[1] The first act of Sherman's play, "A Table for a King", is a narrative vignette of the experiences of David, a gay, Jewish traveler from America staying at the Kistos Inn on Corfu.
Daniel became a famous author after publishing a novel centered around the events within the first act of the play, but eventually fell from popularity and succumbed to the effects of heavy drug usage, drinking, and stroke, becoming aphasic.
His legal guardian, Heather, was also present at the Kistos Inn 20 years prior with Daniel and knows that his book does not tell the whole truth of what had actually transpired, distorting and white-washing[2] the narrative to make it more appealing to readers.
[1] Tied intrinsically to the genre of LGBTQ theatre due to its content and subject matter, A Madhouse in Goa not only highlights issues faced by LGBTQ individuals, it is also authored by Martin Sherman, a playwright whose history is steeped in gay theatre[7] In regards to this work's critical reception, the responses to Sherman’s A Madhouse in Goa tend to vary, with some American critics describing the play as listless and sardonic,[6] while others describe the play as tenacious and enthralling.
[5] With these concerns informing the narrative of A Madhouse in Goa, its plot addresses atrocities plaguing the global community, including the AIDS crisis, terrorism, political unrest, nuclear fallout, and environmental issues.