Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Dock Brief” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Dock Brief

John Mortimer

3.33 · Rating details · 6 Ratings · 2 Reviews

Performed in London and on American television and stage with What Shall We Tell Caroline? A seedy lawyer has been waiting for years to make a grandstand defence. He is assigned to defend an innocuous little man accused of murdering his wife. The man cheerfully admits his guilt; he simply couldn't stand his wife's constant joking and laughing. The trial ends and the verdic ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for

Paperback, 42 pages

Published 1958 by Samuel French Ltd

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Dock Brief, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Dock Brief

Lists with This Book

J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set by J.R.R. Tolkien

UTILITY LIST for quickly adding BOOK SERIES

292 books — 17 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-16)

Rating details

Sort: Default

Filter

Apr 30, 2009 Tony rated it really liked it

Shelves: drama

Mortimer, John. THE DOCK BRIEF & Other Plays. (1962). ****. John Mortimer, the author of the famous series of books about Rumpole of the Bailey, unfortunately passed on this January. Before he was a novelist, he was a part-time actor and playwright. His plays were written to be performed on the radio and then later revised for the stage. This book provides a glimpse of some of his early plays, and includes three of them. “The Dock Brief,” is a two-character piece played entirely within a jai Mortimer, John. THE DOCK BRIEF & Other Plays. (1962). ****. John Mortimer, the author of the famous series of books about Rumpole of the Bailey, unfortunately passed on this January. Before he was a novelist, he was a part-time actor and playwright. His plays were written to be performed on the radio and then later revised for the stage. This book provides a glimpse of some of his early plays, and includes three of them. “The Dock Brief,” is a two-character piece played entirely within a jail cell by a man accused of killing his wife (and he admits he did) and his barrister. The barrister – a man of advanced age and little experience – got the assignment by sitting in the wrong seat when pro bono cases were given out by the judge. The first part of the play consists of the barrister trying out several different methods of defense while the accused shoots holes in all of them. The interplay between the two is hilarious and witty. The second part of the play discusses how the defendent managed to get pardoned. It involved none of the artful defense procedures that the two had discussed early on and was completely unexpected. The second play, “What Shall We Tell Caroline?” is all about a love triangle that really doesn’t exist. It seems that Caroline, the daughter of the headmaster and his wife, is having her 18th birthday and a celebration is being organized in the living quarters of the school for her. It will be a small party, just her father, her mother, and Tony, one of the teachers who manages to keep her mother amused with songs and jokes. Mom needs it because her husband, the headmaster, is a dour old man with no sense of humor and a volatile temper that leads him to shout most things instead of speaking them. There’s a long discussion of what education is supposed to be about between Tony and the headmaster. Their theories vary widely and differ one from the other. They know that young people should be taught something, but they can’t agree on what or how. Caroline enters and is given her gifts from all, but doesn’t speak a word. It is only at the beginning of the second act that she begins to speak. This happens as she is seen walking towards the front door with her suitcase in hand. When asked where she is going, she informs the family (+Tony) that she has taken a job as a clerk in London and will be renting a room of her own. This sparks a philosophical debate among the three as to what they should have told – or taught – her about life. It also exposes the symbiotic relationship that exists among the three. This is a sparkling tragi-comedy about love, life and poses. The last play, “I Spy,” is a story about a private detective who has been assigned the task of spying on a woman who works in a coutry inn as a waitress. Turns out that she left her husband of one year because she couldn’t stand him, but the husband is sure that she left for another man and wants proof so he can proceed with a divorce. The detective is a riot. He tries to remain stoic and unapproachable in his disguise as a waiter, but a bumblier waiter you won’t find. The woman manages to help him along in his job, teaching him to be a waiter while he continues his detecting. He can’t seem to find any impropriety to associate with her, but finds her honest, helpful, and pleasant to be with. The attorney who hired the detective wants results for his client, however, and demands that more effort be put into the job. What happens is kind of expected, but isn’t really. This is comedy of the first rank and I wonder why it isn’t part of the standard repertoire. Recommended. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 14, 2011 Laura rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Bettie

Shelves: audio-books, fiction, read-2011

An unsuccessful barrister is asked to defend a man accused of murder. Stars Michael Hordern and David Kossoff. From May 1957.

Avalilable at BBC Radio 7: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007js6p

flag Like · see review

Ivan Hadzhiev rated it liked it
Feb 25, 2017

Saeid.artzakizadeh rated it it was ok
Mar 18, 2014

Omera rated it really liked it
Aug 18, 2012

Daisy rated it really liked it
Sep 24, 2013

Robert Weaver added it
Jan 28, 2012

Chidi OKORO marked it as to-read
Oct 10, 2012

Nin Chakvetadze added it
Oct 31, 2012

Dilip Vengurlekar marked it as to-read
Aug 21, 2013

Linda marked it as to-read
Sep 09, 2014

Deniz Karadaş marked it as to-read
Jan 22, 2016

Mitchell Shoykhet marked it as to-read
Jan 10, 2017

Anis Fouquets marked it as to-read
Mar 01, 2017

Mohamad Nasiri added it
Mar 25, 2017

William Pontarelli marked it as to-read
Apr 03, 2018

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Genres

Fiction

Plays

Plays > Theatre

Drama

See top shelves…

About John Mortimer

John Mortimer

128 followers

John Clifford Mortimer was a novelist, playwright and former practising barrister. Among his many publications are several volumes of Rumpole stories and a trilogy of political novels, Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained and The Sound of Trumpets, featuring Leslie Titmuss - a character as brilliant as Rumpole. John Mortimer received a knighthood for his services to the arts in 1998.

Series:
Rumpole ...more

More about John Mortimer