Zangler’s shop. The boss, Zangler, is leaving for Vienna. He is attending the annual parade of “the Sporting and Benevolent Societies of the Grocer’s Company” and a birthday dinner with his fiancée, Madame Knorr.
Before he leaves, he makes sure all will be well in his absence. He sends his ward Marie (who is being courted by Sonders, who Zangler mistrusts as a fortune-hunter) to Miss Blumenblatt’s for safe-keeping. He entrusts the shop to his assistant Weinburl, who he makes his partner, and Christopher, who he promotes to chief sales assistant. Despite all his preparations, Zangler leaves with a sense of impending disaster: “One false move and we could have a farce on our hands.”

Weinburl and Christopher are momentarily elated at their promotions, yet they feel a sense of grief, being stuck at the store in the unexciting provinces. Then they realize that, in Zangler’s absence, they could close the shop and no one would know. Zangler returns in a rage. Marie has escaped from her room, and Sonders must have abducted her. Zangler leaves in pursuit of the young couple. Determined to live an exciting life, Weinburl and Christopher shut the shop and are “on the razzle at last!”

Christopher and Weinburl are taking in the thrill of Vienna when they catch a glimpse of Zangler. They quickly hide in a shop (which happens to be Madame Knorr’s Fashion House). Posing as manikins in tartan capes, they escape discovery as Zangler walks in. Zangler receives the news that Marie and Sonders are in Vienna, and he leaves in pursuit.

Philippine, Madam Knorr’s assistant, catches Weinburl and Christopher in the tartan cloaks. Weinburl makes up the excuse that they’re looking at the cloak for his wife (the name on the hold tag is Frau Fischer). While Philippine fetches Madame Knorr to complete the transaction, Mrs. Fischer happens to enter the shop. Madame Knorr enters with congratulations on Mrs. Fischer and Weinburl’s marriage. Mrs. Fischer is naturally surprised, but she goes along with the deception. The ladies insist that the whole group have a celebration dinner at the Imperial Gardens Café—where Zangler is waiting for Marie and Sonders.

The rest of the day is filled with narrow escapes as Weinburl and Christopher and Marie and Sonders use any means (disguises, adopted identities and confusion) to escape Zangler’s detection.

Accompanied by Mme Knorr and Mrs. Fischer, Zangler, tipped off that Weinburl and Christopher are on the razzle, rushes back to the shop, determined to catch them out. Weinburl and Christopher miraculously make it back to the shop just in time.

Zangler receives word that Sonders has inherited a large sum of money, and he agrees to Sonders’s marriage to Marie. Mrs. Fischer and Weinburl discover that they have been romantic penpals for months, so there are now three happy couples: Sonders and Marie, Zangler and Mme Knorr, and Weinburl and Mrs. Fischer. Weinburl and Christopher return to their duties at the shop, content with the knowledge that they had a “real razzle of a day packed with adventure and high jinks” and got away with it!

For Families: The play is a farce full of mistaken identity and mayhem. Parents should be aware that some of the humor stems from bawdy puns and double meanings. Themes of sexuality are present, but there is no profanity, and the play’s fast-paced physical and verbal humor should delight young audiences ages 12 and up.