Heroes (1950) which had run for 1,610 performances and Dry Rot (1,475 performances from 1954). Cast Corporal Flight – Ray Cooney (billed as Raymond Cooney) Lieutenant Fosgrove – Toby Perkins Colonel Gray-Balding – Charles Cameron Mr Forster Stand – Gerald Anderson George Chuffer – Leo Franklyn Percy Pringle – Brian Rix Mrs Byng – Joan Sanderson Smogs – Larry Noble Miss Archdale – Merylin Roberts Max – Peter Allenby Crab – Peter Mercier Grobchick – Andrew Sachs Synopsis Act I Morning. A room in the War Office Lieutenant Fosgrove ("about thirty and very 'Army', but not very bright") and Colonel Gray-Balding ("in his fifties,