---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were loads of plays which were very…"
description: "\"There were loads of plays which were very popular before and after the war, where everybody wore a dinner jacket in the third act and it was in a house..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/timothy-west-26776_act_there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-ver_1875857.jpg"
---

#  There were loads of plays which were very popular before…

![“There were loads of plays which were very popular before and after the war, where everybody wore a dinner jacket in the third act and it was in a house that you wished you'd owned with people that you wish you knew. It was life seen through a very privileged way.” quote by Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/timothy-west-26776_act_there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-ver_1875857.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/timothy-west-26776_act_there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-ver_1875857.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/timothy-west-26776_act_there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-ver_1875857.jpg)

> “There were loads of plays which were very popular before and after the war, where everybody wore a dinner jacket in the third act and it was in a house that you wished you'd owned with people that you wish you knew. It was life seen through a very privileged way.”

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The description reveals nostalgia for privileged, idealized social scenes that mask broader realities.

**In simple terms:** Nostalgia for elite life.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and question idealized memories.

Themes

nostalgia class illusion

Mood

reflective critical

Type

cultural observational

When to use this quote

- theatre criticism
- historical analysis

Key Concepts

sociology cultural studies

Questions to Reflect On

- What privileged narratives do we romanticize?
- How does this affect social understanding?

A Different Perspective

Idealization can blind critique.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act/) [After](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after/) [Before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Dinner Jacket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-jacket-365957/) [Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [House Wished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house-wished-2617902/) [Jacket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jacket/) [Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Loads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loads/) [Owned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owned/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) [Plays Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays-popular-2617900/) [Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular/) [Privileged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privileged/) [Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seen/) [Third](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Wished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wished/) [Wore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wore/) [Wore Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wore-dinner-2617901/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/)

## Related quotes

> [I can't think of anything worse than calling Shakespeare 'highbrow,' because on the one hand, it's brilliant writing. But his plays were popular. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-dalton/i-can-t-think-of-anything-worse-than-calling-shakespeare-highbrow/)

[Timothy Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-dalton/)

> [“Francis Crozier now understood that the most desirable and erotic thing a woman could wear were the many modest layers such as Sophia Cracroft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/francis-crozier-now-understood-that-the-most-desirable-and-erotic/)

[Dan simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/)

> [My father, Buddy Robinson, was superchic - a dandy. He always wore dinner jackets at night and espadrilles in the summer, but with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tory-burch/my-father-buddy-robinson-was-superchic-a-dandy-he-always-wore-dinner/)

[Tory Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tory-burch/)

> [I might wear a dinner jacket once a year to our Oscar party - that's a big thing - but I don't go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/i-might-wear-a-dinner-jacket-once-a-year-to-our-oscar-party-that-s-a/)

[Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/)

> [I always wear a dinner jacket. I never have this definition of what goes for the morning or the evening or what works for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alber-elbaz/i-always-wear-a-dinner-jacket-i-never-have-this-definition-of-what/)

[Alber Elbaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alber-elbaz/)

> [Crawley reached into the pocket of his fancy robe - a dinner jacket, I think it's called. The kind of thing Professer Plum would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/crawley-reached-into-the-pocket-of-his-fancy-robe-a-dinner-jacket-i/)

[Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/)

> [One favourite find of mine has to be a 1980s black dinner jacket that I wear as a dress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-donaldson/one-favourite-find-of-mine-has-to-be-a-1980s-black-dinner-jacket-that/)

[Lily Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-donaldson/)

> [Helvetica is the jeans, and Univers the dinner jacket. Helvetica is here to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-frutiger/helvetica-is-the-jeans-and-univers-the-dinner-jacket-helvetica-is/)

[Adrian Frutiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-frutiger/)

> [“The elegant black-and-white ship, all 24,170 tons of it, loomed like a mountain in a dinner jacket.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/the-elegant-black-and-white-ship-all-24-170-tons-of-it-loomed-like-a/)

[Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/)

> [Dress simply. If you wear a dinner jacket, don't wear anything else on it ... like lunch or dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/dress-simply-if-you-wear-a-dinner-jacket-don-t-wear-anything-else-on/)

[George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/)

> [I've done an awful lot of skiing all over Europe: I've done Italy, Austria, France. I skied loads in New Zealand - I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/i-ve-done-an-awful-lot-of-skiing-all-over-europe-i-ve-done-italy/)

[Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/)

> [Forget mung beans' reputation as healthy yet bland - used right, they soak up loads of flavour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/forget-mung-beans-reputation-as-healthy-yet-bland-used-right-they/)

[Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/)

> [I write just knowing that I enjoy writing. But if I have to write, it seems like nothing comes. But when I go there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrae-crouch/i-write-just-knowing-that-i-enjoy-writing-but-if-i-have-to-write-it/)

[Andrae Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrae-crouch/)

> ['Roc The Life' is a song I wrote with The Dream, who made 'Umbrella,' 'Single Ladies' and loads more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/roc-the-life-is-a-song-i-wrote-with-the-dream-who-made-umbrella/)

[Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/)

> [I don't really have loads of friends - three or four who are close. The thing that I love the most is playing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-odell/i-don-t-really-have-loads-of-friends-three-or-four-who-are-close-the/)

[Tom Odell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-odell/)

## More by Timothy West

> [I'm reluctant to use the word class so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/i-m-reluctant-to-use-the-word-class-so-much/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [The Long and the Short and the Tall made a great impression on me because it was a very ugly tale about the reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/the-long-and-the-short-and-the-tall-made-a-great-impression-on-me/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [I got very cross with the term, kitchen sink. It just meant that you invaded different kinds of houses, where it was very difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/i-got-very-cross-with-the-term-kitchen-sink-it-just-meant-that-you/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [The cool thing about making a Western is that people want to be in them. You rarely get the opportunity. With horror movies you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/the-cool-thing-about-making-a-western-is-that-people-want-to-be-in/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [Certain things were deemed to be offensive. It was usually bad language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/certain-things-were-deemed-to-be-offensive-it-was-usually-bad-language/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [In 1968 the Arts Council managed to get a grant from the treasury to buy up a lot of derelict touring theatres and put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/in-1968-the-arts-council-managed-to-get-a-grant-from-the-treasury-to/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [The foyers now look ridiculously small to us because not all that many people used them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/the-foyers-now-look-ridiculously-small-to-us-because-not-all-that/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [There was no real fringe theatre in London until way after the war, so either a play was done secretly with a club licence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/there-was-no-real-fringe-theatre-in-london-until-way-after-the-war-so/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [The bigger the movie is, the more agendas everybody has. It becomes more of a job for everyone, but on these small movies, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/the-bigger-the-movie-is-the-more-agendas-everybody-has-it-becomes/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [Suddenly we saw that you could do plays about real life, and people had been doing them for some time, but they weren't always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/suddenly-we-saw-that-you-could-do-plays-about-real-life-and-people/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [No producer should revive a play unless they have a very good reason for it. I think there's quite enough about a good play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/no-producer-should-revive-a-play-unless-they-have-a-very-good-reason/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [I don't believe in right-angled turning points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/i-don-t-believe-in-right-angled-turning-points/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [Anybody can decide if they have got the money to fight a case if they don't like a particular thing, and they complain to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/anybody-can-decide-if-they-have-got-the-money-to-fight-a-case-if-they/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [You're not allowed to step out of whatever the rules are, politically, or socially, and they'll get you for it, they'll hunt you down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/you-re-not-allowed-to-step-out-of-whatever-the-rules-are-politically/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

> [The newly decorated theatres produced things like car parks and restaurants, so you could have a good night out, quite cheaply without all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/the-newly-decorated-theatres-produced-things-like-car-parks-and/)

[Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

[Explore all 21 Timothy West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/)

## More Act quotes

> [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/)

[Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/)

> [Teachers' unions don't act in the interest of most teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/teachers-unions-don-t-act-in-the-interest-of-most-teachers/)

[Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/)

> [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/)

[Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/)

> [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/)

[Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/)

> [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/)

[Vashti Quiroz-Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vashti-quiroz-vega/)

> [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [I have no interest in watching myself act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wesley/i-have-no-interest-in-watching-myself-act/)

[Paul Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wesley/)

> [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [I do believe some people can naturally act and don't know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-arnold/i-do-believe-some-people-can-naturally-act-and-don-t-know-it/)

[Andrea Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-arnold/)

> [Regardless of what I do, whether I write a book or whether I act or whether I host, I'll always do stand-up comedy because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/regardless-of-what-i-do-whether-i-write-a-book-or-whether-i-act-or/)

[Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/)

> [On 'Workaholics,' I feel like I'm just hanging out with my buddies being filmed, but on 'Mindy,' I'm around professional funny people who act.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-holm/on-workaholics-i-feel-like-i-m-just-hanging-out-with-my-buddies-being/)

[Anders Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-holm/)

> [I'm not an artist, and I want to take risks, and when the possibility of failure occurs, it's because the idea is all exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-m-not-an-artist-and-i-want-to-take-risks-and-when-the-possibility/)

[Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/)

> [I don't have a huge amount of gear, but on the software side, I have a number of plug-in chains that act as abstracted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hopkins/i-don-t-have-a-huge-amount-of-gear-but-on-the-software-side-i-have-a/)

[Jon Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hopkins/)

> [I honestly didn't know that I wanted to act until I was probably 12.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-rae-mayo/i-honestly-didn-t-know-that-i-wanted-to-act-until-i-was-probably-12/)

[Miranda Rae Mayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-rae-mayo/)

[Browse all 1,802 Act quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There were loads of plays which were very popular before and after the war, where everybody wore a dinner jacket in the third act and it was in a house that you wished you'd owned with people that you wish you knew. It was life seen through a very privileged way.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Timothy West"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-very-popular-before-and-after/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Act"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-very-popular-before-and-after/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/timothy-west-26776_act_there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-ver_1875857.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/timothy-west-26776_act_there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-ver_1875857.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/timothy-west-26776_act_there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-ver_1875857.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There were loads of plays which were very popular before and after the war, where everybody wore a dinner…” — Timothy West",
                "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": "Timothy West",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There were loads of plays which...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-very-popular-before-and-after/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/there-were-loads-of-plays-which-were-very-popular-before-and-after/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
