Wait
Until Dark.
Play. Frederick Knott A drug-filled
doll has disappeared from a London flat and three petty
crooks try to find it. They plot to compel the owners to
give away its whereabouts. The owner's wife is blind; the
crooks tell her a frightening story involving her husband's
supposed infidelity. She, however, becomes suspicious. In a
terrifying climax she makes uses of the fact that in the
dark the blind have an actual advantage over those who can
normally see. Waiting
for Godot.
Tragic comedy. Samuel Beckett Two tramps,
Vladimir and Estragon, are waiting for someone. To pass the
time they indulge in cross talk, they argue, they play
bizarre games. Lucky, more animal than human, enters, driven
by Pozzo, a wealthy, blubbering creature. Another visitor is
a small boy who says he works for Mr Godot and tells the
tramps his master will come tomorrow. The following day
Pozzo and Lucky visit again, as does the small boy with
another message: Mr Godot will certainly be coming tomorrow:
The tramps wait on. Waiting
For Yesterday.
Play. Duncan Greenwood This is a
sensitive and perceptive look at the elderly residents of a
small private hotel which is set to close. Although most of
them have lived there for a number of years, they are all
just biding their time. All their dreams and hopes for the
future are based in the past. They will soon be homeless;
this fact, and an attempted suicide, force all the residents
to admit that they have been living an illusion. They toast
the future, no longer waiting for yesterday. Waiting
in the Wings.
Play. Noel Coward 'The Wings'
is a charity home for retired actresses. Here these aged
ladies grow older ungracefully amidst squabbles, jealousies
and grandiose memories. The once-great actress Lotta
Bainbridge arrives; years ago she married the ex-husband of
one of the inmates, May Davenport, and her arrival sparks
off a feud. It is only resolved when one deranged old lady
sets fire to her room. After this tragedy, Lotta and May
spend what little time is left to them in peace and
harmony. Waiting
Room Germany
- Klaus Pohl. Trans D.Tushingham Klaus Pohl
was commissioned in 1994 by Der Spiegel to test the
mood of Germany after reunification. He fashioned the
resultant mass of material into a piece of raw and honest
verbatim theatre where a vast range of people tell their
stories of gain and loss direct to the audience. Ordinary
men and women from East and West come forward to give voice
to their personal experiences and feelings since the wall
came down. First performed at the Royal Court in 1995. 'A
fascinating eye and ear-opener' Independent Waking
- Lin Coghlan Michael
returns home to Ireland with his young son, but the old
wounds still exist between him and his father, Sean. He
finds it is only the strange young woman next door with whom
he can communicate. First staged at the Soho Theatre.
'Coghlan's stength lies in the creation of mood and
character' (Guardian), she 'evokes the allusive
fragmentary nature of family talk, where much remains unsaid
for fear of provoking a row, yet where rows keep erupting
because of this fear of beginning them' Time Out. A
WALK IN THE WOODS Drama 2M
Exterior set
A long
running West End and Broadway success which examines a
subject of crucial importance to the modern world - the
superpower negotiations of nuclear disarmament. In the woods
on the outskirts of Geneva, an American and a Russian arms
negotiator meet informally after long talks at the
bargaining table. The Russian, Botvinnik, is urbane and
humorous though cynical as to what results the talks can
bring about. Honeyman, his American counterpart, is a
newcomer to the negotiation table and an idealist, convinced
of the value of hard, honest bargaining. As the seasons
change and the arms talks drag on, the two men continue
their meetings in the woods and through their absorbing
conversations we sense the growing understanding and mutual
admiration developing between the two, and also the
increasing frustration which confines them both. One of the
most provocative and important plays of our time. Walk
On Walk On.
Play. Willis Hall The action
passes in a single afternoon, during the course of a
football match. It is a match of vital importance for the
somewhat uninspired record of a Third Division club and it
also affects the lives of several of the people connected
with it, in particular Gillian Dugdale, who runs the office,
and her association with Bernie Gant, club manager. By the
end of the match more than the future of the club itself has
been decided. ISBN 0 573 01594 5
The
Waltz of the Toreadors.
Play. Jean Anouilh. Adapted from the French by Lucienne
Hill Now retired,
General St Pé tries to keep old age at bay by
dallying with every available pretty woman. His wife Emily,
a determined invalid, perpetually complains of her husband's
peccadilloes. Seventeen years ago, as they danced to the
Waltz of the Toreadors, the General and Ghislaine de Ste
Euvert fell in love. Ghislaine has waited, chaste and
faithful, for the day when the General will be free of
Emily. Now she comes to claim her man, armed with letters
that prove Emily has been unfaithful. WANTED:
ONE BODY! Comedy/Thriller
5M 4F Interior set
In the best
Hammer horror tradition, the action takes place in a classic
old dark house set amidst the rising flood waters and
swirling mists on the edge of the lonely marshes. This is
Greenacres, the home of the Barraclough family, to which
come a pair of solicitors to read the will of the late, but
not greatly lamented Mr Barraclough, only to learn that his
body has mysteriously vanished along with the will! Wanted:
One Body! is a classic murder mystery of disappearing
bodies, sliding panels and howls in the night. A who-dunnit
and a thriller, but with the accent on laughter, its
evergreen popularity testifies to its warmth, wit and
thrills, and the hilarious fun for audience and actors
alike. Warrior.
Play. Shirley Gee This
powerful, moving drama is based on a true story. In 1750
Hannah Snell, disguised as a boy, goes to sea in search of
her errant husband. For seven years she lives as a man,
boldly braving wounds, bloody battles and her own troubling
visions. Back home, a woman again, penniless, she and two
fellow marines form a successful stage act. But apocalyptic
visions force her publicly to proclaim the horrors of war
and the authorities imprison her in Bedlam. Rescued, she
sails away to speak out for life. Was
He Anyone?
Play. N. F. Simpson An extremely
witty study of a bookmaker's runner who takes a long walk
off a short ship. The drowning man's cause is taken up by
various charitable institutions and well-wishers, so
immersed in the paraphernalia of bureaucratic machinery that
they omit to rescue the 'drownee'. Playing time
approximately 75 minutes
Wasted.
Play. Simon Bent A housing
co-op, in North London is the setting for Simon Bent's play
which seethes with the frustrations and intrigues of its
eight young occupants. An affectionate but satirical eye is
cast over this none-too-happy commune, from the
uncooperative co-op meeting to the profounder subjects of
oppressive jealousy and latent homosexuality. A series of
short scenes conveys the rapidly changing tensions, moods
and frustrations of this group who seem forever to be
swimming against the tide.
Watch
It Sailor!
Comedy. Philip King and Falkland L. Cary Shirley
Homett and her fiancé, Albert Tufnell, have overcome
all the perils encountered in Sailor Beware! and are
happily awaiting their wedding day. The only disturbances
are caused by Daphne, Shirley's bridesmaid, who is plotting
hard to trap Albert's best man, Carnoustie, into marriage. A
surprise telegram, misunderstandings between Shirley and
Albert, and Shirley's termagant mother, conspire to ruin
their happiness, but all ends happily. Watcher
in the Shadow.
Play. Norman Holland Kesiah, the
gypsy, is determined to ensconce herself in the Old Manor
House, and is totally unscrupulous in her methods to achieve
this. First she contrives the housekeeper's death and takes
her place. Then she gets the sharp-eyed servant girl
dismissed. Finally she persuades the ageing, drink-shaky Mrs
Sumner to make the house over to her and away from the old
woman's niece. Installed as owner, Kesiah provides herself
with a maid, but here she meets Nemesis. Period 1908 WATERS
OF THE MOON Light Drama
4M 6F 1 Interior, 1 Exterior set
The dull
routine of a modest and shabby private hotel in the West
Country is broken by the arrival of unexpected and exciting
guests whose car breaks down nearby. Helen Lancaster, a
vivacious and attractive woman, together with her husband
and 18 year old daughter are well and truly snowbound. In
this setting, the effect of the sophisticated newcomers on
the household is both comic and tragic, as certain
relationships develop and inevitable strains begin to
show.
The
Way Of the World
- William Congreve 'Congreve's
The Way of the World (1700) is perhaps the subtlest
of all English comedies, the plot is as precise, and as
complex, as the inner workings of a Swiss watch ... What
makes this play great, though, is that Congreve combines
this dazzling ingenuity with depth of feeling' Daily
Telegraph. Mirabell loves the heiress Millamant, and in
order to gain access to her he pretends to be in love with
her aunt, Lady Wishfort This pretence is revealed to Lady
Wishfort by Mrs Marwood, who had been spurned by Mirabell.
Therefore, Mirabell must concoct a clever plan which allows
him to marry Millamant and keep her fortune despite the
vengeful wrath of Lady Wishfort ... Recently revived by the
National with Fiona Shaw, Roger Allam and Geraldine
McEwan. Way
Upstream.
Play. Alan Ayckbourn What could be
more pleasant than a holiday on the river? Unfortunately,
things do not go quite as smoothly as Keith, self-appointed
skipper, has anticipated. The last straw comes when Vince,
hitching a ride upstream, is elected skipper in his place.
This dark comedy was presented at the National Theatre,
London, in 1982, where real water, rain and a moving boat
were used; these are not essential, however, and the play
can be produced using simulated or imagined water. The
Wayward Spirit.
Play. Charlotte Hastings Captain
Anthony Cole, confined to a wheelchair, dreams of being able
to walk again and marry his beloved Chrissy. When he is
informed that he won't regain the use of his legs, he lashes
out at Chrissy, declaring that he will never marry her.
Sister Winifred, who combines professionalism as a nurse
with a slightly unorthodox vocation as a nun, saves the day,
ensuring that the couple get the wedding they have longed
for.
M6 (20s, 30s) F2 (12, 30). A basement flat.
ISBN 0 573 01050 1
M4 1 boy. A country road.
ISBN 0 573 04008 7
M2 (30s, elderly) F6 (30s, elderly). A lounge.
ISBN 0 573 01602 X
M4 (30s, 40s, 70s) F14 (20s-80s). A lounge.
ISBN 0 573 01470 1
5-30m/f. Interlinked monologues. Minimal set.
ISBN 1 85459 274 2
3m 1f. Drama. Multipurpose set.
ISBN 1 85459 392 7
Lee Blessing
ISBN: 0 8222 1220 X
M6 (young, 40s, elderly) F2 (18, 30s). An office.
M4 (young, middle-age) F7 (young, 18, 30s). A
landing/study.
ISBN 0 573 01471 X
Charles Dyer
ISBN: 0 85676 040 4
M8 F3 or M5 F3. Opportunities for many extras. Composite
setting.
ISBN 0 573 01931 2
M 14 (can be played by M3 or more) F 13 (can be played by F4
or more). Acting area with a ramp.
M5 F3. In and around a North London house.
M4 (23, 35, 50) F5 (22, 40). A living-room.
ISBN 0 573 01472 8
F9 (20s, 40s, middle-age). A housekeeper's room.
ISBN 0 573 03019 7
N C Hunter
6m 6f, extras. Classic comedy of manners. Multipurpose
set
ISBN 1 85459 198 3
M3 (30s) F4 (young, 30s, 40). A boat and surrounding river
and banks.
ISBN 0 573 11504 4
M6 (20s-50s, elderly) F6 (18, 20s, 40s-50s). A hospital
room, an office.
ISBN 0 573 01938 X