The Gooseberry Marriage

"If there is one thing I dislike, it is the man who tries to air his grievances when I wish to air mine."

-P.G. Wodehouse

This larp revolves around the politics of two families, the Tedcastles and the Loddington-Joneses.

The Gooseberry Festival is in full swing in Heddington-Goodge, an unspeakably quaint English village.

The local gentry have gathered to politely applaud at local school children as they prate and caper and sing badly, but also to hash out some affairs of import behind the scenes. The servants have gathered to ensure the gentry don't mess anything up too badly.

There's the matter of a border between estates that needs to be redrawn. There's a looming wedding no one wants--a wedding predicated on the ancient tradition surrounding the Goosebury Festival that the villagers approach with alarming seriousness. 

And of course, there's the matter of the old spoon.

Fact Box

Players: 6-12 (with 6-8, choose one of the two families)

Space: Two tables, ideally within an empty room.

Props: A printout of the script, nametags and pens, masking tape, a way to play music, and (optional) teatime refreshments

Time: 3 hours

Content: Broad farce, ill-considered schemes, dignified suffering, romance for several characters, class tension, arguments over how to apportion land, the vicious desire for a particular spoon, and silly British names.