What does Anita contribute to your enjoyment of the play? Support your ideas with details from Ayckbourn's writing.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2010). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [25] Anita is central to the process of revelation which is at the heart of the comedy and the dramatic thrust of the play.
2. [25] At first she seems just another member of the tribe but gradually in her calm manner she reveals herself as the prime player in this corrupt and highly successful world, never panicking and at bottom ruthless, even, for instance, to the point of threatening Harriet's dog with swift termination should she not keep her counsel.
3. [25] She is, of course, cheerfully amoral in business and her not very private life.
4. [25] Her matter of fact approach to what is unthinkable to Jack is a rich vein of humour, as is her pleasure in the Italian male.
5. [25] For reasonable reward expect an exploration of some of the above features and also some engagement with her role in the comic drama.
6. [25] For higher reward the latter should be central, with evident personal engagement and analysis.
7. [25] Refer to the band descriptors in arriving at your mark.