UNIT – IV One- Act Play– “The Never- Never Nest”

One- Act Play –

                 “The Never- Never Nest”

      “The Never- Never Nest”, whose playwright is Cedric Mount, is a one-act play, depicting a naive couple Jack & Jill, who bought each & every luxury of life on installments & are living cheerfully without even being aware that they would be struggling under the burden in the near future.

The title of the play —- “The Never- Never Nest” has two ‘never’ in it, ensuring that the nest would never be built. The double negative is emphasizing the impossibility of home.

The ‘nest’ in the title, literally refers to the home of birds.

Birds make their home by collecting straws & twigs of various trees. The nest acts as their temporary home as they do migration with respect to the changing weather conditions. Also, they are not safe, as different animals might attack their nest anytime. The same is the case with Jack & Jill.

The word ‘nest’ is a suggestion of instability. It is suggesting a temporary home. The couple can be attacked by the money-lenders anytime if the installments are not paid on the designated time.

Moreover, they have not just purchased home on installments, rather they brought each & every thing of the house like furniture, piano, radiogram & even the car on installments. At the end of the play, humor takes on wings when we got to know that the couple had their baby on installments.

“Jill : ……..just one more installment & BABY’S REALLY OURS !”

Since every opulence of their life is based on

buy- now-pay-later marketing system, they were not secure at all. The family’s income is very low as compared to the total installment which is to be paid every week.

“Aunt Jane : ………How can you pay seven pounds eight & eight  pence out of six pounds”

This situation tells that if anytime they would be unable to pay the installments, they might have to leave the house

, which simply shows the insecurity of the luxuries of their life.

The word ‘nest’ in the title may also be interpreted as a source of humor, especially satire, which the playwright tried to bring. Birds take a lot of time to build their nest as they have to collect several straws & twigs from different places. They work very hard. But, in this play, both Jack & Jill show their instant gratification for luxuries & had brought them on installments without saving any money. That is, the word ‘nest’ acts as a contrary word for such a house.

Therefore, the title of this act is appropriate as it connotes the theme of the act —- the pathetic condition of the couple, leading a luxurious life on installment basis under their charming nest, which is too on easy monthly installments.