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NED MANNING (1950 - ) |
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Nationality: Australian Email: n/a Website: n/a |
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Literary Agent: RGM Artist Group |
Ned MANNING is a playwright, actor and teacher. He teaches drama at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in Sydney and is a member of the Writers Group, 7-ON. Ned has written a number of plays with large casts for high school students. He has also written two plays about the Stolen Generations as well as many plays for adults. He is currently commissioned by the Bell Shakespeare Company to write their Actors at Work program. As an actor Ned starred in the cult classic Dead End Drive In as well as playing Mr Coote in the teen hit, Looking For Alibrandi. He has appeared in many Australian television and theatrical productions.
Plays by Ned Manning
Alice Dreaming | ||
| 1st Produced: | ATYP Walsh Bay Sydney | 21 Nov 2006 | ||||
Company: | ATYP | |||||
| 1st Published: | Cambridge University Press | ISBN/ASIN: | 978-0521166263 | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #99484 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Young People. | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 7 | Female | 10 | ||
Parts other: | 12-20 | |||||
Notes: | This play is designed for a large cast but may be performed by as few as ten actors. There are countless Chorus roles as well as the potential for doubling. Many of the roles are non gender specific. | |||||
| A teenage girl is struggling with her identity and feels trapped by the expectations of the outside world. The pressure of life as a teenager results in her escaping into the world of her imagination. She is befriended by an Albatross who guides her on a journey of self discovery by opening her eyes to the outside world. Alice is exposed to issues of teenage identity, environmental degradation, ecological survival, friendship, parental relationships, political power play and social responsibility. The style of the play is Non-naturalistic and lends itself to the possibility of puppetry, mask work, multi media and a whole range of theatrical styles. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Belonging | ||
| 1st Produced: | 11 Sep 2007 | |||||
Company: | Griffin Theatre Company | |||||
| 1st Published: | in Short Circuit: 14 short plays for the stage, Currency Press, Australia (2009) >>> | ISBN/ASIN: | 978-0868198668 | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #106361 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Ten Min | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 2 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
| Over three years, Australia's new writing theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, presented fourteen unique short plays across its mainstage season. Seen for one night only, The fates, Seasons and The Seven Needs were three play cycles provoked by the classical mythology of man's inescapable destiny, the seasonal patterns and Maslow's Pyramid of Human Needs. Now , this eclectic and fascinating collection of ten minute plays by some of the country's most established and emerging playwrights becomes Short Circuit. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Bridge Is Down, The | ||
| 1st Produced: | Pact Youth Theatre | Sep 1993 | ||||
Company: | Pact Youth Theatre | |||||
| 1st Published: | ISBN/ASIN: | - | ||||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #52603 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | 60 mins, Young People One Act | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 1 | Female | 10 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | The Bridge is Down is a light-hearted look at life in Australia in 1954, the year of the Royal Visit. A torrential downpour forces ten women (amongst them a private school debating team, a Nun, a socialite, an actress) to take shelter in a shearing shed. Caught up in the optimism (or naivety) of the period their attitudes reflect the huge changes in Australian society since then. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Close To The Bone | ||
| 1st Produced: | EORA Centre, Redfern NSW. | 21 Sep 1991 | ||||
Company: | EORA Centre for Aboriginal Performing and Visual Arts. | |||||
| 1st Published: | Paddington, NSW : Currency Press, 1994 | ISBN/ASIN: | 978-0868193892 | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #22314 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play with music. | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 4 | Female | 11 | ||
Parts other: | 4 | |||||
Notes: | Developed by Manning with his Aboriginal students at the Eora Centre in Redfern, this play examines the forced adoption of Aboriginal children. Close to the Bone is written for school students and contains songs and music. It could be performed by a cast of 7 but has the potential to be performed by a much larger cast. | |||||
| Close to the Bone deals with the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families and the subsequent turmoil this Government policy caused to those who became known as the Stolen Generations. The play is also a story of survival and resilience. Whilst the first half takes place in rural Australia in the 1960's, the second half is set in Redfern and is a celebration of Indigenous life in the city. "This play presents the issue of the Stolen Generations with an authentic Aboriginal voice". Linda Burney MP NSW Parliament. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Flash Stockman, The | ||
| 1st Produced: | SWY Theatre Perth | 31 Oct 1987 | ||||
Company: | SWY Theatre Perth | |||||
| 1st Published: | Australian Script Centre | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #99485 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play with music. | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 1 | Female | 1 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | A young girl visits her grandfather and is introduced to life in rural Australia and to the music that inspired him. It is a cross generational story in which an old Australia comes into contact with new Australia and where each generation learns about the other through the music that affected them. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Gods Of War | ||
| 1st Produced: | Queanbeyan High School | 2009 | ||||
Company: | Queanbeyan High School | |||||
| 1st Published: | ISBN/ASIN: | - | ||||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #22315 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Drama written for schools or large community groups 120 mins Young People | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 17 | Female | 9 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | Variable cast and variable gender with opportunities for large cast production. | |||||
Synopsis: | The innocence of Australian life in 1939 is shattered by the outbreak of war. The subsequent awakening of a nation is reflected through the lives of the characters in Gods of War. The battle rages both at home and abroad, with those left behind as deeply affected as those on the battlefields. Neither the country nor its people will ever be the same again. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Kenny's Coming Home | ||
| 1st Produced: | Q Theatre, Penrith. | Jun 1990 | ||||
Company: | Q Theatre, Penriith | |||||
| 1st Published: | ISBN/ASIN: | - | ||||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #22316 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Musical Satire | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 2 | Female | 3 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | The Green family has moved out of the inner city into the Western suburbs. The family's move has been prompted by Dad's political ambitions. When the local MP drops dead playing squash Dad seizes the opportunity to satisfy these lifelong political ambitions. However, his political leanings so horrify his sister, Aunt Dorothy, that she decides to stand against him. Aunt Dorothy sees Dad as a traitor to Labor ideals, the ideals of Ben Chifley. Dad is unperturbed for he knows son Kenny, a local football legend, is on his way home and will bolster his campaign. Sadly for Dad Kenny is not the person he was. The family is thrown into turmoil in this political satire told with the addition of twelve rollicking songs. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Kim | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #111606 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | n/a | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | n/a | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Last One Standing | ||
| 1st Produced: | Old Fitzroy Hotel | Apr 2007 | ||||
Company: | Old Fitzroy Hotel | |||||
| 1st Published: | Australian Script Centre, 2009 | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #99487 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Adult Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 2 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | Joe's world is falling apart. Literally. His son and daughter collude to try and convince him to sell out and move into an Old Peoples Home. But selling out is not in Joe's nature. He is an idealist who rails against the march of time and the rising tide of rampant materialism. He is sustained by his wife Ruth's vision and his need to redress the horrors of his wartime past. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Luck Of The Draw | ||
| 1st Produced: | Queensland Performing Arts Trust | Jun 2000 | ||||
Company: | Kooemba Jdarra | |||||
| 1st Published: | Strawberry Hills, NSW : Currency Press in association with Kooemba Jdarra, Brisbane, 2000 | ISBN/ASIN: | 978-0868186350 | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #22318 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Adult Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 2 | Female | 3 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | Luck of the Draw is one of few plays written by non Indigenous writers to be performed by the Indigenous Company, Kooemba Jdarra. Playwright Ned Manning has two Indigenous children and this is dedicated to their Indigenality. | |||||
| Luck of the Draw traces one family's plight when enforced separation crosses generations and challenges the family's existence. It is a story of survival against the odds and celebrates the resilience of Indigenous family and cultural life. While the Australian Government has finally said "Sorry", Reconciliation has been a life-long struggle for those directly affected by past Government policy. As the play explores the disastrous attempt at social engineering it also searches for a way of living with the past so that black and white Australians can travel together into the future. This is a tough and sometimes brutal look at Black/White relations in Australia. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Milo | ||
| 1st Produced: | Wharf 2, Walsh Bay,, Sydney. | 27 Oct 1994 | ||||
Company: | nmproductions in association with Sydney Theatre Company. | |||||
| 1st Published: | in Kingaroy and Milo, Currency Press, Sydney (1996) | ISBN/ASIN: | 978-0868194585 | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #22319 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 2 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
| Milo and Di live on a hobby farm - he is a pipe dreaming visionary while she works for an Overseas Aid Agency. A visit from an old mate, Toby, a farmer struggling to survive in the bush, and his feisty wife Peg, precipitates a thunderstorm of pent up fury. Ideas about environmental sustainability clash with the economic reality of survival on the land in the 21st Century. This play tackles the big issues facing rural communities everywhere by harnessing typical Australian self deprecating humour as a means of coping with impending disaster. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Not This Litlle Black Duck | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #111607 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Childrens play | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | n/a | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Us Or Them | ||
| 1st Produced: | Stables Theatre | 21 Feb 1984 | ||||
Company: | Griffin Theatre Company | |||||
| 1st Published: | Sydney : Currency in association with the Griffin Theatre Company, 1984 | ISBN/ASIN: | 978-0868191003 | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #22320 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 5 | Female | 4 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | It is possible to double Tom/Steve and Prim/Wendy and perform the play with a cast of 7 actors. | |||||
Synopsis: | Us or Them is a comedy drama about the intractable nature of the Australian education system. Although written over twenty years ago, it remains scarily relevant as it explores relationships between teachers as well as teacher student relationships. It lifts the veil on the weird and wonderful world of the staffroom as well as revealing teachers at play. Their shenanigans are compared and contrasted with teenage behaviour, often unfavourably. "Us or Them" has been described as " a disturbingly convincing picture of an education system rigid enough to resist any challenge". (Variety) | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Women of Troy | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | Australian Script Centre | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #129639 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | 50 min adaptation | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 9 | Female | 7 | ||
Parts other: | chorus | |||||
Notes: | This adaptation has been written for a large cast and could involve a whole class. | |||||
Synopsis: | An adaptation of Euripides' Women of Troy for school age performers. The adaptation focuses on the effects of war, particularly on women. Troy could be any trouble spot in the world. A group of teenagers play in what turns out to be a city destroyed by war. They become involved in the sacking of Troy and take on roles in the play. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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