Good One Act Drama Plays for amateur theatre and community theatre

Drama (A-M)

	A Clandestine Operation by Phil Mansell (2m, 2f) 40-45 mins In a room two men are keeping watch on the world outside through a keyhole. Their objective: to observe and infiltrate the mysterious proceedings taking place beyond the door. Two things stop them from succeeding – their inability to open the door and the unexpected arrival of a knife-thrower’s assistant. With their mission facing failure there follows a desperate bid to shift the blame and avoid the terrible consequences.

	A Frank Exchange by Nicholas Marsh (4m, 2f) approx 45 mins As a Dutch police employee absorbed into the wartime Nazi organisation, Helena Claassen is already under pressure as someone with nationalistic sympathies. To worsen matters, the German inspector has a charm that can undermine the most resolute of subjects, and Helena finds herself having to make an impossible choice.

	A Higher Education by Angela Pressland (2m, 2f) apx 1hr 45mins - Two Act split provided Patrick is suffering in his job and in his private life, and he badly needs comfort - female comfort. Summer is determined to complete her university degree, and if she can't get the money one way, she will try another. Their encounter is explosive for both of them.

	A Life Unspoken by Bev Clark (4m, 3f) approx 45 mins In this short play, Brenda, a sixty year old woman, is the narrator. With flashbacks to times in her past, she is trapped in a loveless marriage with a secret she has never told. Haunted by tragedy and guilt, she finds forgiveness can bring freedom. “Years of waiting – hoping that my proper life would find me”. With six other characters (and doubling is possible), this is an ideal play to enter into a play festival.

	A Matter Of Life And Death by Michael Sullivan (2m, 1f, 1m/f) approx 45 mins WINNER: NDFA's Derek Jacobi Playwriting Award, 2019 David is alone, depressed, and feels like he has nothing to live for, so when he decides to end it all, his decision seems final. But will a conversation with Death about life, death and the afterlife, or maybe even a revelation or two be able to change his mind?

	A Necessary Death by Trevor Smith (4m, 3f) approx 45 mins Helen, an apparently neurotic, pregnant housewife, has recently become widowed following the death of her husband, Sean. The reasons for her apparent neuroses are revealed as guests arrive and leave her house following Sean’s funeral. Helen has a letter from Sean; she has read it and has been pondering its contents. What messages has Sean left and how will they affect Helen?

	A Pocketful Of Posies by Norman Robbins (5f) approx 45 mins A one act play for five women (four in their forties and one in her sixties) all of who are named after flowers. A group of friends revisit their old school on Founders Day and solve a twenty-five year old mystery, the disappearance of the of the 'Daphne Rackham Trophy For Poetry Reading', but this has tragic overtones.

	A President In Waiting by Jan Moran Neil (1f) approx 35 mins AKhululwa, known as Liberty to her white South African employer, works as a domestic. She decides to write President Nelson Mandela a letter. The day transpires to be an auspicious one. Not least because this is Khululwa’s 21^st birthday. At the end of the day though she is faced with a serious dilemma.

	Accident Of Circumstance by Ron Nicol (3m, 4f, 6m/f or 2m, 4f with doubling) approx 45 mins John suspects that people are plotting against him and his GP diagnoses him as schizophrenic. A highly intelligent man, he analyses his illness and the treatment he’s enduring, and ‘knows’ there’s nothing wrong with him. During a lengthy stay in hospital his encounters with a doctor who seems baffled by his illness and he become increasingly fraught. His relationship with his wife Ellen disintegrates, their marriage breaks down, and his turbulent and increasingly difficult existence only ends when sudden death releases him from his pain. A drama based on actual events and told in John and Ellen’s own words.

	All Of The Monkeys by Michael Park (1m, 1f) approx 45 mins A run-down zoo has attracted the attention of trainee animal rights activist, Danny, aka 'Tiger'. His aim is to free the monkeys from their cage, but his attention is diverted when he meets Carol who is hiding from her abusive husband. Her plight leads him to turn his attention to persuading her to break free of her own personal cage. Whether he succeeds or not is the theme of this play, which handles modern-day issues in a sympathetic way.

	Another Life by Derek Webb (2m, 2f, 2m/f or 2m, 2f with doubling) approx 45 mins Mary has cancer and knows she only has a limited time to live. For her, travelling to Switzerland to end her life with dignity is the only way. Her husband and friends are as supportive as they can be, but Mary is pragmatic and realistic about her decision. With touches of wry humour, the play ultimately is a celebration of a life.

	Answer by Adam Colclough (1m, 1f) apx 35 mins A contemporary play about Mark and Grace, a young couple who find themselves caught up in a frighteningly tense situation that is becoming all to familiar in our biggest cities. How did they get there? Will they survive? 'Answer' is set in the present and the past and centres around a number of phone calls. A stripped back production both raw and honest in presentation. No barriers, the bare bones. Just the stage, the performers and the audience with minimal fuss. Making theatre accessible. No restrictions.

	Axis by Anton Kreuger (5m, 1f, 8m/f) apx 50 mins The title of this play comes from George W. Bush’s declaration soon after the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, that there exists an “Axis of Evil”, a shadowy conspiracy which is, presumably, out to destroy the “Allies of Good”. The play explores the role the media play in terrorist activity, and is set around a rather absurd, but plausible, situation of terrorists setting up a talk show between a hostage and his kidnappers. With a topical and tense plot, 'Axis' is very much a story of our time.

	Baggage by Bev Clark (2f) approx 45 mins Two women meet at a bus stop in early December. Sandra, a busy wife and mother with a rather demanding family, is feeling the strain of their demands and the onset of the menopause. Annie is a homeless woman with a terrible secret she has carried for many years: A tragedy so immense that Sandra realises how lucky she is to have her family, despite all their problems. Both women discover that friendship is a precious thing and this Christmas it will be the greatest gift of all.

	Belle Fontaine by Nicholas McInerny (1m, 2f) approx 60 mins Every year Gregory Saxon, a travelling Salesman with a textile factory, visits an isolated and reclusive religious community where they buy their material for the year. Today he has turned up to deal with Sister Iris, as she bakes bread in the kitchen. But he has arrived at a moment of crisis – with Sister Louise in the Meeting House nearby, praying to God for guidance. Everybody is confronted with a crisis of faith.

	Bentley, Road To Justice by Bev Clark (1m, 2f plus an ensemble) 45-50 mins On 28^th January 1953, Derek Bentley was hanged for the murder of a policeman, even though Chris Craig pulled the trigger. Derek’s sister Iris campaigned for forty years for his full pardon. This is her story. A one act docu-drama for a large ensemble with adults or senior youth.

	Caddying For Godot by Phil Mansell (1f, 3m/f) 40-45 mins On a barren, post-apocalyptic golf course two caddies await the return of the golfers who may or may not have retired to the club house. This homage to Samuel Beckett’s classic play was short-listed in the Hole In One Act Play Competition which was held to celebrate the Ryder Cup being held in Newport in 2010.

	Casualties Of War by Michael & Rebecca Tildesley (3m, 3f) 50 mins In early 1919, Peter arrives at a recuperation ward in England, suffering from a psychological condition from his time at the front line. There he meets Edward, a corporal who has received a life changing injury, Giles, a young private who is struggling with severe shell shock and Sister Cross, a caring but emotional nurse who is willing to stand up to the overbearing matron. As the play progresses we learn how their experiences at the front have changed these 'casualties of war' forever.

	Chalk And Cheese by Sandy Taylor (1m, 2f) apx 35 minutes Sylvia is a well-educated middle-class girl. Jo is her polar opposite, raised on a council estate, the youngest of a large family whose life experiences are limited. Sylvia advertises for a flat mate and Jo answers the advert and two girls from very different backgrounds become unlikely friends.

	Children Of The Revolution by Tom Casling (5m, 4jnr-m, 2njr-f) 50 mins This is a play about young people, and the power of young people to make a stand and to rally others to a worthy cause. It is also about a charismatic individual who inspires those young people to look outside their own experiences and to see others who are in a much worse situation than their own. Together they challenge the status quo and manage to bring about change but not without a huge cost to themselves.

	Choices by David Challenger 2 x One Act plays (1m, 3f and 1m, 2f) or a full length play* (2m, 5f)* with Plays or Acts linked by subject matter. In ‘A Matter of Time’, a woman is watching her husband die of cancer and confides her fears to her best friend who agrees to give the husband a fatal overdose, but can’t carry it out. The wife finds the courage to make the ultimate choice to assist in his euthanasia and faces criminal charges for murder. In ‘Trapped’, a man’s wife is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease which has a devastating effect on them. Facing losing the woman he loves, rather than see her suffer and lose her dignity, he makes the choice to end her life knowing he will face criminal charges. He goes on the run and meets his own death, not knowing that his wife had died from natural causes.

	Confessor's Gate by Nicholas McInerny (1m, 2f) approx 60 mins In an Oxfordshire village church graveyard, two elderly sisters – Hattie and Relda – are trying to reconcile after a life spent apart. Both alone and childless, their attempts to reach a point of resolution are tested by Relda’s friendship with an autistic child – Milo. As Hattie becomes more convinced that Milo’s influence is malign, she provokes a crisis that ends in violence – and a new possibility of new beginnings for them all.

	Conkers by Alice Underwood (3f) apx 50 minutes Prize Winner A mother and daughter, estranged for seven years following the mother’s sudden desertion from the family home, meet unexpectedly in a health spa. Amidst an atmosphere charged with resentment and angry recrimination is reconciliation out of the question?

	Curtain Call by Keith Trezise (2m, 3f) apx 30 minutes Prize Winner A group of actors takes over an abandoned theatre in an annual tribute to their colleague who they lost in a tragic motoring accident ten years ago. They begin rehearsals whilst trying to locate the elusive Elaine, but with no success. Finally, Elaine reveals herself to them and reveals a whole lot more than they had bargained for!

	Dear Mother by Mark James (2m, 1f or 1m, 1f, 1jnr-m) apx 50 minutes Follow Thomas from a boy at the start of the 20^th century on his first holiday away from his parents, through to a young man caught up in the spoils of the Great War. See how the innocents of youth are torn apart in the harsh realities of warfare, missing home and facing the loss of childhood friends. Told through letters back to home, 'Dear Mother' is a gripping and honest dramatisation of life in the trenches.

	Do We Know His Parents? by Tom Casling (3m, 3f) 30 mins Tom and Christina are a young couple at University and very much in love. Christina has invited Tom home to meet her parents for the first time, and, like most parents, the family albums are brought out. John, Christina’s dad can’t help but wonder however about this young man from Middlesbrough, who is dating his daughter, and so, as he has previously worked in the area and has contacts there, decides to check out his daughter’s boyfriend. Sometimes it’s better not to know though.

	Duplex by Keith Trezise (2m, 2f, 1m/f) apx 50 minutes This play deals with those darker issues that crop up in everyday life that seem to have the sole purpose of destroying us or everything we work so hard for. Sometimes though, it’s working too hard that brings on the issues in the first place. Paul and Judy try and make sense of the crazy world around them in a drama that builds up in tension throughout, just to hit you in the face as the curtain closes.

	Exit Routes by Liz Turner (6f) apx 70 minutes Six female factory workers dream of escape, but when the lottery win delivers only peanuts, reality strikes back. Taking every day as it comes and sharing jokes and insults, can their group spirit stand up to the shocks of betrayal and theft - and does lightning ever strike twice?

	Feeding The Ducks by Michael Park (1m, 1f) apx 35 mins Successful businesswoman, Clare, has a secret romantic assignation in the park, but the only person around when she arrives is Billy, a young man feeding the ducks. Little does she realise the impact this total stranger is quickly going to have on her life. Billy is a simple soul who has, through a combination of circumstances, discovered a connection between the termination of his mother’s employment and the relationship between Clare and her lover, with whom she has a business relationship too. Simple to stage and combining drama with humour, this is an ideal play for groups with limited resources and has a successful record as a potential award winner at drama festivals.

	For The Love Of Sara by Tony Layton (5m, 4f adult, 1f junior) apx 40 mins Ben is a patient in a psychiatric ward. As he is being questioned by Carl, a psychiatrist, the landscape of Ben's family life emerges. The centre of his life is his love for his daughter, Sara, who was born brain damaged. There is a horror in Ben's life that he can't face up to, but ironically, it is this same horror that has the effect of dramatically changing Sara's life.

	Forget It, It's History by Mark Henderson (2f) apx 25-30 mins Cora Smith, approaching middle age, has ceased to take care of herself. She’s sitting in her dilapidated flat, drinking. Someone knocks at her door and announces herself as Julie Diggins. Julie knows that Cora was once a different person with a different name and starts to question her about the half-forgotten past. Why does it interest her?

	Going Home by Ron Nicol (3m, 6f) apx 45 mins It’s the end of the college term, and all Mr Mac wants to do is go home. Then his department head demands he consider early retirement, a colleague asks him to alter examination results, he misunderstands the motives of one of his students, and is assaulted in his classroom – with disastrous consequences.

	Gossip by Robert Sheppard (3m, 9f) apx 50 mins Rehearsals are under way for an all-female production of 'Romeo and Juliet'. When the female Romeo fails to attend rehearsals, a stand-in is found who upsets the emotional balance of the cast as ‘Juliet’ start to form a real attachment to ‘Romeo’. Tempers get frayed and emotions are confused. A moving story of discovery and conflict unfolds.

	Heaven's Paradise by Derek Webb (2m, 2f) apx 50 mins After a failed business venture, Ann and Michael Hampton decide to take a recuperative break on Lundy Island. While there, Ann becomes totally fascinated by the history of the Victorian owners of the island - the Heaven family; leading to consequences that neither of them could foretell...

	Hell Hath No Fury... by Tom Casling (2m, 3f) 50 mins Peter and Sarah have been married for a couple of years. They met later in life than the average young couple and neither of them had had a great deal of experience of relationships prior to their marriage. Suddenly though something has changed, and they both believe that the fault lies with the other person. Sarah reluctantly confides in her mum whilst Peter chooses to confide in a work colleague and that’s when things really go wrong.

	Honeymoon Suite by Tony Layton (Min 2m, 1f; Max 4m, 3f) 3x1 Act each apx 40 mins or 1x3 Act apx 120 mins Prize Winner Three linked plays that explore the reasons why three couples have booked into the honeymoon suite at a country hotel. Two of the three are just married - for one it's barely six weeks since they met, the other couple though have known each other for twenty years. Why so soon? Why so long? The third couple are not married, at least, not to each other. This and a secret discovered, casts a shadow over their weekend. Francis, the genial, Irish hotel porter links all three plays with his homespun philosophy and his 'see nothing', 'get you anything' attitiude to his valued guests.

	Huff Puff by Shari Gledhill (2m, 2f) approx 30 mins Ralph wakes up in an abandoned warehouse. He is battered, bleeding and seemingly terrified. It seems he is being kept prisoner by three people intent on justice. He tries to convince him he is no rapist. Just a family man. Julie seems to be wavering but Shona, the ringleader, is determined to act out a violent form of justice. As the storm passes, we realise that Ralph is the big bad wolf after all.

	I'll Be Bert by Bill Cronshaw (1m) 60-65 mins (Two Act split possible) A one man play telling the true story of Bert Trautmann, the ex-German paratrooper, who went on to play for Manchester City as goalkeeper, and who famously broke his neck but carried on playing, in the 1956 Cup Final. This incongruous tale is lovingly recounted by the Actor as the various incidents and accidents take place to Bert Trautmann in his rise to footballing fame.

	In Sickness And In Health by Tom Casling (1m, 1f) 30 mins This is a play about an elderly couple, Tom and Val Braithwaite, and tells of Val’s experience as her husband starts to display the early signs of dementia. Told in the style of ‘Shirley Valentine’, often being played directly to the audience, with Val stepping in and out of particular scenes as she recounts her story of Tom at various stages in the dementia process. Based on the actual experiences and feedback of partners of people with dementia.

	Jumpers by Tom Casling (2m, 1f, 2m/f) 30 mins Set in the early 1980s the play is about a man who is about to jump from the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle and the various people he meets during that process. It can appear comedic in approach and contains a lot of strong language, but the intention is not to shock and the language is appropriate for both the situation and the time. The character of the Angry Man sums up the attitudes and comments heard from people when caught up in traffic because such an incident is happening with often no thought of the other person’s situation.

	Kilmainham Kids by Paul Sherman (3m adult, 3m, 3f juniors) 50 mins approx The play is set in Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol, in the 1850s. Six children (ages 10-16) have been imprisoned for nothing worse than trying to stay alive by stealing bread and clothes. One of them has a grievance about another, and demands ‘a trial’. Enter Con Colbert, a 1916 uprising rebel, sentenced to be shot. He spends his last moments with the children and affects them all. After his execution, the neat 'time-twist' is revealed that links the two events.

	Life, Below Zero (4m, 2f) apx 50-55 mins Prize Winner “Jonathan, I need you to trust me, I need you to understand that your life at its absolute most difficult is nothing more than a faint flash of light in the universe”. With these words Michael tries to put into perspective the anguished life that Jonathan and through him, his wife, Sarah, have been living since the death of their toddler son. He blames himself for the boy's death, but a force far stronger than one man's possible lapse of judgement is gradually revealed by Michael, until the beginning of a release for Jonathan takes shape. The play is a fascinating contemporary work that aligns our material life with all its torments and tragedy, to the promise of at least some guiding force, working with humanity.

	Lions Of England by David Weir (2m, 2f) 40-45 mins Will Foster will shortly receive the 'Lion Of England' award for bravery, in front of a live TV audience. But the producers have just realised Will is a man with a past. The kind of past that a hero just can't have. With five minutes to air, it's time to change the story.

	Long Away And Far Ago by Robert Sheppard (4m, 4f) 50 mins A modern one-act family drama where long hidden secrets come to light over a celebratory meal. The father runs a failing businesses started by his wife’s ex-husband who died years ago in an unsolved hit-and-run incident. Who knew what and when? What secrets are being held back from the children? Complete with a 'Greek Tragedy' style chorus that adds weight and solemnity, and a sense of the inevitable.

	Loss by Bill Snell (3m, 3f) 40 mins approx Prize Winner A poignant war time drama, ‘Loss’ explores the strains on the marriage of Billy and Mary when their eldest son is killed. This loss is exacerbated by the fears of losing their only surviving son who is now involved in the conflict. Billy and Mary struggle with grief and fear and their relationship suffers dramatically. We follow their attempts to deal with their loss and their constant dread that another ‘telegram’ may arrive.

	Love And Lies by Colin Barrow (1m, 3f) 35-40 mins approx Stuart has a penchant for women, So much so that he has asked his fiancée Amy (his secretary) not to tell anyone that they are to be married. There's a good reason for this because he's also asked Megan, the office receptionist, not to tell anyone that they too are engaged. The tangled web becomes even more difficult to navigate around when Stuart's other fiancée Stacey arrives at the office to find Amy and Megan locking horns. Can Stuart extricate himself from three angry women now advancing upon him?

	Lucy In The Sky by Tony Layton (4f) apx 45 mins Prize Winner Three women seek shelter in an inner city hostel for the homeless. On this cold winter night, each has a different reason for being there. Two of them are having to come to terms with recent events which have shattered their lives. The other cannot forget her failing because once a year for fifty years she has been vividly reminded.

	Marigold by Robert Sheppard (2m, 6f) apx 50 mins Marigold is brought close to the audience but is never seen. Friends and family await news of her condition following a serious road accident. During the wait a lot is discovered about those waiting too. Jealousy, rivalry, bigotry and disinterest jostle for position in this poignant and moving play.

	Movers by Tony Layton (4m, 2f) apx 40 mins Four removal men are clearing the large Cartwright house on the hill, a once powerful industrial dynasty, now reduced to bankruptcy. The play is a symbol of all our destinies - the great can crumble and the weak can survive, especially if they are sustained by a sense of humour. We all have our tragedies, we usually survive, and life moves on. If you have the ability to laugh at yourself, it helps.

	My Funny Valentine by Derek Webb (1m, 2f) apx 45 mins It’s Valentine’s Day and Chris gives his wife Nicola some saucy undies as well as a card on Valentine's Day, with the hope of spicing up their marriage. Then, in the post, she gets another card from someone called Stuart who doesn't seem content with just sending a card...

	My Second Best Bed by Barry Syder (1m, 3f) apx 45 mins It has generally been believed that Shakespeare cared little for his wife which was endorsed by his strange bequest to her as his final legacy. This delightful piece of theatre makes one reconsider by providing a highly plausible explanation. A self-righteous Curate arrives to read Shakespeare’s will to the family, and, as his eldest daughter Susanna already knows its contents, she is well prepared to explain the reasoning behind it.