Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honour

"Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honour" by W. Somerset Maugham is a collection of plays written in the early 20th century. The principal play, "Lady Frederick," focuses on Lady Frederick Berolles, a vivacious but financially troubled woman navigating her relationships with various men while contending with her precarious financial situation. The play humorously addresses themes of love, reputation, and social status, as Lady Frederick contemplates both marriage and the potential downfall of her previously affluent lifestyle. The opening of "Lady Frederick" introduces several key characters at the Hotel Splendide in Monte Carlo, where Lady Frederick is caught in a web of social intrigue. Lady Merenston is deeply concerned about her son Charlie's infatuation with Lady Frederick, whom she believes would be a poor match due to her questionable reputation and financial turmoil. As conversations unfold, we learn about Lady Frederick's debts and the lengths to which she must go to maintain her status in society. The interplay between Lady Frederick, her admirers, and her critics sets the stage for a comedic exploration of love and morality in a world where appearances matter significantly. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Somerset Maugham was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German university. He became a medical student in London and qualified as a physician in 1897. He never practised medicine, and became a full-time writer. His first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), a study of life in the slums, attracted attention, but it was as a playwright that he first achieved national celebrity. By 1908 he had four plays running at once in the West End of London. He wrote his 32nd and last play in 1933, after which he abandoned the theatre and concentrated on novels and short stories.