Irony of Fortune
At the beginning of the play, the Hopcrofts (Sidney and Jane) are presented as the youngest, most innocent, and most financially unstable of the three major character couples. Sidney's primary intention at the first party is to ask Ronald Brewster-Wright, the banker, for a loan for his ventures in the grocery business. The Brewster-Wrights, by contrast, seem a bit snobbish, haughty in their higher social class. By the play's end, however, the tables have turned; the Hopcrofts are the well-off ones, while the Brewster-Wrights' fortunes are crumbling and the Jacksons are falling apart. The play ends with the Hopcrofts forcing the other couples to play a humiliating game, demonstrating the ironic whims of fortune.
Irony of Eva's Suicide Attempts
In the play's second act, Eva Jackson repeatedly tries to kill herself, even while the guests are arriving and present at the Christmas party she's hosting. Ayckbourn includes a liberal dash of black humor in the scene as Eva tries to write a suicide note and find a way to kill herself, all the while foiled by the oblivious actions of the party's guests, who think she's just trying to clean the kitchen. A serious event is therefore made ironically and absurdly humorous.
Irony of the Potters
The Potters, the fourth character couple in the play, are consistently referenced and often indirectly involved, but they never actually appear on the stage; the audience never catches a glimpse of these elusive guests. Despite being heard and appearing to be an integral part of the story, the Potters might as well be living across the country, or even nonexistent. Ayckbourn weaves irony deep into the essential character of the Potters; they are the kind, good friends of this middle class society, but they are rarely anywhere to be found.
Irony of the Hopcrofts' Gifts
At the third party, the Hopcrofts bring gifts for their hosts, the Brewster-Wrights. These gifts, however, are cruelly ironic, whether by accident or design. They bring a set of screwdrivers for Ronald Brewster-Wright, the failing banker, a gift which seems completely sterile and impersonal, completely useless for a man in such a position. It could also be interpreted as being slightly mocking, as if Sidney was saying, "Here, Ronald, fix your own problems." A more striking and insensitive irony resounds in their gift to Ronald's wife, Marion, who has become a terrible and depressed alcoholic: a bottle of gin.
Irony of George the Dog
Like the Potters, George the dog is an inherently ironic character. Belonging to the Hopcrofts, he is often referenced but never actually appears onstage. He is said to be a loyal, good-natured dog who might as well eat off the same plate as his kind masters. It is interesting to consider how George, nominally such a good boy, might actually represent the delusions and pretensions of middle-class society: it's the satisfied domestic life everyone wants, but no one actually sees, and occasionally these unrealistic expectations can bite a man like Dick Potter and keep him from coming to Christmas parties.
