 |
|
Play. Jim Cartwright Under the guidance of the rum-soaked wide-boy Scullery, we are taken
on an evening's tour of a scruffy, depressed road in a small Lancashire
town. Moving from street corner to living-room, from bedroom to kitchen,
we met the inhabitants, glimpsing their socially and emotionally
wretched lives in this sharp, sad, funny and angry play. ' ... the
most significant and original new English play to appear in London
for a long time...' Observer Godfrey Hamilton Winner of an Edinburgh Fringe First in 1995, this is the story of
Joel's journey across the USA to join his lover Scott, and of the
people he meets along the way; all grieving for the loss of loved
ones. 'A piece of gay theatre which neither bludgeons with its own
agenda nor whirls in a miasma of self-indulgence: a glorious experience' Independent Play. Murray Schisgal. After achieving success in New York as a hard-driving television
executive, Andy Broude and his wife, Blanca, are heading westward
to Hollywood - where Andy expects to take over the helm of a major
motion picture studio. Having decided to
"see the country" en route, Andy and Blanca are driving to California
(with frequent stops to call Andy's agent, who is still negotiating
the fine points of Andy's contract) and as the play begins they are
laying over in a small midwestern town. But then fate intervenes
when Andy unexpectedly encounters his first love, Evelyn (who is
now married to the local druggist), old memories flood back, and
Andy unaccountably finds himself planning to give up California (and
Blanca) to recapture the idealistic life he had once hoped for with
Evelyn, when he was a struggling (but still dedicated) writer and
she was a music student. However, complications arise in the form
of Evelyn's rather odd but good-hearted husband, Robert; the demands
of the children whom both couples have produced; and, of course,
the indomitable Blanca. Using cardboard props and sets to emphasize
the antic, fast-paced nature of the play, the action moves ahead
swiftly as it follows the emotional ups and downs of the characters,
and the eventual thudding return to reality when Andy is finally
informed that his new job is definite (at a million plus year) and
he and Blanca hop back into their car to depart, with hardly a backward
glance as, sadder but wiser, Evelyn and Robert (whose father has
just died) console each other for their respective losses. Comedy drama. Larry Blamire Larry Blamire has accomplished the enviable task of synthesising the conflicting legends and ballads about the outlaw folk hero into a sometimes hysterical, sprawling action-packed drama. Besides ably retelling the legend, he indulges in and makes fun of the stilted dialogue found in tiresome historical novels and adventure films. He has created roles that challenge and reinvent the myth, including a wise-cracking Maid Marion who is arguably a better swords person than any of Robin's merry men. Musical celebration. David Wood and Dave and Toni Arthur This is a series of playlets which tell the various well-known tales
of Robin Hood. The possibilities for presenting the play are numerous
-open stage, promenade, open air as well as on a proscenium stage.
There is a basic cast of fourteen, but the authors envisage productions
'in which large numbers of local people take part', emphasising the
basic concept of the play which is that of a musical celebration
by a whole community. Robin Hood - the Truth Behind the Green Tights. Play. David Neilson 'Feared by the bad, loved by the good' goes the song about Robin
Hood, but in the case of Albert Ross, the distinction is not quite
so clear-cut. For Albert is a coward, transferring his allegiance
from Merry Men to Sheriff and back again at the drop of a hat- or
rather, at the point of a sword. All of which lands Albert, his wife,
Robin and Maid Marian in some very awkward situations ... Play. John Bowen Norah decides to live alone in a remote country cottage. She is soon attracted to Rob but there is something very strange about their brief affair - the local villagers are odd and when Norah becomes pregnant and wishes to leave the place and have an abortion she finds increasingly sinister forces arrayed against her. The tension mounts to a horrifying climax of witchcraft ritual, in which Rob - or Robin - is hideously sacrificed. |