The ambitious Brindsley Miller, a young sculptor and his high pitched voiced fiancée Carol are waiting for a millionaire art collector. In order to liven up his modest home, and also to impress Carol's father, Colonel Melkett, they "borrow" the antiques of their neighbour Harold, went away for short while. An unexpected short circuit does not only determine their neighbour, Miss Furnival, to come scared looking for help, but also brings upon the young couple complications with serious consequences. To everyone's bad luck, after the colonel arrives, Harold returns early. While Brindsley tries to discretely move all the furniture back to Harold's place, his former girlfriend, who he believed to be in Finland, turns up and mingles with those already present.   Until the lights get fixed, a total chaos unfolds...

The British playwright's creation stands up by means of an impressive diversity and the use of various technical theatrical means, and thus his plays – such as Amadeus, which brought Schaffer an Academy Award – are among the most frequently staged plays of contemporary theatre.