Set in Cambridge in the 1960’s at a school of English for foreigners, the play paints a picture of the lives of seven of the teachers over a period of several years.

The central character is St. John Quartermaine. He seems to be almost a permanent fixture in the staff common room, always there to listen to the personal problems of the others yet hopeless as a teacher himself and desparately lonely in his own life outside of the school.

At times funny, this is, finally, a very moving piece. It won the Cheltenham Prize for literature in 1982 — the first time a play has won this award.