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Reg Mitchell

REG MITCHELL  (1929 - )

 Nationality:    British
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    n/a

Reg Mitchell was born in Bradford, where he trained at the Playhouse, becoming an Associate of the Drama Board of Great Britain. Awarded an OBE in 1989, he now lives in Warwickshire. He has several plays and adaptations to his credit, including Great Expectations (Stratford's WatersideTheatre 1985), the Quiney Affair (RSC's the Other Place 2004) Hallmarks (Shakespeare Centre 1998); By Royal Command (commissioned for the Shakespeare millennium birthday celebrations); and a Victorian musical adaptation of Dickens' famous ghost story, A Christmas Carol (RSC Swan Theatre, 1999). More recently, Elves! the Musical and Alice! a Family Musical. Other plays include Love Letters in Four Acts, about the final years of Anton Chekhov's life; Chastity at Stake, a musical adaptation of Vanbrugh's the Relapse. A founding partner of the Bird of Prey Theatre Company and Falcon Productions, he was also instrumental in forming Stratford Playwrights.

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below is a list of Reg Mitchell's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Alice!         Bell Brothers, The         Bubbly Blonde         But Once a Year         By Royal Command         Chance Encounter, A         Chastity at Stake         Christmas Carol         Elves! the Musical         Garden of Remembrance         Great Expectations         Love Letters In Four Acts         Murder by E-mail         Poor Relations         Quiney Affair, The         Thorpe Green Affair, The         We Are Not Amused         Yorkshire Mystery Plays

Alice!

Synopsis:
Alice and her sister are resting by the river bank when a white rabbit appears in a disturbed manner. the Queen of Hearts is due at any moment with her full entourage. the procession enters and the Queen announces a head-rolling festival and croquet match, before moving off. White rabbit runs off down a rabbit hole, followed by Alice anxious not to miss the croquet game. Adventures with various birds, animals and members of the Royal Family of Hearts culminate in court where the Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing the Queens tarts

Notes:
Book, lyrics & music by Reg Mitchell. Based on characters And events from Alice in Wonderland

1st Produced:
Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon    2005

Organisations:
Falcon Productions

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2005   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  5            Other:  10c, 16 animals. Mostly doubled

Further Reference:
-

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Bell Brothers, The

Synopsis:
When Charlotte came across Emily's poems she got the idea of publishing a selection of their poems, which they did under the pen name of the Bell Brothers. Although a failure, their subsequent three novels became instant successes, taking the literary scene by storm. But success was mixed with controversy, followed by tragedy with the death of Emily from tuberculosis. Anne also fell to the disease a few months later leaving Charlotte the only surviving child of the Rev Patrick. Her affairs with her publisher was doomed to failure. On the rebound, against her father's wishes, she married his curate

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Unperformed (undergoing revision)    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2002   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Period Drama

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  5            Other:  9 other - with doubling 4m, 4f

Further Reference:
-

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Bubbly Blonde

Synopsis:
Middle-aged people who haven't grown old, and who still seek friendship and a little excitement in the twilight years of life, still have their past to overcome

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon    2003

Organisations:
Falcon Productions

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2002   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
comedy One Act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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But Once a Year

Synopsis:
It's Jill and Jack's turn to host Christmas. their daughter is due to have her baby and their son-in-law's parents arrive for the holiday. Jill's close friend, the actor Laura, and her dipsomaniac husband, Harry, are also guests. Jill is surprised to learn that Laura's marriage is not all it seems, but when, in her haste to answer the phone, early on Christmas morning to hear of the imminent arrival of her grand-daughter, Jill falls down the stairs, she manages to break both her legs. An eventful Christmas continues with the arrival on Christmas day, of her blood-stained friend who announces that she has just killed her husband. the plot ducks and weaves to the surprise ending

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Unperformed    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2004   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Modern comedy mystery Comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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By Royal Command

Synopsis:
the Queen has commanded Will Shakespeare to write a play about her favourite character, Sir John Falstaff, in love. the catch is that it is to be performed in two weeks time following the great feast of the Garter Ceremony - which happens to coincide with Will's 34th birthday. As Will panics at the news, Ben Jonson arrives to lend a hand, but when every boy actor in the company goes down with the measles, all seems lost. A lost bear, the stage-struck wife of a jealous husband, a hen-pecked friend, a vocal Mistress, and many more add to the chaos

Notes:
Commissioned by the Millennium Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations Committee

1st Produced:
Levi Fox Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon    2000

Organisations:
Bird of Prey Theatre Company

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2001   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Period comedy

Parts:
Male:  13            Female:  6            Other:  9c doubling possible

Further Reference:
-

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Chance Encounter, A

Synopsis:
James, his wife Pamela and their children are nearing the end of their activity holiday in the Welsh borders. James, now a Minister of State, recognises a lady with whom he had a chance encounter in London some fifteen years earlier. She is Guinevere, better known as Jenna, a widow and companion of a wealthy lady. they recall their earlier meeting at which she read his palm, and James discovers more about his future than he could ever have imagined.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Unperformed    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2004   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
comedy One Act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Chastity at Stake

Synopsis:
Tom Fashion returns penniless to England with his servant, Lory. Tom's older brother has recently inherited their father's estate, bought a title, and is now Lord Foppington, who fancies himself as an irresistible beau with the ladies. When Tom is refused any of the inheritance, he conspires with the marriage broker, Coupler, to steal Foppington's bride-to-be. Hoyden is a lusty young virgin, eager to lose that condition. She is the wealthy heiress of Sir Tunbelly Clumsy, a country Squire. the parties have never met, so Tom has no difficulty passing himself off as his brother. He is received with open arms! Unknown to her father, however, Tom manages to persuade Hoyden to marry him immediately, in secret, with the collusion of her nurse. But, no sooner has the event taken place, than Lord Foppington arrives unexpectedly. In the confusion Tom escapes back to London, without his bride. Meanwhile, two rakes of the town, Worthy and Loveless, each unknown to the other, are scheming to seduce the other's desirable mate, Berinthia and Amanda. Elaborate assignations are made, but the women join forces to turn the scheme to their own benefit by a deft switch of identities at the moment of intended deceit. But all ends happily ever after - for the time being at least!

Notes:
Book, lyrics & music by Reg Mitchell. Adapted from Vanbrugh's the Relapse'

1st Produced:
Unperformed    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2001   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
bawdy musical romp

Parts:
Male:  9            Female:  5            Other:  small parts + chorus

Further Reference:
-

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Christmas Carol

Synopsis:
A Victorian musical of the famous tale. Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley, warning him of the terrible fate he faces in the after-life if he doesn't mend his miserly ways. the Spirits of Christmas appear to him. One reveals him in the past, one in the present and one in the future unless he changes his ways. His nephew, Fred, and his clerk, Bob Cratchitt insist on keeping respect for Scrooge, in spite of his tight-fisted unpleasantness. Scrooge is converted to generosity, so saving the life of Tiny Tim and all his family.

Notes:
Traditional carols And original songs by Reg Mitchell

1st Produced:
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon    1998

Organisations:
Wilson Roberts Productions

1st Published:
New Theatre Publications (2000)   978-1840942927

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  17            Female:  14            Other:  6c, Many parts doubled

Further Reference:
-

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Elves! the Musical

Synopsis:
Tinselbottom town is about to become the location for a new TV serial. But without a fast-food joint, it's unlikely to be acceptable as a venue which will attract tourists. the local shoemaker, Wilfred Vogue's shop, is in the ideal position for such a joint, and the landlord, Sir Jasper, always on the make, cooks up a plan to get the Vogues out! But he reckons without the fairies - who decide otherwise. A fast moving musical adaptation of Grimm's famous story is given a new twist in this musical version of the story written for children. Lots of original songs and music.

Notes:
Book, lyrics & music by Reg Mitchell

1st Produced:
Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon    2004

Organisations:
Falcon Productions

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2004   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  6            Other:  3c + mixed chorus

Further Reference:
-

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Garden of Remembrance

Synopsis:
Meeting for the first time since their separation, the parents of a young man whom they have just buried, reminisce on their past relationship with each other and with their son. With wry humour and much soul searching, they realise they have nothing in common left - not even a son

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Stratford Playwrights

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2002   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
comedy One Act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Great Expectations

Synopsis:
An action-packed, fast-moving adaptation of Charles Dickens' great adventure story which tells of the good fortune bestowed on the young orphan, Phillip Pirrip - better known as Pip - by a mysterious benefactor, and of his undying devotion to the haughty young Estella, brought up Miss Havisham to wreak vengeance on the male race. We meet the London lawyer, Jaggers and his clerk, Wemmick; the criminal Magwich, his enemy Compeyson; the pompous Uncle Pumblechook, simple Joe Gargery, his shrewish wife Mrs Joe, and the lovable orphan Biddy. Pip's good friend, Herbert Pocket and his grasping relations - and a whole galaxy of other characters - fill the story.

Notes:
from novel by Charles Dickens

1st Produced:
Waterside Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon    1995

Organisations:
Second Thoughts Drama Group

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2002   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  5            Other:  4c playing 53 parts

Further Reference:
-

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Love Letters In Four Acts

Synopsis:
By 1894, three women dominate Anton's life - his admirer Lika, his sister Masha and his wife-to-be, the exuberant leading actress Olga. Advanced tuberculosis forces him into exile in the warm South, away from his social life in his beloved Moscow. He continues his affairs in exchanges of letters, which expose feelings of loneliness, despair and bitter frustration. His secret marriage to Olga, her high social life, her depressions, her miscarriage, create much distress. Against his will, Anton is cajoled to continue writing for the stage. His last four plays, written despite his increasing suffering, are great successes.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Stratford-upon-Avon    1998

Organisations:
Bird of Prey Theatre Company

1st Published:
New Theatre Publications (2000)   978-1840942897

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Murder by E-mail

Synopsis:
Off-duty Detective Inspector Claire North has dinner, and spends the night with the charming Estate Agent, Charles Johnson. the following morning she is called to the Royal Hotel where a body has been found in a bath. It is that of Charles' estranged wife, Alex, who had arranged an assignation with a man she met on the Internet, calling himself Iron Duke. When the family arrive later that day for Alex's fortieth birthday party they find themselves possible suspects of the murder - each has things to hide, though Alex's e-mail box contains much incriminating evidence against them all. When a second body is found, Claire has to decide who is the Iron Duke and who administered a date-rape drug to the victim, before dumping the body in a bath. An old-fashioned whodunit with many twists and turns.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Unperformed    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2004   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
murder mystery

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Poor Relations

Synopsis:
An experimental play exploring relationships between generations. Three tables, each with chair, in three separate locations in three different decades of the twentieth century, spanning some eighty years. At each table, a character recalls events which have shaped their lives and relationships with other members of the family. All live lonely existences. A young man of around thirty passes between them, linking the action and forming bridges between characters and events.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Unperformed    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2005   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
time' play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Quiney Affair, The

Synopsis:
the match between Judith Shakespeare and Thomas Quiney was arranged in the hope of providing the ailing poet with a grandson to inherit the estate on his death. However, Thomas's servant, Margaret Wheeler, confessed to him that she was pregnant with his child. Attempts to lose the baby failed and Thomas decided to tell Judith so that she could call off the wedding. Judith, however, had no such intention. She was determined to marry, come what may

Notes:
, A one-act version in the RSC's Fringe Festival of 1997

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Falcon Productions

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2001   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Period Drama

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  6            Other:  doubling possible

Further Reference:
-

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Thorpe Green Affair, The

Synopsis:
Anne, the youngest of the family, became Governess to the daughters of a wealthy family. Two years later, Branwell joined her as tutor to the young son, but became besotted with the mistress, seventeen years his senior. they had a three-year affair before Branwell was dismissed by her husband. Anne resigned her post, writing that she had 'some very unpleasant and undreamt-of experiences of human nature' during that time. Branwell took to drugs and drink, eventually dying of TB, at the age of thirty-one.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Unperformed (undergoing revision)    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2002   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Period Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  4            Other:  after doubling

Further Reference:
-

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We Are Not Amused

Synopsis:
A collection of extracts from the Journal of Queen Victoria and from the works of those artists mentioned in them. This was a period of great entertainers in the concert hall and the theatre. Oscar Wilde, Sir Henry Irving & Dame Ellen Terry, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Tosti and Dame Melba, the Bronte sisters, Gilbert & Sullivan, and many more. the Queen met very many of these famous artists who performed at her Royal Command. Six actors, a singer and a pianist perform this fast-moving celebration of the reign of Victoria from her coronation to her funeral.

Notes:
devised by Kay Massey & Reg Mitchell

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Commissioned for the Sheffield Festival

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2003   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Victorian medley

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  singer & pianist

Further Reference:
-

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Yorkshire Mystery Plays

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
these Adaptations may be performed singly As one Act plays or in total As A full-length play. they Are published together in one volume As A full-length version. the Creation - A Drama (4m, 4f). Noah - A comedy (4m, 4f). the Second Shepherds' Play - A com

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Studio Productions

1st Published:
Stratford Playscripts, 2003   -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
full length play, or five 1 Act plays

Parts:
Male:  13            Female:  9            Other:  doubling

Further Reference:
-

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