Letter, A Play in Three Acts

The wife of a plantation manager in "British Malaysia" shoots a man of their acquaintance while her husband is away from home. She claims that the man she shot had attempted to rape her. Her lawyer supposes that her defense will be rather straightforward until his law clerk informs him that a blackmailer possesses evidence that will incriminate her. The defendant and her lawyer must determine whether it is best to 'explain away' the potentially damning implications of the titular letter or pay the sum demanded for its suppression. The Letter premiered (24 February 1927) at London's Playhouse Theatre where it ran 60 weeks starring Dame Gladys Cooper who was also the play's producer. While i…