shirley valentine, synopsis

Shirley Valentine is an ordinary housewife. As she prepares chips and egg for dinner, she ruminates on her life, talking to the wall about such subjects as her husband, her children, her past and an attractive offer she has received from a girlfriend to go with her on holiday to Greece in search of romance and adventure.

Her husband shuns the egg and chips, which is the straw that breaks the camel's back. Shirley goes to Greece, has an "adventure" with a Greek fisherman, and decides to stay in Greece. In the end, her husband is on his way to try and retrieve her and she dreams of sitting at her table by the sea, saying to him: "Hello. I used to be the mother. I used to be your wife. But now, I'm Shirley Valentine again. Would you like to join me for a drink?"

The play takes place in three scenes, two acts with an interval.

Act One, Scene One
The kitchen of a semi-detached house. Evening.

Act One, Scene Two
The same, three weeks later.

Act Two
Greece. Five weeks later.