▁who ▁tried ▁to ▁strike ▁out ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁but ▁failed , ▁su cks ▁up ▁to ▁his ▁friend ▁Ne ville ▁for ▁work ; ▁ ▁P att ie , ▁Edd ie ' s ▁pre gn ant ▁wife , ▁largely ▁ignored , ▁and ▁can ▁only ▁nag ▁at ▁him ▁and ▁wish ▁she ▁were ▁not ▁having ▁another ▁child ; ▁ ▁Rach el , ▁Bel inda ' s ▁em otion ally ▁f ud d led ▁sister ; ▁ ▁C live , ▁a ▁writer , ▁in ▁a ▁non - st arter ▁of ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁Rach el ; ▁and ▁ ▁Har vey , ▁Ne ville ▁and ▁Ph yll is ' s ▁uncle , ▁a ▁cant ank er ous ▁man ▁who ▁bo asts ▁about ▁" th irty ▁years ▁experience " ▁as ▁a ▁security ▁officer , ▁bem o ans ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁society ▁whilst ▁himself ▁g org ing ▁on ▁TV ▁violence , ▁much ▁to ▁Bernard ' s ▁anno y ance . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁begins ▁on ▁Christmas ▁E ve . ▁Har vey ▁and ▁Bernard ▁argue ▁over ▁the ▁violence ▁shown ▁in ▁a ▁film ▁on ▁TV ▁while ▁Ne ville ▁and ▁Edd ie ▁obs ess ▁over ▁building ▁remote ▁controlled ▁Christmas ▁Tree ▁lights ; ▁all ▁the ▁men ▁largely ▁ign oring ▁their ▁w ives . ▁Rach el ▁becomes ▁anxious ▁over ▁the ▁late ▁arrival ▁of ▁C live , ▁eventually ▁leaving ▁the ▁house ▁to ▁look ▁for ▁him . ▁When ▁C live ▁arriv es ▁he ▁meets ▁Bel inda ▁and ▁they ▁swift ly ▁develop ▁a ▁mut ual ▁att raction . ▁ ▁Through out ▁Christmas ▁Day ▁C live ▁grows ▁closer