Marvelous ‘Mollusc’

To say that Edwardian-era playwright Hubert Henry Davies is not terribly well-remembered nowadays would be a major understatement, but Quotidian Theatre Company’s current revival of his 1907 comedy “The Mollusc” proves that he is a writer worthy of rediscovery.

Set in a suburban home on the outskirts of London, “The Mollusc” begins with long-married couple Richard (John Decker) and Dulcie Baxter (Melinda Smith) awaiting the return of Dulcie’s brother Tom Kemp (Steve Beall) from America, where he has lived for several years. As soon as he arrives, Tom recognizes that the Baxters’ marriage has stagnated to the point of inertia.