Hi, we are still reading plays/looking for something full-length with a simple set for 10 people (5 men: 20s, 30s, 40-50) and 5 women (33, 38, 50s). We have done "Murdered to Death". (This was suggested in a reply to the old board) and we are not remotely musical so no singing or dancing or anything that requires music. Email me with your suggestions before January when we vote. We read Lord Arthur Saville's Crime last week and prior to that, some old Ayckbourn plays which were good but unsuitable for our ages. We have got a couple more plays to read between now and New Year including some Derek Benfield and Tim Kelly. If anyone has any further suggestions or know any playwrights who write good parts for ladies (40+) please do share the info! Thanks!

"Dry Rot" by John Chapman, 6 men 4 women, but needs a secret panel. Perhaps you could disguise a woman as the French jockey. Very funny.
"Off the Rails" by John Waterhouse went down very well, though onlya few words for one of your cast.
"Surprise Package" by Duncan Greenwood and Derek Parkes would require an extra.
Very old, but much enjoyed by audiences, "The Camel's Back" by Arnold Helsby.
If you can get new recruits "Oh, Clarence!" was our all time favourite.
Good parts for women in "Panic Stations", "Kindly Keep It Covered" and "I'll Get My Man".
Would appreciate suggestions back. Good comedies for similar numbers though we do have 3 young women for glamorous roles.

Have you tried Samuel French's 'Guide to Selecting Plays for Performance'. There is a new one due out for 2003 (I think). It details all plays they publish with a breakdown by cast. Try their website http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk

"A Chorus of Disapproval" would be terrific. It's about an amateur theatre group rehearsing for "The Beggars Opera". It does call for some musical excerpts, but I've seen this done very well with the actors miming to a tape, and loved it, even though I'm a purist usually!

Otherwise, why not do a double bill of 2 one-act plays ("Black Comedy" and "The Real INspector Hound" or "Bouncers" & "Shakers" spring to mind.

Thanks for these replies folks!

Just wanted to add the following : we have done most of the larger cast plays in Samuel French catalogues. We are very familiar whith them and yes the new ed. comes out after it if published in January 2003. I checked their website for all the bibliographic details.

The only drawback I have to say is that without reading some plays, in the catalogues and the ones people suggest, as a group (with the people you intend to cast reading all the parts available to them) you might still not find them suitable as the ages are wrong or you cannot make people look 20yrs younger. However, it's all part of the selection process.

Have to say we found a lot of good synopses for Tim Kelly plays but have since found them either unpublished works or not easily available in UK. The type of people we are trying to allocate parts to for the next production are not usually the supporting role takers so it's hard on this account to find something to suit their experience and to be able to make sure that the casting looks suitable if they are related to other characters. You know, married couples, family relatons etc. With character plays like murder spoofs/thrillers you can sometimes find it easier to find suitable parts for people you otherwise find hard to cast. That is open to debate...

I am trying to see a positive thing in all this and there is a play for us somewhere out there that we haven't already done or that another local group haven't done in the last year or doing the same month... So thanks again for the suggestions as they are not being ignored.

I recently saw "The Threepenny Opera" (Brecht) done by local drama students and it was brilliant. I loved it, but they were good, well directed etc and had produced an excellent version. I love the film with Jeremy Irons, Prunella Scales, Anthony Hopkins et al. of "chorus of disapproval" but we lack the strong casting required. but a lovely play I agree.

Re-Surprise Package - this was my first play so I am oh so familiar with it, and our cast is too old for that. Anyway, can't stay on this all morning so I'll say bye!

Keep posting ideas as we don't vote until January.

Louise

How about Accrington Pals?

Even better, how about one of the Terry Pratchett "Discworld" books. Stephen Briggs has transferred most of them into plays, which you can get from your local performing arts library.

I can highly recommend "Mort", "Lords & Ladies" and "Wyrd Sisters". Royalties are cheap and in the form of a charitable donation to the Orang-Utang Foundation. Lots and lots of roles give chance for all age groups, lots of either-sex roles, and plenty of doubling/trebling up.

Best of all, if you advertise on the Pratchett pages on the Web I can guarantee you'll sell out and make a nice fat profit!! Not everyone's priority but it never hurts!

Go on, read one or two - they're great fun and suitable for the whole family.

Just a quicky about the Stephen Briggs plays of the novels..

From what I've read about them and from what I've heard, yes they are great for large casts, everyone gets a few lines, but they tend to follow the book a lot and so are very "jumpy" from scene to scene...

The "Wyrd Sisters" one I saw myself had about 24 scene changes... Not for the faint of heart... Becareful with Direction and make it as swish as possible.

But they ARE perfect for large casts...

Have a look at "Our Country's Good" by Timberlake Wertenbaker, excellent piece and you can just about do it with the cast you have.


hth

Ged

Re the posting from George - you can do a Pratchett to a black curtain set and some good lighting, or a multitude of trucks and flies. Whatever takes your fancy. They're always fun working out....

Regarding the ageing situation - isn't that what acting's all about? Ok there are limits, especially in the ageing down side of things, but if you could see Woking Youth Theatre shows you'd know what I mean.

And Guildford School of Acting did Scrooge last year at our theatre, and one member of the audience complained to me (I was theatre manager that day) on the way out that it was a pity it was spoiled by having to have an old man to play Scrooge so that they weren't all students. The person involved was a 19 year old friend of mine......the lady concerned refused to believe me even when I showed her his photo on the wall outside!

So you see, acting is all that's required....

After much reading and discussions ...

we have chosen

"Lord Arthur Saville's Crime" by Constance Cox

Anyone got any tips or warnings about this? I want to re- read it to check out props and sound effects etc. I am aware of the explosion. When I have aquried mre info I will post any questions I have to props forum etc. We are doing it in May, so if anyone wants more details, please email me. Ta.

Louise

We had HUGE fun doing it. We introduced as many different "Killing methods" as we could think of. On the question of "how do we make a bomb" - we decided that the best way was, of course, a round papier mache ball with a string at the top and the word "BOMB" written around it in big letters.

All of the assassination attempts in the play are hilarious so make the most of them.

Thanks Anne-Marie!

You know I may already have the start of a paper mache bomb. When I am not amdramming I am looking after my children (ages 4 and 2) and we love doing creative craft activities. A while ago, we started covering balloons to make home made bowls but I am sure I could adapt them and make a bomb.

I have checked out lots of other sites photos for LASC to get costume ideas. We just did "When We Are Married" so I think we can use the maid's apron and mob cap again and lots of other bits and pieces. I'll start checking out the other forums for ideas etc.

Thanks
Louise

ps now there are 2 of us on here. (LouT :-) here)

We found the mens' costumes for LASC the hardest - you HAVE to get the period exactly right or they don't look perfect.

We couldn't afford a box set so we used black curtaining and several freestanding flats, such as a fireplace/mantlepiece one, and the patio door one. Make sure the sofa is big enough for the villain to hide behind (our villain was around 6'6" and it was a squeeze!).