The Tiger and the Horse

The play's story involves Jack Dean, a Professor of Astronomy at a prestigious English university (unnamed, but presumed to be Oxford) who is the primary candidate for the Vice Chancellor-ship after the current Vice Chancellor, Hugo Slate, retires the position. Dean has a wife, Gwendolyn, and two daughters, Stella and Mary. The plot focuses around a petition to ban nuclear weapons (in real life, Bolt's pet political issue), which is introduced by Louis Flax, a strong-willed, opinionated research fellow who is courting Stella. Dean refuses to sign it, even though his wife strongly supports the petition. His unwillingness to commit himself slowly drives his wife insane; she feels herself unloved and unappreciated by her husband, but blames herself for it. Stella becomes pregnant by Louis, and in a subplot a frustrated Stella tries to convince Louis to marry her.