Good One Act Drama Plays for amateur theatre and community theatre

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Drama (H-S)

Titles (A-G) Titles (T-Z)

	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.

	Holding On by Alice Underwood (1m, 3f, 1jnr-f) apx 50 minutes The themes in this memory play include loss, regret and unfulfilled ambitions. Central to the story is a woman in her late sixties who, having had a fall at her home, now finds herself extremely confused and distracted as she waits for a diagnosis in hospital. Terminal illness? Dementia? Concussion? The diagnosis is not revealed within the script and the ending is enigmatic leaving the audience left to decide.

	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.

	Moving On 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?

	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.

	No Smoke by Derek Webb (2m, 4f) apx 50 mins School student Ella has a crush on Paul Taylor, her violin teacher. Her mother sees a post about this on Ella’s Facebook page and, after discussing it with her friends which just amplifies the perception she has of this out of proportion, she reports Paul to the Police. Events snowball quickly, both emotionally and physically, but is Paul guilty or innocent? Surely there’s no smoke without fire?

	Once An Actress by Tony Layton (1f) apx 40 mins Bored with her factory job, Sara attends an audition and is amazed when she gets a part. Through this catalyst she attends drama school and afterwards lands an acting job touring Welsh schools, both of which provide her with valuable new life skills. Her bubble is burst though, when she gets no more acting jobs and has to retrun to the factory. A superb single-hander for a competent actress.

	One, Two... TREE by Adam Colclough (3m, 3f; min 1m, 1f) apx 30 mins One couple, three stories: when, then & again. Over a fifty-year period, we witness the seed of a relationship being planted and the eventual blossoming. Teenagers, Drew and Jane meet under a tree, then drift apart, only to meet there again 20 years later, and marry. 30 years after that they return to the tree to take some tough decisions.

	Pals by Mike Tildesley (3m) apx 50 mins Following a disastrous trench raid in the First World War, Freddie finds his friend George lying in a shell hole with a shrapnel wound in his stomach. The two men soon face a moral dilemma as they are joined in the shell hole by Albert, a man who seems very out of place in the front line. As the play progresses, we discover the reasons that each of the three men joined up and learn the true meaning of what it is to be pals.

	Phantom Of The Arts Centre by Geoff Buckingham (3m, 2f) Apx 50 mins A small team of volunteers take over a disused building that was a factory during World War 2, has a colourful history and a cellar. There is a strange noise from the cellar. Sally discovers a World War 2 veteran, who is still on duty, but their moving conversation is interrupted. The veteran disappears, but then returns to find that he and Dolly may have met before. This play reveals the friction between members of a volunteer group and also the impact and heartbreak of war-time romance.

	Play On Words (3m, 1f) apx 60 mins Prize Winner A moving tale of friendship, a knock-about farce of quick-witted punning and a surreal blend of theatre and reality - all mixed into one truly unique theatrical battle between Stoppardian wit and Beckettian calamity. In 2007, Tom Crawshaw's script for 'Play On Words' won the Oxford University New Writing Festival and he was awarded the Cameron Mackintosh New Writing Award.

	Remembrance Day by Bev Clark (5m) approx 45-50 mins A story of one family’s conflict against a backdrop of global war over five generations. Starting in 2006, the action moves back to 1916 and then on to 1991. A young, troubled, teenager meets with a stranger from the past... but why has he come and what can Darren learn from him? A multi-award winning one act play at AETF & NDFA 2009 and 2014.

	Remembrance Day by Tony Layton (5f) Apx 40 mins Leanora - a 'difficult' patient, has been moved from one nursing home to another, and the new staff are not too happy with her. During a visit by her daughter and grand-daughter, some family skeletons are revealed. Forced into a corner by all around her, Leanora decides it is time to tell the 'truth' behind the rift.

	Reverie (2m, 3f) apx 60 mins Prize Winner James embarks on a quixotic adventure to harness the power of his dreams and live forever. But once you’ve opened the door to infinite possibilities can you ever truly live in the real world? A funny, poetic and bittersweet tale of love, perfection and flying too close to the sun.

	Sanctuary by Tom Casling (5m, 3f) Apx 50 mins Sanctuary [noun] /ˈsaŋ(k)tjʊəri/ : refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution, or other danger. The play explores this by creating a situation based partly on fact and partly on fiction. The plot is simply that a man is about to be deported. He has exhausted all the possible legal options to remain in the country, and, these having failed, he seeks refuge in his local church claiming sanctuary.

	Seasons In The Sun by Tom Casling (4m, 2f, 4m/f) Apx 35 mins Neil Young and his wife take an impromptu cycling/camping holiday to recapture memories of their youth and to re-live some of the happier times of their life when things were simpler. What Neil and his wife hadn’t planned for were the other holiday makers of a very different time and generation and their prying inquisitiveness.

	Ship Of Fools by Chris Lambert (4m, 1f) Apx 50 mins In the middle of the 19th century, a desperate group of starving villagers wreck a ship that holds no food or money, just society's unwanted - a ship full of fools. This sharply dramatic play tells their story. It was initially envisaged as an allegory of the arguments against Care in the Community (ie the abandonment of seriously ill patients and the lack of round the clock care) however the period setting allows for various other readings.

	Sisters And Their Secrets by Ron Nicol (1m, 3f) 50 mins The Dunstan sisters meet for their father’s birthday, looking back on their childhood, recalling their strict upbringing and revealing their best kept secrets. Carrie is pregnant and Fay is gay, but Hester insists she has nothing to hide. The discovery that Father is dead leads to arguments and accusations until his killer eventually confesses. The ironic prediction that Father is capable of rising from his deathbed is fulfilled – but his eventual death is unexpected.

	Something Beginning With C by Tony Layton (8m, 6f) Apx 40 mins (Can be doubled down to 3m, 3f) Mike Carter is a 'Jack the Lad'. Life is a game of 'beer and skittles', and marriage and its associated responsibilities of fatherhood are not on his agenda. However, life has the habit of throwing up the occasional cruel hand, and one of these is dealt unexpectedly to Mike. On a visit to the Doctor, he is told he has cancer, 'the big C', and although he tries to carry on as he has before, he begins to realise that there is more to life than 'pints of beer and pulling birds'. Through his adversity Mike faces up to his own mortality. A deeper appreciation of life is awakened in him as he seeks out the one person who can make him happy.

	Such A Blessing by Liz Dobson (1m, 2f, 2m/f) Apx 45 mins After 25 years of marriage Bert and Dora Lewis’s prayers were answered when they became parents to Carol who, now an adult, has been seriously ill in hospital. Bert and Dora have been called in to speak to the Doctor, expecting to hear news of her recovery. However, his news is about to destroy their lives when DNA tests have proved that neither Bert nor Dora are Carol’s biological parents. With their lives in tatters, it’s unthinkable that further revelations could lead to total devastation for the family, but that is indeed what lies ahead.