Play Mary Gallagher. 8 men, 5 women (flexible casting). Unit Set Freely translated as Where are you from? the tide of the
play refers to the increasing tide of illegal aliens who flee north
to the United States from the economically and politically oppressed
countries of Latin America. Seeking jobs and fReedom from persecution,
the refugees are, more often than not, met with indifference and
even hostility, regardless of their circumstances, and deported
back to their home countries - which can often mean certain death.
In a series of sharply drawn scenes and monologues, with 13 actors
portraying more than 40 characters, the author explores the individual
stories of a cross section of refugees and those with whom they
come in contact: overworked and increasingly cynical lawyers who
try to win amnesty for them; a group of Catholic nuns who risk
imprisonment to provide sanctuary; judges and immigration officials
who must enforce often antiquated and even inhuman laws; and US
citizens of Hispanic descent who are torn between allegiance to
their new country and compassion for those fleeing persecution
and poverty in their old. A moving plea for understanding and forbearance,
the play also becomes, in the end, a searing indictment of American
immigration policies and a disturbing reminder of the terrible
toll which these can exact, whether intentionally or not. (in Scot-Free) : John McKay Premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh before transferring
to the Royal Court, this is a witty, comic nightmare in which an
unemployed, trendy young Scottish man is dogged by his deceased
father, who was a Hoover salesman in his prime. An offbeat comedy
with a political edge. Marcus Lloyd : Thriller 1M IF Interior set When an unemployed actor is given the tempting offer to stage
a reading of a new play by an author in her country home, he jumps
at the chance. Elizabeth, an ex-dancer and once keen theatre-goer
before an accident has confined her to a wheelchair, has written
a psychological thriller. Michael has been out of work more often
than not after his breakthrough from an understudy to the lead
role in a West End production of West Side Story. The reading
begins straightforward enough, but it soon becomes apparent that
her play has taken on a curious similarity to real life - even
down to recounting their first conversation after Michael's arrival.
How could she have written that beforehand? She also seems to know
a great deal more about the dark secrets surrounding Michael's West
Side Story experience than it first appeared. It isn't long
before the suspense starts to rise at an alarming rate as this
taut psychological thriller gathers speed towards its gripping
climax, where truth and illusion become almost inseparably entangled
in a real life game of cat and mouse. Comedy. Terry Johnson The death of Benny Hill provides the impetus for this award-winning comedy about impotence, sex therapy and the English sense of humour. Eleanor wants what her husband Richard won't give her. Richard wants to be left in peace. Benny would rather rest in peace, but for tonight at least, his fans won't let him. '... a shatteringly good play, as hilarious as it is heartbreaking ... 'Daily Telegraph Suspense. Mary Orr and Reginald Denham. 5 men, 4 women. Interior. The setting is the living room of a boarded-up hunting lodge in
rural Ohio, the secret hideaway of a prominent US Senator. A young
couple, on the run after having accidentally killed a gas station
attendant during a robbery, break into the lodge to hide out -
only to be discovered by the Senator when he arrives for a surreptitious
tryst with another man's wife. Thereafter the plot begins to twist
and turn ingeniously as the young couple, aware that they have
caught the Senator in a compromising situation, blackmail him for
$5,000 - only to have the tables turned on them when the Senator
discovers the body which they have hidden in the lodge and realises
that the peril of discovery is as great for them as for him. Meanwhile
his new lady friend, knowing that the Senator has presidential
aspirations, decides to exploit his predicament for her own advantage.
Needless to say the complications multiply steadily as the various
protagonists try to outwit each other, leading, in the end, to
an unexpected but ironically fitting denouement. Play. Richard Harris When John Haddrell dies of a heart attack at the wheel of his
car, the woman at his side is not his wife Margaret but his lover,
Julia. Recovering from the injuries she sustained in the ensuing
crash, Julia is visited by Margaret, who apparently knows nothing
of the affair. Events take a sinister turn when Margaret begins
to encroach on Julia's life. Left alone in the house together,
Julia and Margaret are locked in deadly combat ... Thriller. Seymour Matthews This captivating thriller employs a play within a play theme in
a singularly exciting manner. At first it seems to be the usual
Agatha Christie-type play - two couples lured to a remote Italian
villa to be murdered one by one. It is only when this play is well
advanced that we learn we are watching actors rehearsing their
own murder mystery. An intriguing final twist unravels the real
reason for the whole charade. Thriller. Peter Whalley Jack has just been acquitted of manslaughter, and regales his
girlfriend Maggie and their neighbours with a disparaging account
of the trial. According to the evidence (most of it Jack's), the
victim, Philip Mercer, had broken in late at night, and, on being
confronted by Jack, produced a gun which Jack got hold of during
the ensuing struggle and then used to kill Mercer. A clear case
of selfdefence. Or was it? Comedy thriller. Charles Ross, adapted
from The Prime Pretender by Logan Gourlay When the Prime Minister drops dead from an apparent heart attack
on the eve of a General Election, two members of the Cabinet, fearing
defeat without the charisma of the PM, hire an out-of-work actor,
a 'dead ringer' for the deceased, to take his place until the election
is won. However, the actor grows to like his role until he discovers
the real PM was poisoned. Thereafter this thriller plunges us forcibly
from the early amusing fantasy world into murder and dark plots. Thriller.
Hugh Janes When her husband dies in a car crash, Diana is determined to succeed
as the new head of his successful company. Her son Alec believes
the position should be his, while her younger son demands more
of the family fortune. When strange events start happening in the
house and a voice haunts her, Diana's fears and uncertainties increase.
Just as she feels she knows who is responsible, events take a dramatic
turn as her real enemy is revealed. Play.
Geoff Bateman and Emlyn Pritchard Alex Conrad, an avid collector of detective novels, has devised
a brilliant plan to cheat his exwife, Dinah, out of her share of
the proceeds from his partner Tony's new invention: to stage Dinah's
accidental 'murder' of Tony. With his girlfriend Cathy there as
a witness and a gun full of blanks, what could go wrong? Many twists
and shocks follow before we come to the denouement of this ingenious
thriller. Thriller. Eric Paice Angry and bitter after throwing out her unfaithful husband, Julia
is only too ready to succumb to the good-looking Welshman who comes
ostensibly to update her husband's computer. Julia enjoys playing
games with the computer, particularly when it invites her to play
the Murder Game and she can fantasize about how easy it would be
to commit the perfect murder by computer with her errant husband
as victim. However, stopping the program the next morning isn't
so easy ... Melodrama. James Yaffe, adapted from the novel Trapps by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. 6 men, 2 women. Interior. Three retired men of law on a remote mountain in Switzerland amuse
themselves by going through the legal ceremony of prosecuting strangers
who drop in. An American traveling salesman is their guest on a
snowy evening. Although their deadly game seems foolish to him,
he agrees to it to humour his hosts. Since he has never been guilty
of a crime in his life, he is unable to propose anything they can
try him for. After a little amiable social conversation, the retired
prosecutor discovers a plausible case. He accuses the traveling
salesman of having murdered his boss. At first, this appears to
be a wild improvisation. But Mr. Yaffe, using Mr. Dürrenmatt's
novel as source-book, gradually makes something real out of phantoms.
By ingenious questioning, he proves his case out of the witness'
own mouth. Play. Francis Durbridge Murder and mystery abound in this ingenious play from the master
of the genre. Initially the plot seems to concern a greedy husband
plotting to kill his wife. Disposing first of his brother-in-law,
Jack enlists the help of his girlfriend in his plan to murder Sarah.
But his scheme goes horribly wrong and he, not his wife, ends up
dead. There are so many possible suspects and motives that the
truth eludes us all ... although Cliff seems to be on the right
track. Play. Matthew Witten. 4 men. Unit set Concerned that he might be transferred to Alaska because of his
failure to obtain a -conviction in the past three years, Alex,
an FBI supervisor 'temporarily assigned to the Philadelphia office,
decides to quicken his pursuit of a local political boss (who is
suspected to accepting bribes) by setting up a "sting" operation
which involves the offering of an illegal payment to a lesser official.
With the reluctant cooperation of Peter, another FBI agent who
agrees to pose as the representative of a group of rich developers;
a small-time politico, Jimmy, is approached with the promise of
a cash payoff if he can provide access to Tommy O'Hara, a highly
placed official who controls patronage throughout the state and
is the "man to see"
when'the rules need bending. Essentially honest, but in need of
funds to pay for his daughter's college expenses, Jimmy, after
wrestling with his conscience, agrees to go along with the plan
- thereby setting in motion a gripping series of disturbing events
and suspenseful scenes in which questions of trust and betrayal
are contrasted with those of greed and corruption. Ironically,
it is "big fish" Tommy, the wily, cautious old pro, who wriggles
off the hook, leaving the hapless "little fish" Jimmy to take the
rap -, despite the troubled Peter's last minute attempt to spare
him, even at the risk of jeopardizing his own career and of upsetting
the quest for "justice," which, it seems, must be pursued regardless
of the price exacted. Drama. Patrick Marber. 6 men. (20s-50s). Unit set A kitchen, restaurant, basement. Stephen runs a restaurant and has a weekly poker game in the basement.
He enjoys playing for big money, and it's not unusual for the waiters
to lose their paychecks, or more, each week. One of the waiters,
Mugsy, wants to start a restaurant of his own. He needs a loan,
and thinks Stephen will give it to him since he intends to go into
business with Stephen's son, Carl. Carl doesn't want any part of
a restaurant, and prefers to gamble away whatever money Stephen
gives him. This is a long-term problem for Carl. He's gone back
and forth with his father, lying about his gambling obsession,
pretending to quit, then getting deeper in debt to feed his habit.
Stephen tolerates Carl, but just barely. Instead, he offers fatherly
love to Mugsy, a chronic loser, but a loser who refuses to give
up. On this night, Ash, a professional gambler, shows up at the
restaurant and threatens to kill Carl if he doesn't pay up the
$4,000 he owes. Carl could ask his father for money again, but
he's afraid to admit he hasn't given up gambling. Instead, he invites
Ash to play poker with the guys, knowing he'll clean them out.
At this high-stakes game, one by one the waiters drop out. Ash
is confronted by Stephen, who can spot a professional a mile away,
but turns the table on Stephen when he asks him where Carl acquired
his habit. Who is the real addict, Carl or Stephen? Shaken, Stephen
admits he's hooked on the game. Finally knowing himself for what
he is, Stephen approaches Carl with a new-found need to connect
with his son. Comedy. J. M. Barrie The ill-assorted and unhappy guests that Lob, the gnomic ancient,
collects at the country house are given a 'second chance' when
they wander into a magic wood which only appears on Midsummer's
Eve. There they are granted their wishes but not all of these necessarily
lead to happiness. But when the magic and the wood are gone they
have all learnt something about themselves which perhaps the bravest
can profit from. Comedy. Jack Popplewell. 5 men, 3 women. Interior. Penelope Shawn is a very pretty, very appealing young girl who
has a most unusual profession; she's a burglar. Burglary is part
of her family's tradition. When David Warren finds her attempting
to rob his apartment, he decides it's up to him to reform her.
Penelope, who finds David most attractive, is more than willing
to be reformed by him, but his fiancée, Helen Chandler,
is not particularly enthusiastic about the idea. Nor is Penelope's
father, who is aghast at the way David has shaken Penelope's faith
in the ideals and traditions of her family. Meanwhile, Penelope
has hidden in David's apartment the jewels she had stolen from
his neighbours, and the police are on David's trail, thinking he
was an accomplice. His mother, Lady Warren, and his rich uncle,
Sir George, become involved. Sir George decides David should marry
Penelope, but her father, Henry Shawn, considers David not good
enough for the daughter of a long line of first-class burglars.
Meantime the police are blundering in and out of David's apartment
in a hunt for the stolen jewels which finally turn up in the police
sergeant's pocket - put there by Penelope. After disposing of the
jewels thus satisfactorily, Penelope manages also to dispose of
Helen, and by this time she has convinced David that he really
must marry her and see that she continues in the path of an honest
life. Play Reginald Rose. 5 men, 4 women (1 bit part for a girl). Interior. With the intention of patching up the dissolved marriage of a
pair of their friends, three couples assemble for a party at the
apartment of Douglas and Sally Lambert. The estranged couple, Michael
and Lois Graves, arrive separately - with no hint that the real
purpose of the party is to get them to become reconciled. When
it becomes apparent what their friends' motive is, they decide
to leave. But at their friends' pleading they stay - not only to
discuss their own problems, but to expose the skeletons in the
other couples' closets as well. Gradually, tensions and antagonisms
begin to erupt. One by one, the "dear friends" lash out at each
other until the facade of affection and kindliness is stripped
away. What is left is brash reality: to probe into the lives of
others is to risk the disquieting examination of one's own failures. Comedy. Dodie Smith M5 F12. Three interiors. From far and wide four generations of the family gather to celebrate
Charles and Dora Randolph's golden wedding anniversary. It is largely
Dora's loving wisdom that makes this momentous occasion a chance
for a few of her scattered brood to regain, within the security
of the home, a new strength of purpose. All join that evening in
toasting `The Family' - that dear octopus from whose tentacles
we never quite escape nor, in our innermost hearts, ever quite
wish to. First produced in 1938. Comedy. Norman Krasna, 5 men, 5 women. Interior Using the name of her elder sister, a young girl carries on a
romantic correspondence with an overseas soldier. When the soldier
returns he finds that his distant lover is already engaged. But
through a series of hilarious complications and plot twists, the
elder sister becomes entirely convinced that her original engagement
was a mistake and decides, at the very end, to marry the soldier
anyway. Play. Philip Osment - M4 (teenage, 40s) F5 (30s, 40s, 70). Simple interior and exterior settings. Fee code M When Alaric, a successful London television producer, returns
to his sleepy rural home town, his arrival heralds suffering and
domestic turmoil in this sensitive, compelling depiction of a variety
of family relationships. The play was critically acclaimed at Hampstead
Theatre in 1993. "... exceptionally poignant, and there is no
mistaking the overall richness of this play. Osment's penetrating
observation of character and heartening generosity of spirit mark
him out as a dramatist of exceptional and distinctive promise." Daily
Telegraph Comedy. David Bottrell and Jessie Jones. 4 men, 6 women (double casting). Unit Set In the Baptist backwoods of the Bible Belt, the beleaguered Turpin
family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy
and always hilarious. Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves
together for their father's funeral, the Turpin's other problems
keep overshadowing the solemn occasion: first-born, Ray-Bud drinks
himself silly as the funeral bills mount; Junior, the younger son,
is juggling financial ruin, a pack of no-neck monster kids and
a wife who suspects him of infidelity in the family car; their
spinster sister, Delightful, copes with death as she does life,
by devouring junk food; and all the neighbours add more than 2
cents. As the situation becomes fraught with mishap, Ray-Bud says
to his long-suffering wife, "When I die, don't tell nobody.. Just
bury me in the backyard and tell everybody I left you." Amidst
the chaos, the Turpin's turn for comfort to their friends and neighbours,
an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together
and help each other through their hours of need, and finally, the
funeral. |