--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't do plays without jokes anymore…" description: "\"I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite people to sit in the dark for two and a half ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/bill-nighy-4521_bad_i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i_7548.jpg" --- # I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from… ![“I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite people to sit in the dark for two and a half hours and not tell them the joke.” quote by Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/bill-nighy-4521_bad_i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i_7548.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/bill-nighy-4521_bad_i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i_7548.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/bill-nighy-4521_bad_i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i_7548.jpg) > “I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite people to sit in the dark for two and a half hours and not tell them the joke.” [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that comedy is essential in theater, viewing humor as a social contract that respects the audience's time and expectations. **In simple terms:** Comedy is a moral obligation in performance. Key Takeaway Humor respects audience expectations. Themes respect audience expectations theatrical ethics humor social contract Mood thoughtful critical reflective Type observation philosophical cultural When to use this quote - producing a play - writing a script - directing a performance Key Concepts theatre comedy audience engagement Practical Applications - ensuring audience satisfaction - maintaining ethical standards Questions to Reflect On - Does a play lose value without humor? - How does humor shape audience perception? A Different Perspective Some argue that drama can be powerful without humor, focusing on emotional depth rather than entertainment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-manners/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) ## Related quotes > [“It is said that the hallmark of a gentleman is that he is only ever rude intentionally. Arthur Bryant was no gentleman. His rudeness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-fowler/it-is-said-that-the-hallmark-of-a-gentleman-is-that-he-is-only-ever/) [Christopher Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-fowler/) > [“Bastard had the bad manners to die before we were through talking to him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/bastard-had-the-bad-manners-to-die-before-we-were-through-talking-to/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [“much privilege leads to bad manners,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/much-privilege-leads-to-bad-manners/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [As a child, I was taught that it was bad manners to bring attention to yourself, and to never, ever make a spectacle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/as-a-child-i-was-taught-that-it-was-bad-manners-to-bring-attention-to/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) > [Manners are of such great consequence to the novelist that any kind will do. Bad manners are better than no manners at all, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/manners-are-of-such-great-consequence-to-the-novelist-that-any-kind/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Good manners are appreciated as much as bad manners are abhorred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/good-manners-are-appreciated-as-much-as-bad-manners-are-abhorred/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [You can get through life with bad manners, but it's easier with good manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-gish/you-can-get-through-life-with-bad-manners-but-it-s-easier-with-good/) [Lillian Gish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-gish/) > [The keynote of simple folk is bad manners, familiarity. They intrude on one's private soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-kavanagh/the-keynote-of-simple-folk-is-bad-manners-familiarity-they-intrude-on/) [Patrick Kavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-kavanagh/) > [I don't accept bad manners, so all my grandchildren are very well behaved, just like my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maye-musk/i-don-t-accept-bad-manners-so-all-my-grandchildren-are-very-well/) [Maye Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maye-musk/) > [This self-congratulatory notion Americans have that their country is Number One is borne of ignorance and bad manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/this-self-congratulatory-notion-americans-have-that-their-country-is/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [“As it happens, I’m a terrible dancer. Bears are simply not made for dancing. We’re much better at sitting and sleeping and singing. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-macleod/as-it-happens-i-m-a-terrible-dancer-bears-are-simply-not-made-for/) [Doug MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-macleod/) > [“He never looked at her; and yet, the careful avoidance of his eyes betokened that in some way he knew exactly where, if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/he-never-looked-at-her-and-yet-the-careful-avoidance-of-his-eyes/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [~I'm strict about manners. I think that kids have a horrible time with other people if they have bad manners… The one thing you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/i-m-strict-about-manners-i-think-that-kids-have-a-horrible-time-with/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [If I was to ask you tonight if you were saved? Do you say 'Yes, I am saved'. When? 'Oh so and so preached,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/if-i-was-to-ask-you-tonight-if-you-were-saved-do-you-say-yes-i-am/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [War is a form of really bad manners, in a strange way. Invading a country I think is just the worst possible manners. 'You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/war-is-a-form-of-really-bad-manners-in-a-strange-way-invading-a/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) ## More by Bill Nighy > [I speed up past mirrors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-speed-up-past-mirrors/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [My dad had a personal style which was very attractive. It was quite reserved and quite elegant, and it was infectious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/my-dad-had-a-personal-style-which-was-very-attractive-it-was-quite/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [When I do a play, it's like agreeing to be ill for a couple of months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/when-i-do-a-play-it-s-like-agreeing-to-be-ill-for-a-couple-of-months/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I'm always happy when actors get rich, because the odds on it are so long!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-m-always-happy-when-actors-get-rich-because-the-odds-on-it-are-so/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I'm not famous for my back story investigations; I'm lucky that I work with good writers and it's usually in the script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-m-not-famous-for-my-back-story-investigations-i-m-lucky-that-i-work/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I have never owned a computer. I am one of those weirdos. I've never needed a computer. I'm lucky that I have a job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-have-never-owned-a-computer-i-am-one-of-those-weirdos-i-ve-never/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I've always slightly worried the kids who play football around my house. They know I'm an actor, but felt sorry for me because they'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-ve-always-slightly-worried-the-kids-who-play-football-around-my/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I was never a hippy, per se.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-was-never-a-hippy-per-se/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [It's more than usually possible that I won't do a play again. But Skylight is one of the great plays in the English language.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/it-s-more-than-usually-possible-that-i-won-t-do-a-play-again-but/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [When you are in something that you're proud of and it's funny and it's a good night out and all of those things, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/when-you-are-in-something-that-you-re-proud-of-and-it-s-funny-and-it/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I'm one of those weird people who doesn't even own a computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-m-one-of-those-weird-people-who-doesn-t-even-own-a-computer/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [I have a perfectly average skewed perception of myself. We often don't know what we're like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-have-a-perfectly-average-skewed-perception-of-myself-we-often-don-t/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [The degree of notoriety I have is fine and easy. There's nothing hysterical about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/the-degree-of-notoriety-i-have-is-fine-and-easy-there-s-nothing/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [You get older and you see yourself and say, 'God, he's old, who's that?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/you-get-older-and-you-see-yourself-and-say-god-he-s-old-who-s-that/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [Anyone who can do the splits and come back up on the backbeat, as James Brown and Prince can, has my eternal respect. Prince,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/anyone-who-can-do-the-splits-and-come-back-up-on-the-backbeat-as/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) [Explore all 110 Bill Nighy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite people to sit in the dark for two and a half hours and not tell them the joke.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Nighy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i-ve-retired-from-those-plays/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i-ve-retired-from-those-plays/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/bill-nighy-4521_bad_i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i_7548.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/bill-nighy-4521_bad_i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i_7548.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/bill-nighy-4521_bad_i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i_7548.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't do plays without jokes anymore. I've retired from those plays. I think it's bad manners to invite…” — Bill Nighy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Nighy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't do plays without jokes...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i-ve-retired-from-those-plays/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-don-t-do-plays-without-jokes-anymore-i-ve-retired-from-those-plays/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```