Isa is the 39-year-old wife of Giles Oliver and the mother of George and Caro. She lives at the Pointz Hall estate and harbors a quiet rebellion against domestic expectations and traditional maternal roles. She is highly introspective, sensitive to newspaper reports of violence, and frequently recites poetry to herself. Despite loving her husband as the father of her children, she feels deeply unhappy in her marriage and longs for a gentleman farmer named Rupert Haines.

Bart is the elderly, widowed patriarch of the Oliver family and a retired member of the Indian Civil Service. He lives at Pointz Hall and frequently reminisces about his youth and career in India. He adheres strictly to traditional concepts of logic and masculine stoicism, causing him to dismiss his sister's religious ideas and act harshly toward his young grandson.

Mrs. Swithin is Bart's elderly, widowed sister who returned to her childhood home of Pointz Hall after her husband's death. She is deeply religious, spending hours kneeling in prayer each morning, and wears a crucifix necklace that she touches when nervous. She possesses a childlike curiosity about nature and history, frequently daydreaming about pre-evolved ancestors and prehistoric times.

Giles is a London stockbroker who wishes he could work as a farmer instead. He values traditional masculinity, aggression, and action, feeling deeply frustrated by his forced passivity as a pageant audience member while war threatens Europe. His relationship with his wife is strained, and he seeks validation for his manliness from outside sources.

Mrs. Manresa is a wealthy woman rumored to be from Tasmania. She openly defies conservative 1930s social mores by aggressively flirting with married men and using her sexuality to gain approval. She dislikes socializing with women, preferring the company of men, and unapologetically accepts herself exactly as she is without shame.

Miss La Trobe is the intense, dedicated director of the annual village pageant. She is a social outcast in the village, rumored to be of Russian descent and living with a female actor partner. She desperately wants her art to provoke introspection in her audience, and she turns to alcohol when she feels her artistic vision is misunderstood or rejected.

William is an office clerk and aspiring artist who accompanies Mrs. Manresa to the village. He is a gay man who struggles with societal rejection and masculine expectations, finding comfort in the company of accepting women. He forms quick, quiet bonds with the female residents of Pointz Hall throughout the day of the pageant.

Rupert Haines is a local gentleman farmer. Though he does not feature prominently in the day's events, he occupies a central place in Isa Oliver's internal life as the man she secretly loves and wishes she had married instead of Giles.

Mrs. Haines is the wife of gentleman farmer Rupert Haines. She is a conservative woman who finds discussions about plumbing and cesspools inappropriate for polite conversation.

Mr. Streatfield is the village reverend. He views the pageant as a practical means to raise funds for installing electric lights in the village church. He takes on the role of interpreting the play's meaning for the confused audience, though his simplistic view contrasts with the director's deeper intentions.

George is the toddler son of Isa and Giles Oliver. He is easily frightened by his grandfather's dog, leading his grandfather to unfairly label him a coward.

Caro is the infant daughter of Isa and Giles Oliver. She spends the day under the care of the household nannies and sleeps under paper rose decorations after the pageant.

Candish is the butler at Pointz Hall. He manages the household logistics, announces guests, and delivers the mail and newspapers to the family in the evening.

Mrs. Parker is a village woman who attends the pageant. Mrs. Manresa quickly tries to escape her company, finding women of her social class boring to talk to.

Phyllis is a small village girl who acts in the pageant. She plays the prologue role of a young, newly formed England and relies on Miss La Trobe to prompt her when she forgets her lines.

Hilda is the local carpenter's daughter. She acts in the pageant, representing England as a beautiful young woman with flowers in her hair during the Chaucer era.

Eliza is the village tobacco seller. She acts in the pageant, humorously and joyously playing the role of Queen Elizabeth I to the delight of the audience.

Mabel is a villager who acts in the pageant during the Restoration-era sequence, though the audience struggles to identify exactly which historical figure she is portraying.

Mr. Budge is the local publican. He acts in the pageant as a Victorian police officer, delivering a monologue about directing traffic and enforcing the laws of Queen Victoria.

Mrs. Elmhurst is a villager in the audience. She closely follows the pageant's program and announces the titles and upcoming eras to those sitting near her.

Mrs. Lynn Jones is a village woman attending the pageant. She expresses her deep appreciation for the Victorian-era performance, contrasting with other villagers who found it unpleasant.

Ette Springett is a villager who finds the Victorian scene of the pageant unpleasant. She is judgmental and casts disapproving looks at guests like William Dodge.

Mr. Page is a local reporter attending the village pageant. He observes and documents the fragmented, modern final scene directed by Miss La Trobe.

Ralph Manresa is a wealthy Jewish man and the second husband of Mrs. Manresa. He does not attend the pageant, leaving his wife to travel the countryside with her companion William.

Sohrab is Bart Oliver's Afghan hound. He is involved in the morning incident that frightens young George, and later watches the dancing actors during the final pageant scene.