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A Small Family Business (Theatre)

 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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TVTItem
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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ASmallFamilyBusiness
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business is a play written by British playwright Alan Ayckebourne examining the (decreasing) morality of the world of business in the 80s and the rise of Thatcher's Britain. The play centres around a man who, after receiving news of potential "industrial espionage" within the family business, comes to discover that his family maybe isn't quite as upright and moral as he had believed.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Jack McCracken is the newly appointed manager of his father-in-law Ken's furniture business. Jack, a very honest and moral businessman, makes it clear that he intends to use his own rigid sense of morality as a standard which all employees should adhere to. During a family party celebrating his appointment, Jack's youngest daughter Sammy is accused of shoplifting by the unpleasant and weaselly Mr Hough, a private investigator. Hough displays a troubling level of knowledge about Jack's family and business and suggests a business deal: he'll let Sammy off if Jack agrees to hire him to investigate a problem Ken plans to discuss with Jack the next day. When Jack refuses, his wife and eldest daughter express their frustrations with Jack's unwavering honesty, saying that the world just doesn't work that way anymore. The next day, Ken tells Jack that an Italian furniture company is somehow managing to copy their designs and is subsequently edging their own business out of the market. Jack reluctantly agrees to hire Mr Hough to investigate.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Hough's investigations lead Jack to realise that his company's leak is coming from within his own family: his sister-in-law, Anita, whom he quickly discovers is having an affair with each of the four Italian brothers running the Italian furniture business. He confronts her about it, but not only is she completely unrepentant, she informs him that Cliff (her husband and Jack's brother) is also in on it. Gradually, it becomes clear that Ken's son Desmond and Jack's son-in-law are complicit as well. Realising that it might prove somewhat embarrassing if Hough should discover and disclose the level of corruption within the company, the group go through their options, eventually settling on bribery to make him forget the whole thing. The only condition is that Jack be the one to do the deal since it was him who hired Hough in the first place.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_3'); })Jack offers Hough the money, and Hough is insulted - not because he dislikes being bribed but because he considers the offered amount to be far too small given the enormity of what he's uncovered. Jack leaves his wife with the money as he and the others scramble to find more as quickly as they can. Another emergancy meeting is called and this time, it's decided that the Italian brothers make Hough "disappear". Jack is appalled and calls the whole thing off, returning home to find that Hough, after becoming increasing unpleasant and relentless in his demand for his money, is dead in the bathroom, having been killed by a coked-up Sammy. This leaves Jack with only one option: to get the Italians to remove Hough's body for the price of the original bribery money. A few days later, the family are again throwing a party at Jack's house (this time to celebrate Ken's birthday). Cliff tells Jack that, as further payment for disposing of the family's problem, the Italian brothers want to use the family business as a front for smuggling cocaine. After some thought, Jack agrees and the family toast the business and each other...unaware that Sammy is suffering severe withdrawal in the bathroom.The most explicitly political of Ayckebourne's plays, A Small Family Business is, at its heart, a deeply darkly funny and satirical look at the ruthlessness of business that came to prominence during Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister, and challenges the "greed is good" overly-capitalist ethos of the modern western world.
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2022-05-09T08:10:02Z
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2022-05-09T08:10:02Z
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Title Drop
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_18d15922
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Title Drop: In the play's final scene.
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The Sociopath
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_19851b86
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The Sociopath: Mr Hough.
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Crapsack World
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Crapsack World: Everyone is dishonest and looking out for themselves. Everyone.
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Black Comedy
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Black Comedy: The play thrives on it.
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Only Sane Man
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Only Sane Man: Jack.
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Incorruptible Pure Pureness
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_289008dc
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Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Averted. Jack obviously sees himself as being this, but soon discovers just how wrong he is.
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Deadly Euphemism
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_2eb94abd
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Deadly Euphemism: Used quite a bit when discussing what's to be done about Mr Hough.
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Teens Are Monsters
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Teens Are Monsters: Sammy.
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SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism
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Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism: In-Universe, the show basically chronicles Jack's slide from Idealism to Cynicism. Meta-wise, it's firmly cynical.
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Wide-Eyed Idealist
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_3ed17fe0
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Wide-Eyed Idealist: Jack starts out as this. So does Poppy, but to a lesser extent.
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GreyAndGreyMorality
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Grey-and-Grey Morality: Again, the play essentially operates on this.
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Would Hurt a Child
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_479d4e5a
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Would Hurt a Child: Mr Hough has several instances where he discusses the value of corporal punishment in raising children...
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Butt-Monkey
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_47fea76b
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Butt-Monkey: Roy, who can barely say anything without someone telling him to shut up. Also Cliff to some extent.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_4b316d47
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Break the Cutie
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_4b316d47
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Break the Cutie: At the start of the play, Jack is a very morally upright, honest (albeit naive) businessman who just wants to do the right thing. By the end, he's essentially become a mob boss.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_4e3d253b
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Downer Ending
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: Jack's moral compass has all but been completely destroyed and it's implied that Sammy will either be going completely off the rails or at the very least become one of the prime sufferers of her family's new cocaine smuggling venture.
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Little Miss Snarker
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Little Miss Snarker: Sammy, as is a teenager's wont.
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Bookends
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Bookends: The play begins and ends with a surprise party being held at Jack's house.
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He Knows Too Much
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_65acf9db
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He Knows Too Much: What the characters ultimately decide about Mr Hough.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_7289b368
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Idiot Hero
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_7289b368
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Idiot Hero: "Idiot" is maybe a bit strong but Jack is certainly very naive at the beginning.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_7d89315b
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"The Reason You Suck" Speech
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_7d89315b
comment
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Jack gets the opportunity to deliver several to the family. It's just a shame it never sinks in.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_7fbb2a3
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Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_7fbb2a3
comment
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Jack is seen as having done this several times throughout the show. Again, whether he actually does is up to you.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_7fbb2a3
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_83f3983b
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Necessarily Evil
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_83f3983b
comment
Necessarily Evil: There's hints that Mr Hough, the Donnazetti brothers and several members of the family see themselves as this. Whether they are or not is ultimately up to you.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_868409c
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Broken Pedestal
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_868409c
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Broken Pedestal: It's subtle but it's implied that both Jack's daughters have come to see him as this, somewhat ironically because he's too honest.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_86b21114
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Badass Boast
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_86b21114
comment
Badass Boast: Mr Hough has several surprisingly understated examples of these.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_88cee6e2
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Abhorrent Admirer
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_88cee6e2
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Abhorrent Admirer: Mr Hough gives several compliments to Jack's wife Poppy throughout the play. Neither she nor her husband are pleased.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_8ae880f7
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Deconstruction
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_8ae880f7
comment
Deconstruction: Of the capitalist-centric, "greed is good" attitudes that rose to prominence in the early 80s.
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Asshole Victim
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Asshole Victim: Mr Hough.
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Token Good Teammate
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_8f612013
comment
Token Good Teammate: Jack and, to some extent, Roy whose level of corruption is left quite vague compared to everyone else's and it's hinted that he and his family are struggling a little financially (at least compared to the others) so it's assumed that, like Jack, he's not in as deeply as everyone else is.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_90d44f44
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Karmic Death
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_90d44f44
comment
Karmic Death: After extolling the virtues of corporal punishment for any kind of bad behaviour throughout the play, Mr Hough is beaten to death by Sammy after frightening her and hitting her mother and sister.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_95b7c400
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Faux Affably Evil
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_95b7c400
comment
Faux Affably Evil: Mr Hough is (verbally) very polite in all his interactions with the family but is, in truth, a thoroughly unpleasant and ultimately dangerous man.
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Big Bad
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Big Bad: Mr Hough.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_9d12bbc1
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Foreshadowing
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_9d12bbc1
comment
Foreshadowing: Early on, Jack's wife and daughters are revealed to be minor thieves and all able to justify it to themselves. The rest of the play is essentially that brief conversation replayed but on a much larger scale. Sammy also asks Roy if he has any cocaine, storming off when he says he doesn't. She becomes more and more addicted to cocaine over the course of the show. Jack sarcastically asks his wife and daughters if they have any objection to breaking any of the 10 Commandments after he learns they've all stolen from people, specifically asking if they object to breaking "thou shalt not kill". None of them answer. Sammy ends up killing Mr Hough while the other two women watch without interfering.
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CloudCuckooLander
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_9dd2cbc2
comment
Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Ken is suffering from something resembling Alzheimer's or dementia, leading him to forget various characters' names and what's going on at any given time. The only thing he seems to consistently remember is his wife's death.
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Mood Whiplash
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comment
Mood Whiplash: Late in the second act, we go from a high farce to a creepy bloke essentially stalking a trio of women around a house, back to farce, then to a drugged-up teenage girl beating said creepy bloke to death (often with a graphic blood splatter) then back to farce again. All in about 10 minutes.
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Language Barrier
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Language Barrier: Played straight with three of the Italian Donnazetti brothers and then comically averted with the fourth.
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Karma Houdini
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comment
Karma Houdini: The play begins with Sammy attempting to be this for shoplifting. Also, no one is punished for their corruption and Sammy ultimately is allowed to get away with murder (though her severe addiction to cocaine may count as some form of karma depending on your view).
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_ad1db87c
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Oh, Crap!
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_ad1db87c
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Oh, Crap!: Whenever Mr Hough appears, there's bound to be at least one instance of this...
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_b39d5719
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Sadist
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_b39d5719
comment
Sadist: Hough, among his many unpleasant traits, appears to take great delight in the idea of causing some kind of pain to others.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_bc74ef27
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Berserk Button
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_bc74ef27
comment
Berserk Button: Jack's big one is dishonesty. The situation he's in eventually wears it down...
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I Have You Now, My Pretty
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_bfad4265
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I Have You Now, My Pretty: Mr Hough behaves this way towards Poppy when he's hunting for the bribery money.
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c2137007
type
Running Away to Cry
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c2137007
comment
Running Away to Cry: Depending on the actress, Sammy may be prone to this.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c2137007
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c2137007
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c2137007
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3648b87
type
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3648b87
comment
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Once it's clear that Jack needs to work with his family to sort out the mess they're all in, he takes every opportunity he can to remind them he's doing so under duress.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3648b87
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3648b87
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3648b87
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3c18143
type
Hope Spot
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3c18143
comment
Hope Spot: When Jack first offers the bribery money to Mr Hough, Hough rejects it - though he quickly reveals that it's merely because the offer is not large enough rather than any sense of morality.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3c18143
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3c18143
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c3c18143
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c4240537
type
Moral Event Horizon
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c4240537
comment
Moral Event Horizon: By the end of the play, pretty much everyone has leapt over it. The exact moment of anyone crossing it is left to you to decide.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c4240537
featureApplicability
1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c4240537
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_c4240537
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_cbe687ab
type
Corrupt Corporate Executive
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_cbe687ab
comment
Corrupt Corporate Executive: The point of the play is essentially to show that everyone is this to some degree.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_cbe687ab
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_cbe687ab
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_cbe687ab
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d397657d
type
Hoist by His Own Petard
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d397657d
comment
Hoist by His Own Petard: Hough's rejection of Jack's initial monetary offer prompts Jack to leave the house, telling his wife not to let anyone have the money. Hough subsequently changes his mind while Jack's gone and goes in search for the money, frightening Poppy as she follows Jack's instructions and causing a drugged-up Sammy to beat him to death in retaliation for terrorising her mother and sister.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d397657d
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d397657d
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d397657d
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d62dd556
type
The Chessmaster
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d62dd556
comment
The Chessmaster: Anita, who seems to be the only one of the family not only capable of crime but also rather good at it.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d62dd556
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d62dd556
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d62dd556
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d934b1c7
type
Small, Secluded World
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d934b1c7
comment
Small, Secluded World: The action all takes place in a small suburban neighbourhood.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d934b1c7
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d934b1c7
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d934b1c7
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d9cf40fa
type
Screw This, I'm Outta Here
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d9cf40fa
comment
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: As soon as the conversation turns from how to get more money to bribe Mr Hough to how best to kill him, Jack ups and leaves. Though it doesn't do Hough much good.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d9cf40fa
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d9cf40fa
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_d9cf40fa
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3b0cd87
type
Morality Pet
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3b0cd87
comment
Morality Pet: Everyone considers Jack to be this. Ironically he ultimately ends up arguably becoming less moral than any of them.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3b0cd87
featureApplicability
1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3b0cd87
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3b0cd87
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3cee2e7
type
Empathic Environment
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3cee2e7
comment
Empathic Environment: The second time Mr Hough appears, he's accompanied by a dramatic clap of thunder during a heavy rainstorm.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3cee2e7
featureApplicability
1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3cee2e7
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_e3cee2e7
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_f332d990
type
Too Much Information
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_f332d990
comment
Too Much Information: Jack lets slip a lot about his and his wife's preferences in the bedroom in the first scene when he's unaware of a surprise party being held for him. It may be a family trait since Cliff is occasionally prone to this as well.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_f332d990
featureApplicability
1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_f332d990
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_f332d990
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fb9e25e9
type
Team Mom
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fb9e25e9
comment
Team Mom: Poppy. Also Anita has her moments, though they're reserved for the more ruthless side of things.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fb9e25e9
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fb9e25e9
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 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fb9e25e9
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fbd285b7
type
Comically Missing the Point
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fbd285b7
comment
Comically Missing the Point: Roy. On numerous occasions.
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fbd285b7
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fbd285b7
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A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_fbd285b7
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_name
type
ItemName
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_name
comment
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_name
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_name
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1.0
 A Small Family Business (Theatre)
hasFeature
A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_name
 A Small Family Business (Theatre) / int_name
itemName
A Small Family Business (Theatre)

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