Full Length/Two Act, Drama Play Scripts

Drama (N-Z)

	Never Any Fruit by Dougie Blaxland Winner: The Watermill Theatre, Raising New Voices, Best New Play, 2010 (1m, 1f) The compelling story of two young people who form an unlikely but intense attachment in the face of impending tragedy. Jack, a brilliant but autistic young mathematician, and Isla Rose, a struggling actress who can barely write her name, are brought together in desperate circumstances for last ditch clinical trials of an untested drug after conventional medicine has failed to cure life-threatening illness.

	On Raglan Road by Tom O'Brian (2m, 1f) Using Patrick Kavanagh's poem of the same name, this play sets out to describe the often tortuous relationship between himself and Brendan Behan and brings his doomed relationship with Hilda Moriarty into sharp focus.

	Painting From Memory by Hilary Spiers (2m, 2f) Louis Mackay, iconoclastic painter and artist, died a tragic early death in a freak accident. His widow, Sheila, elder daughter Frances and disturbed younger daughter Bridget (Bird) have all come to terms with his death in different ways. Bird is the spiky, sparky centre of this play which explores the tensions in a fractured family. When a resurgence of interest in Louis’s career and works leads a biographer to start writing the story of the artist’s life, the three women in the family have very different motives for wanting their own picture of Louis to be portrayed.

	Past Forward by Carolyn Pertwee (2m, 2f) Can the past ever let us go? Liz and Tom Fielding are poised to change their present life by selling up and moving to the coast for a brave new future, little knowing that a chance meeting with Sam Rutland, a long lost friend from their youthful past, will challenge the very foundations of their lives. What happened all those years ago when Sam shared their flat in those heady carefree days? Why is Liz so desperate to keep Sam and their daughter apart, and then so anxious when they not only meet at the family home, but become lovers?

	Persuasion by Jane Austen, adapted by Pamela Whalan (5m, 8f) The bittersweet story of love that might have been. At the age of nineteen, Anne Elliot was persuaded to refuse an offer of marriage from a young naval officer. Their paths cross again eight years later, but now Anne is a faded spinster and her father is badly in debt, while Captain Wentworth has made his fortune in the war and is a much sought after matrimonial prize.

	Portrait Of Dylan by Tony Layton (8m, 5f) Large Cast Possibilities The short, enigmatic life of Dylan Thomas was one filled with emotion, artistic endeavour and alcohol. A man of passion and poetry, a womaniser, a Welshman. Charting the years from childhood to his death aged 39 in New York, 'Portrait Of Dylan' is a powerful, moving account of Dylan's life, loves and lyrics.

	Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen, adapted by Pamela Whalan (4m, 11f) It is not only fans of Jane Austen’s much-loved novel, centred as it is on romantic manoeuvres in early 19th century England, who have been delighted by this adaptation, audience comments too, make it clear that people unfamiliar with the book also had a good time. The title of the play refers to the relationship between the Bennet's second oldest daughter, Elizabeth, and Mr Darcy, a wealthy but reserved man, who is the subject of marital scheming by many people, including his imperious aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Miss Bingley, the sister of one of his friends.

	Queen Anne by Kate Glover (4m, 4f) When Queen Anne, shy, gout-ridden and overweight, ascends the throne in 1702, the Jacobites, proto terrorists, will stop at nothing to kill her and put her half brother the Roman Catholic James Stuart on the throne. James just happens to be supported by the hugely powerful Louis XIV of France. Court favourites vie for influence with the Queen. Coalition politics spark off intense rivalries between Whig and Tory politicians. With her husband and children all dead, how will the Queen cope?

	Resonant Frequency by Ian Pauley (2m, 1f, 2m/f) A young mother who gains a son then loses him; an immigrant Italian ice cream shop owner with a large heart but a murky past; a slightly psychotic boffin and a pair of slightly out-of-this-world people who interview the three others form the cast for this fascinating play. Boffin is a person walking a tightrope between genius and insanity, reality and fantasy. His invention and subsequent over-reaction to a simple incident involving Mother and Toni has the potential to snuff out all human life.

	Revenge by Janet Shaw (1m, 3f, 1m/f) Four friends meet once a week to discuss books. Each of them has been in therapy for various conditions – that’s how they met, at Dr Malstrom’s clinic. Their therapy though didn’t always get down to the secrets hidden deep with them, and now those secrets are about to be awakened and exposed. Will all four of them be able to control their underlying problems or will one of them seek and then taste a sweet revenge?

	Sense And Sensibility by Jane Austen, adapted by Pamela Whalan (6m, 6f) Lose your heart and come to your senses as you follow the fortunes of Elinor, the sensible sister and Marianne, the sister who is ruled by her feelings. The reserve of one sister and the lack of reserve of the other lead equally to their undoing as they struggle to come to terms with the poverty thrust upon them by their father’s untimely death.

	Soul Without End by Martin Roche (6m, 2f) The play concerns the story a young French couple who in 1940, are escaping the ravages of war and the destruction of their tiny French village. Fleeing the atrocities and the death and loss of all they hold dear, they run as hard and as fast as they can across the country, eventually finding themselves in the remains of Chateau Tatar. It is inhabited by the last remaining member of the family who owned it. But they also find it is the home of a small group of soldiers from apparently different sides who appear to be seeking refuge from … what?

	Splits In The Skin by Ron Nicol (2m, 4f) The Dunstans meet for a rare family reunion at the request of their father, now aged 80. During a an afternoon fraught with accusations, arguments, regrets and recriminations they look back on their childhood, reveal their best-kept secrets, confront their failures and deal with their father’s unexpected and suspicious death.

	That Day In September by Artie Van Why (min 1m but many casting possibilities) Everyone has their story of where they were on 9/11. This is one of them. Artie van Why, an eyewitness, and survivor, of the attack on the World Trade Center gives his account of the being there, on the streets, in front of the twin towers. It provides an intimate understanding of the events of that day, a glimpse into how his choices led him to be standing in front of the twin towers that morning and how his life was dramatically transformed forever.

	The Audition by James Johnson (2f) Strong Content How far will an actress go to get a part? How far does the Director need to push? A psychological drama exploring the relationship between Director and actress at an audition where the normal rules and etiquette have been dispensed with. A most unusual play.

	The Brylcream Boys by Tony Layton (4m, 6f) Set in 1958 the play follows the fortunes of two young men from opposite poles of the social spectrum who are amongst the last to be called up for national service. They come up against DI Evans at basic training who has strict methods of changing boys into men. The experience changes the boy’s lives and has far reaching effects on their families.

	The Cherry Boys by Tony Layton (9m, 4f) A boy rating takes his first job on a cruise ship in the 1950's and is forced to come to terms with homosexual members of the crew when he is barely coming to terms with his own newly awakened interest in girls. A poignant story based on events that happened in real life; about relationships between, and in between, the crew and their passengers.

	The Firecrest by Roger Manktelow (5m, 3f) The ‘Firecrest’, a garnet set in a silver ring, carries with it a secret of international proportions. When Victor Barrett discovers it, he becomes involved in series of events involving intrigue, blackmail and murder. Marjory, his wife, colleagues Patrick and Claire get caught up in the affair with devastating results, the consequences of which Victor has to live with for the rest of his life, and who is the mysterious woman constantly at his side?

	The Incredible Doctor Guttmann by Nicholas McInerny (7m, 5f or 3m, 2f with doubling) As London hosts the 1948 Olympic Games, Stoke Mandeville Hospital gets ready to stage the very first Paralympics. The play tells the true story of Doctor Ludwig Guttmann who pioneered one of the biggest revolutions in medical and social history. In 1944, Henry Collier arrives with only weeks to live. Florence arrives with a broken spine and a broken spirit. Both must come to terms with their new lives but with the new hope given to them by the Jewish immigrant doctor from Germany, a man driven to improve the treatment of spinal injury. Ordinary men and women become the vanguard of the modern Paralympic Games as Guttmann builds broken bodies into a sports team ready to take on the world in this compelling drama, full of passion, determination, humour and rehabilitation.

	The King's Orphan by Martin Paul Roche (3m, 2f) During the Great War, 116 young men who had attended Blackburn Orphanage in Lancashire, went to war. 15 of them never returned; one of them was only recorded by his name. ‘The King’s Orphan’ is a unique, touching and very special story of how a generation of ordinary men did an extraordinary thing. But this story illustrates how some men went to war to fight for something bigger – to fight for a family they had never known.

	The Locked Room by Kathryn Attwood (5m, 7f or 4m, 5f with doubling) Autumn 1951, and acclaimed actress Irene Trevarrick is enjoying a triumphant return to the London stage following the death of her husband two years earlier. Behind the scenes however, Ivy Little is harbouring a scandalous secret from Irene’s pre-war past which will have a devastating effect on the latter’s carefully nurtured reputation and career. But a shocking incident forces Irene and Ivy into self-imposed exile in France and the truth about their relationship only comes out some fourteen years later when Irene, now suffering from cancer, returns to England for treatment.

	The Loft by Tom Casling (5m, 1f, 2m/f) This play explores the complex relationships that can happen, or develop, between the unlikeliest of people. The play looks at the concepts of love, affection, family, friendship, relationships, our own and other people’s perceptions of our relationships, how and what attracts us to others and what can limit our relationships with other people. Through the characters of Bill, a widowed pigeon-fancier, and Jordan, a young tearaway, we see a friendship which seems to transcend the natural family ties.

	The Long Winding Road by Tony Layton (5m, 3f) It’s 2008 and the Bramhalls, a northern middle-class family, have arranged a family reunion. Until now the family has seemingly been in balance and has perhaps enjoyed a degree of financial and social success. However, it soon becomes apparent that from this day forward their lives will never be the same again. An Army Captain with PTSD, a business in severe financial straits, and repossession of the family home, all conspire to cause tension and despair.

	The Midnight Raiders by Bettine Manktelow (4m, 4f) An historical drama requiring just one simple set, it's a play suitable for both youth and adult groups, that takes place on the Kent coast in 1817 at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. A mysterious traveller arrives at a local hostelry seeking shelter. The inn landlady reluctantly accepts him as a guest, but before he can settle down for the night he is disturbed by survivors brought from a shipwreck on the Goodwin Sands, in the persons of a young lady and her maid who were en-route for Ostend. Thereafter, the plot unravels as it becomes clear to the traveller that he has chanced on a ring of smugglers and wreckers, determined to thwart and destroy anyone who stands in their way.

	The Problem With Fathers by Tom Casling (4m, 5f, 1m/f) Father Dan is an aging Parish Priest steeped in the traditions of the Catholic Church. He lives with his long-suffering house-keeper, Mary Devlin. One night, Father Dan receives an unexpected telephone call from the Bishop followed by an impromptu visit. The Bishop would like Dan to take a young curate under his wing, a curate who is causing embarrassment to the church because of his ability to perform ‘miracles’. Dan readily agrees to take the curate and to ‘break him in’. However, the curate brings with him a past of a completely unexpected nature, one that ruffles quite a few feathers.

	The Railway Children Lady by Derek Webb (4m, 4f, 1Jnr-f) Forever remembered as the author of ‘The Railway Children’ and a host of other children’s books, Edith Nesbit was testimony to the maxim that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover as she was a contrast of the bohemian and the conventional. This play looks at her life over three decades, from her childhood, to her first taste of success, to a period when she remarries and, one hopes, she eventually finds true happiness. We meet the people in her life, the influence they had on her, and she on them, exploring her strengths and frailties, and what drove her to be such an influential and successful author.

	The Seagull by Anton Chekov adapted by Chris Chambers (7m, 5f) Simon loves Stella, Stella loves Kit, Kit loves Nina, Nina loves Boris, and Boris loves Irina…and Nina. And that is the problem! Kit’s love for Nina is sorely tested as she falls for his mother’s lover. The ensuing narrative, keenly crafted by Chekhov, leads to a tragic end. Chris Chambers’ re-envisioning of Chekhov’s masterpiece is an amusing and sometimes cheeky 21st century adaptation. Anyone interested in the great works of Chekhov will be familiar with the story of a family, their friends and their lovers, one destined for greatness, some for inevitable heartbreak, and one for a very sad end indeed.

	The White Rose by Craig Christie and Andrew Paterson Principals : 5m, 4f Support : 6m, 5f, 3m/f LARGE CAST 'The White Rose' is based on the true story of a group of students at Munich University in 1942 who formed a resistance movement to Hitler's regime. It traces the story of Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans, and his friends as they despair of the increasingly totalitarian lives being forced onto the German nation. 'The White Rose' is a play that is both intimate and epic in its portrayal of the story and characters involved, and, though drawn from the pages of history, it is as relevant today as it was when it originally unfolded during the dark days of war. A musical version of this title is also available.

	The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins adapted by David Morrison (10m, 8f) Drawing master Walter Hartright takes up an appointment in Cumberland, and falls in love with his new pupil, Laura Fairlie. But Laura is already promised to Sir Percival Glyde. whom she later marries. However, Percival is desperately short of money, and also determined to keep hidden a dark secret from his past, which could ruin him. He and his sinister friend Count Fosco hatch a plot to solve both problems. But they reckon without the determined Walter and Laura’s half-sister, Marian.

	The Young Diana by Marie Corelli adapted by Gillian Hiscott (1m, 3f) Adaptation of a novel by Maria Corelli. Diana, in order to escape the heartbreak of being jilted, stages her own death in order to start a new life. She allows herself to be a guinea pig to a scientist who plans to turn her into an immortal and beautiful heroine, with unforeseen consequences.

	To Be Frank by Martin Paul Roche (1m, 3f) Joe, an ageing bartender in downtown, present day, New York tells the story of his life to an unseen customer (the audience). He is a dreamer, a spinner of stories of his life and that of his idol, Frank Sinatra, with whom he claims an affinity and… what else? This is not a biography of a star, but rather an insight into a star follower who would have given anything ‘To Be Frank'. A play with the songs and music of Frank Sinatra sung by an all male or male/female group accompanied by a 3 piece band.

	Too Old To Climb Trees by Les Clarke (2m, 2f) A modern day tragic love story. Charles is a 61 year old theatre director who suffers from bipolar disorder. He meets Annie, a 23 year old writer, who is very confident, sexy and full-of-life and she turns his rather staid world upside down. Charles falls for her, hook, line and sinker, but Charles suspects that she is only using him to further her own career, and when he realises this, he is devastated and it ultimately destroys him.

	Vendetta! by Marie Corelli adapted by Gillian Hiscott (1m, 3f) A classic costume revenge drama. In the plague-ravaged Naples of the late 19th Century, a man is mistakenly buried alive. Returning home he discovers that his wife and best friend have been lovers for some while and that they are celebrating his death. The play follows his astonishing plan for revenge.

	Wedded Blitz by Phil Mansell (3m, 2f) Recovering alcoholic and novelist Jack is battling writer’s block, impotence and the temptation of the bottle. Driving him to drink are a lustful wife, a cantankerous father, and an angry ex-wife who’s never forgiven him for putting their marriage in a best-selling book. Things come to a head when he meets his ex to discuss their son’s future – and sees his wife out with another man.

	Whispers To The Moon by Kris Vosler (2m, 2f) Marcia found her one true love in Monaco while she travelled there from her home in America for her grandmother's funeral. Too bad she was already married and so was he. Somehow they made it work by meeting in the same place at the same time for two weeks every year, but now in their happy golden years, is it finally time to say goodbye?