Andy
Middle-aged civil servant of no distinguishing achievements who spends the entirety of the play in bed awaiting death. The terminal illness at work is not disclosed in a typical example of Pinteresque ambiguity. The play is essentially a kind of version of Waiting for Godot in which Andy is instead waiting for his children to visit a father whose devotion and love is also vague and problematic.
Bel
Andy’s wife has hit the mid-century mark. That he is a few years older than she is really offers little insight into the nature of their long relationship. She is the long-suffering companion whose suffering may go deeper than merely marrying the wrong man. It may possibly—though it is ambiguous, of course—cut right down to the bone of marrying the wrong sex.
Bridget
Bridget is a very real sixteen year old girl, but the spectral nature of her relationship to the reality taking place on stage becomes another question for interpretation. She is ethereally presented as a restlessly pacing ghostlike figure who belongs to the past, but she speaks in the present tense about her parents.
Fred and Jake
Fred and Jake are the sons of Andy and Bel. In their late twenties, they share an apartment. One year younger brother Fred mirrors his father in that he doesn’t seem to be able to get out of bed, but his terminal conditions seems to be an existential malaise. Jake tries to make life bearable through a series of games.
Ralph and Maria
Married couple who are old friends of Andy and Bel. Ralph is an earthy man who seems life in simple terms through reflective of his years as a soccer coach. Andy claims that both he and Bel had a sexual affair with Maria years ago.
