THE CIRCLE by Somerset Maugham A comedy in three acts, The Circle traces the story of an upper-class British family that faces a repetition of history. “Naughty Lady Kitty,” who long ago shocked society by abandoning her husband, returns – with her lover in tow – to visit her estranged son and daughter-in-law, Arnold and Elizabeth Champion-Cheney. The harmony of the weekend is disturbed when Kitty’s betrayed husband also turns up unexpectedly. Fortunately, Clive Cheney takes a humorous view of the situation. Or does he? As Lady Kitty tries to prevent history from repeating itself in the person of young Elizabeth, the absurdities of her life and character reveal a darker edge. So far, this is vintage Maugham. What is surprising is the warmth that is ultimately revealed behind the writer’s cool observations of human folly.
PLAY AND THE PLAYWRIGHT Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) is best known as a novelist and short story writer, especially remembered for charting the last days of the British Empire in the Far East. He was also a highly appreciated playwright in his day, writing many works for the stage as well as film adaptations. As a writer, Maugham typically took the role of detached observer, standing somewhat removed from the action and watching unmoved as human drama unfolded around him. Though Maugham himself lamented a plain vocabulary and described his work as being “in the very first row of the second-raters,” his restrained prose is now better appreciated. As for Maugham’s plays, critics today identify The Circle (1921) as his most brilliant, witty and complex work.