In our upcoming production of Shirley Valentine, the heroine of the play spends a good deal of time talking about an old British advertisment for Cadbury Candy.
“It’s like that advert isn’t it? I was watching’ it the other night- y’know, Milk Tray Man. Oh he’s marvellous isn’t he? Y’see him, he dives off a thousand-foot cliff an’ swims across two miles of water, just to drop off a box of chocoates. An’ y’ learn from that that the lady loves Milk Tray. And that the lady’s been keepin’ her legs firmly closed. Because if she hadn’t, if he’d had his way with her he wouldn’t go there by divin’ off a thousand-foot cliff an’ swimmin’ through a ragin’ torrent. He’d go by bus. An’ there’d be no chocolates. If she mentioned the chocolates that he used to bring he’d say, ‘Oh no. I’ve stopped bringin’ y’ chocolates babe, cos y’ puttin’ a bit too much weight on. D’ y’ know when y’ think about it, Cadbury’s could go out of business if women didn’t hold back a bit.”