This strange, Ortonesque sense of humor is generally referred to as "black humor," the kind that attempts to shock the audience into laughing at what is essentially grotesque and horrifying This dark humor receives its full expression in Act III when Kath, Ed, and Sloane respond to Kemp's death with varying forms of apathy, self-interest, and uncivilized human behavior.

Act III begins with Kath, Ed, and Sloane huddling over Kemp's body and Kath saying "somebody fetch his tablets." However, in response to tills request "nobody moves" and the stage picture immediately communicates both laughter and these characters' self-interest and lack of compassion. Ed soon exits with Kemp, and when Ed returns (fairly quickly) he reports that Kemp is dead (did Ed finish him off?). Ed's only concern now is how he can use the incident to gain control over Sloane. Though Kath may subconsciously suspect that Kemp...