When you stop searching, you may find what you're looking for Margaret is a trawlerman's widow. against her wishes, her thirty-something daughter Rebecca is finally leaving home to move in with her boyfriend. Margaret, reluctantly, agrees to take in a lodger - Milton, an American painter visiting the area on the trail of Bowden Broome; a famous artist who stayed and worked in the town over a hundred years ago. Milton's arrival turns Margaret's life around, as with his help she comes to terms with the ghosts of her past and realises her future may be brighter than she thought. a Fine Bright Day Today is a moving and evocative tale of autumnal love, set on the edge of an English coastal town, where lives are reshaped by a chance meeting with an exotic stranger.

Step into the shoes of Billy Casper. Home life is bad and school life is worse. Brother is a bully and mum has a different man at the door every day. Pushed around at school and always gets the blame. That's what it's like to be Billy. Then one day, everything changes. Billy's world explodes and for the first time happiness swoops into his life in the shape of a kestrel. a kestrel called Kes. Kes is Billy's friend, his best friend, his only friend.Kes is the story of one boy's heart. How it came to beat and how it came to break.

Grace Andrews first met brothers Albie and Ray Rodway in her early 20s while holidaying alone in Corfu. More than two decades on, Grace and Albie unexpectedly run into each other again at a hotel in London. Remembering old feelings from the holiday, they become a couple and within six months get married. The play opens on the afternoon of their wedding when Albie has over-indulged on champagne and Ray, his best man, is helping him up the stairs to his Manchester flat. Grace's tactless and interfering mother, Rose, observes proceedings with an ever-critical eye. Between Albie's drunkenness and Rose's barbed commentary, not to mention the frequent phone calls from mysterious women, Grace finds an ally in reliable, good-natured family man Ray. When he produces an old photograph from the Corfu holiday, however, it soon transpires that the man Grace first fell in love with is not the man she thought he was.

Robin and Linda are 21-year-old twins who were given up for adoption shortly after birth. Having traced their biological mother, Helena, they lure her to an abandoned house on the pretext that she will be meeting Michael, her former lover. Here the twins reveal their identity to Helena, taunting her with sinister re-enactments of her past. Eventually she is forced to confess the true circumstances of her children's birth. With echoes of the myth of Romulus and Remus, Children of the Wolf is a dark, engrossing play with an intensely shocking twist.

Susan, an eccentric sixty-year-old, decides to celebrate her birthday by repeating a journey to Australia she made with a group of friends when she was 20. This time, she's travelling alone - carrying the same hopes and dreams, but with 40 years of extra baggage! Endlessly chatty, accident-prone and often looking like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards, Susan is undoubtedly colourful. Her wit, charm, chaos and hint of sadness have given her a unique outlook on life - and make her an unforgettable character. Romance slowly but awkwardly blossoms as she reunites with Bill, the bartender at the hotel, an unexpected turn of events that causes Susan to reflect on life, love, loneliness, friendship and the trials and joys of growing older. Just the Ticket is a poignant 90-minute journey through Susan's hilarious life, a unique comedy that can be performed by one, three, four or six women!

Late in life two women start new lives and leave home. But where is home? Did they ever really have one? Ivy and Joan are two intimate, funny and heartbreaking tales of loss. Ivy is a barmaid forced to retire. She has worked and lived in the same hotel for 40 years, waiting for a lover to return and claim her. Putting on a brave face, she spends her last few minutes in employment offering her wise counsel in the staff room. No one is listening. Joan has travelled to Venice with her husband. A Sunday painter, drawn to the splendour of Venetian art, she hopes for inspiration. When she comes across a joyous wedding procession in St Mark's Square she is reminded of what is really missing in her life.

Valentine, a 100-year-old human-vampire hybrid, late-night florist living in Putney, is waiting for his full vampiric traits to kick in. He lives with his sister Natalia and is incredibly lonely until the bubbly Hayley wanders into his shop. Things between vampire and mortal develop quickly, much to the dissatisfaction of Natalia, who calls Valentine's parents to deal with the situation. As things become serious, Valentine begins to question his identity and whether Natalia's advice is in his best interests. Can a vampire have a healthy relationship with a mortal that doesn't end in blood being spilt? Can vampires eat garlic bread? Why is that waiter wearing a gas mask? And just how easy is it to turn into a bat? These are the questions that plague Valentine, the quintessential vampire.

When Chief Constable Bligh accompanies her friend Diane Tulliver home to Dysart Hall after a night at the opera they arrive to a horrifying scene. Dianes husband Paul has been shot dead and ex-convict Charley Mirren is standing over him bearing a gun. It appears to be an open-and-shut case for Jessica Bligh, but as she and her colleague Inspector Fremont probe further they discover all is not what it seems. Through a series of flashbacks and re-enactments of the events leading up to Pauls death, we soon find it is not just the murderers identity that is in question.

Bernard thought he could easily cope with his three air hostess fiancees. It was all a question of timetables and a reliable, down-to-earth maid who never forgot to change the photographs in the bedroom. Only when the 'Super' Boeing takes over is he landed with a triple problem. His old school friend, Robert, arrives unexpectedly from Paris and joins the set in a hilarious whirl of confusion and matchmaking.

Red Shift's production of Nicholas Nickleby breathes fresh life into Dickens' classic story. Retaining the wit and wisdom of the novel, the production is by turns hilarious and deeply moving. It relocates Nicholas's adventures to Britain in the 1950s; the story-tellers are a spectral ensemble - ghosts of Ralph and Squeers' past victims. This framing gives the story a dramatic drive and a sharp contemporary resonance and rediscovers the punch that made Dickens famous in his time as a serious social commentator as well as a master storyteller. Nicholas Nickleby is newly employed as a teacher at Dotheboys' Hall in Yorkshire thanks to his manipulative and avaricious uncle Ralph, a businessman. There he witnesses the cruel treatment of boys at the hands of despotic headmaster Wackford Squeers and his wife. In coming to the defence of one boy, Smike, Nicholas assaults Squeers. Thinking he has killed him, he escapes with Smike to London and on to Portsmouth where the pair join the Crummles Theatre Company. Ralph uses Nicholas's sister Kate as bait further to ensnare a young and wealthy lord who is already in his debt. Learning of the abuse Kate has been exposed to, Nicholas goes to London and her aid, but even greater dangers lurk around the corner. With flexible casting requirements, this stunning adaptation of Charles Dickens's third novel toured the UK in 2001 and 2002 in a production by Red Shift Theatre Company.

"If I told you what I really know about the assassination, it would be very dangerous to this country." J. Edgar Hoover, F.B.I. This is the story of John F. Kennedy, starting in 1959 with his bid for the US presidency and following events through to his assassination in November 1963. The casting is very flexible - the original production was performed entirely by young people - and large TV screens are used around the stage to display and rear project photos, film of the Kennedys, America and the world. 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of President Kennedy.

Five soldiers, among them veterans of the Falklands War and the Hyde Park bombing, are convalescing in a military hospital, with pornography, bragging one-upmanship and cynical humour as their only means of mental escape. Tensions arise when an officer is billeted with them, and a bitter, savage war of words, only just disguised as humour, is waged against him. After an hilarious birthday party, the six find themselves facing charges of misconduct - and then the fighting really starts.

The UK is in crisis: debt is spiralling, unemployment is on the rise and the fragile coalition cabinet, led by Prime Minister Jim Hacker, is at breaking point. But salvation may exist in the form of a complex pipeline deal with the oil-rich country of Kumranistan that would entitle the government to a multi-trillion pound loan. When the Kumranistan Foreign Secretary makes a shocking request of Jim's Private Secretary Bernard Woolley, moral considerations collide with the economic future of the nation. But how will Jim and his team: Bernard, Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby, and Special Adviser Claire Sutton, reconcile the two? Political machinations, media manipulation and an appeal for divine intervention ensue.

Frank Cook, having been taken ill with a rare complaint, has been booked into a private nursing home by his wife June for a week's respite. Whilst there, he encounters the Reverend Paul Latimer who is recovering from a heart transplant and whose odd behaviour is beginning to alarm his wife, Sarah. The young, attractive Tracey might provide the answer. She is convinced that the vicar's new heart belonged to her recently deceased lover Melvin, a fairground wall of death rider. Could it be that Paul has taken on Melvin's personality traits as well as his heart? That would explain the swearing, the smoking, the drinking and the clandestine canoodling with Tracey in the rose garden. Then again, perhaps he's just suffering from the side effects of his medication? Frank, ever the cantankerous sceptic, is delighted by the vicar's fall from grace, while June does her best to rein in his detective work.

Fauvinard is a Parisian barrister with no work to speak of, whose formidable mother-in-law noses shamelessly into both his private and business affairs. He and his colleague Tardivaut fabricate a case to create an alibi for their extra-marital affairs.It transpires that both their mistresses live in the same apartment block, and that, unknown to them, Tardivaut's mistress, Zizi, is also involved with Fauvinard's lecherous and narcoleptic uncle. Fauvinard's mistress Cesarine, meanwhile, appears to be an accomplice in a jewellery robbery. When Fauvinard does land a case of his own, his client, who is seeking a divorce, turns out to be the wife of another of Cesarine's lovers. Add a vengeful maid, a vicious, man-hating poodle and a bone-headed Police Commissioner, and Reggie Oliver's adaptation of the 1875 French farce Le Procès Veauradieux reaches hilarious heights of brilliantly controlled mayhem.

Three people have come to visit the grave of Michael, who has died of a heart attack in his early 40s. There's Maureen, his wife of nearly 20 years, whom he helped through a breakdown that followed the death of their infant son. There's Anna, his lover, with whom he secretly lived while working in London during the week. And there's Bob, a friend and father-figure to Michael, who tends the graveyard and harbours his own deep feelings of grief. All three loved Michael; all three have reason to mourn, but the secrets that exist between them impede the comfort they might otherwise draw from each other. This one-act play for two women and one man reflects poignantly on love, loss, and beginning again.

Margot Anderson, 44 and unmarried, has reluctantly agreed to accompany her widowed mother Isabel on a cruise of the Baltic coast. Within the claustrophobic confines of the ship, longstanding resentments between mother and daughter begin to emerge. When they encounter Stephen, a charming widower of Isabel's age, both women are pleased to find someone to confide in. Stephen and Isabel have life experiences in common, while Margot shares his appreciation of history, literature and art. From the outset, Isabel stakes her claim, but it is clear that Stephen's interest lies elsewhere. The situation is further complicated when handsome young waiter Mario makes a pass at Margot. Can she, the aspiring voyager of the play's title, finally set sail on an adventure of her own? Voyager is a moving, thought-provoking play in one act, with excellent roles for two men and two women.

The Ladykillers is a classic black comedy; a sweet little old lady, alone in her house, is pitted against a gang of criminal misfits who will stop at nothing. . .Posing as amateur musicians, Professor Marcus and his gang rent rooms in the lopsided house of sweet but strict Mrs Wilberforce. The villains plot to involve her, unwittingly, in Marcus' brilliantly conceived heist job. The police are left stumped but Mrs Wilberforce becomes wise to their ruse and Marcus concludes that there is only one way to keep the old lady quiet. With only her parrot, General Gordon, to help her, Mrs Wilberforce is alone with five desperate men. But who will be forced to face the music?

The ageing bag lady on the streets who opens the play is the eponymous Primrose Way, once a professional actress. As she reminisces and her story unfolds, we see her enthusiastic youthful self retracing her career in the theatre, and reliving the memories of her ambitious mother, herself a professional actress, who delights in playing a number of other characters who drift through Primrose's recollections.

Out of work, out of luck, and out of favour with his wife, architect Jack Webb retreats to a cottage in Wales to concentrate on a new design project for a friend's business. With the deadline imminent, Jack takes the overnight train from Haverfordwest back to London to deliver his drawings. On the otherwise deserted train Jack encounters first an unusually friendly guard and then an aloof and otherworldly woman, Hope Cairns, who has just abandoned a planned rendezvous in Milford with a lover, also named Jack. When Hope suddenly disappears, and the guard reveals her story, we discover that Jack's journey is not all it seems. The Railway Siding is a stunningly crafted, highly atmospheric play in one act.

King Cole may be old, but hes not too old to fall in love, and hes decided that its high time that he should take a wife. The women of the town and royal cook Dotty Dumplin are queueing up to audition for the role of Queen, but the King already has his heart set on Debbie Dumplin, Dottys daughter, as his choice of bride. Unfortunately Debbie has fallen in love with Florian, who also happens to be the Kings aide. King Coles evil brother Peski and his wife Pariah are meanwhile conspiring to unseat him from the throne, with a little help from a magic pool that reverses the ageing process, turning Old King Cole into Young King Cole! Outrageous characters, flamboyant costumes, jokes, songs and an exploding birthday cake all feature in Paul Reakess highly entertaining retelling of the well-known nursery rhyme.

Phil Willmotts dazzling musical centres on the iconic Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool which saw the great and the glamorous pass through its doors from its heyday in the 1920s to 1940s. Cleverly juxtaposing the past and the present, we follow the love story of four young staff members  Nick and Jo in the present, Young Alice and Thompson in the past  brought to life with the vibrant and poignant reminiscences of Older Alice. 1930s Hollywood stars, cowboy Roy Rogers and tango supremo Carlos Gardel, mingle with Russian acrobats, American G.I.s, aristocratic guests and hotel employees.

Frances, middle-aged and unmarried, is ecstatically awaiting the arrival of legendary mega star of stage and screen Ezzlie Harlow. Loyal fan Frances, unbeknown to Ezzlie, has offered her very humble end-of-terrace home to the down on her luck singer. Harlow's agent, eager to be rid of his fading star, has bundled her off with a one way ticket to what she thinks is a little mansion with servant; he forgot to mention Little Mansion is the name of the village at the back of beyond. Both The Fan and The Star are in for shocks, betrayal and a reversal of fortune, as they learn from each other to be careful what you wish for, because it might come to pass.

A comedy of manners set in the late 1920s, Mirage takes place at the country house party of Gerald and Evadne Fairfax. Newlyweds Pamela and Desmond Borage arrive first, followed by the caddish Dinsdale Morton who swiftly closets himself in the gun room to hide from Pamela, who can't stand the sight of him - or his ukulele. Pamela and Gerald are embroiled in a steamy affair while gin-loving Evadne is hysterical after being disturbed in a state of undress by an "intruder" who turns out to be Desmond. He, meanwhile, is preoccupied with the fact that he has inadvertently signed up for the Foreign Legion. The Fairfaxes' deadpan butler, Butters, oversees proceedings with a cup of whisky-laced tea to fortify himself.

It is the 1950s and this charming comedy introduces the Nightingales, members of a theatrical family who perform more at home than they do on the stage. Jack is a cabaret star, as in love with his piano as he is with his silk dressing gowns. His parents, Charlie and Beatrice, are old Music Hall stars, full of hilarious tales of life on the road. Maggie performs with Jack in the evenings and regularly visits his house to rehearse, drink tea, and tell the sorry tale of her latest romantic disaster. If only she and Jack realized that their true love was right in front of them. The sudden arrival of Charlie and Beatrice, asking to stay with Jack for a few days, throws his and Maggie's lives into chaos. They promise to be gone by Christmas, but this provides little comfort given that it is only January 7th! Jack's housekeeper Geraldine copes masterfully with the ensuing disruption, but then Beatrice unexpectedly disappears. It seems that this was not a simple visit, but an opportunity for her to leave Charlie and run off to another liaison in France. The question is, will anyone find their true love? Are there such things as happy endings? And what do performers do once the spotlight goes out? This is a very funny, touching show business comedy, bursting with one-liners and lovable characters.

It's a big day at Christophe et Cie, a small couture house off Regent Street. Mr Bevan will announce which of his staff he is sending to France to be general manager of a new branch in Deauville. Will it be the talented and elegant Miss Doon or the loyal and long-serving Miss Gregory? Perhaps senior saleswoman Irene or showroom manager Dorian will get the job. Events take a dramatic turn over a lunch of rabbit curry when Miss Doon collapses and dies, poisoned by the oxalic acid crystals that another employee, Rachel, has been using to clean her hat. Inspector Charlesworth and Sergeant Wyler have a murder enquiry on their hands. Behind the glamour and gossip of a 1930s fashion house, secrets and lies are rife and more than one person may have harboured resentment towards Miss Doon. Richard Harris's thrilling play is based on Christianna Brand's debut crime novel.

Umlaut, Prince of Düsseldorf imagines a hapless and incompetent theatre company attempting a condensed version of Hamlet. Cue bungled lines, an over-eager smoke machine operator and a severely injured Cup Bearer. The ghost is determined to ruin all of Umlaut's best speeches while Hildegard, the Coarse Acting version of Ophelia, keeps forgetting that she's supposed to be dead. Cast and crew battle on regardless - surely the audience won't have noticed a thing?

This prelude to Shakespeare's most famous tragedy imagines Hamlet as a restless teenager frustrated by the limits of his role and furious at his father's warmongering ways. It provides a fascinating back-story to Hamlet and a sophisticated insight into the psyche of its hero, making it ideal for all ages

Frank is an aspiring spy novelist and Head of Installation at Forshaws, a commercial lettering factory. Alan is his reluctant teenage trainee, more interested in listening to music and designing album artwork for his band Lizard than Franks beloved bracketing systems. As they attempt to install the company name in giant letters on the side of its building, it soon becomes clear that the letters are supposed to read For Sale instead of Forshaws  the company is relocating and Frank will be out of a job. In the second act, three years have passed and Alan is a jaded manager at an electrical goods store to which Frank has been sent for work experience as part of a benefit scheme. Their roles have been reversed, but when a burnt pitta bread triggers a fire alert, Frank and Alan find themselves back in familiar territory and holding the key to each others salvation. Sign of the Times is a full-length comedy based on the authors one-act play A Man of Letters. It starred Matthew Kelly as Frank at Londons Duchess Theatre in March 2011.

The gruesome discovery of several dead bodies buried on the moor sparks a police investigation and a heavy media presence in the remote North Yorkshire village of Chellingford. When Adrian Brookes shows up at Jessica Scanlons cottage, however, its with another line of enquiry in mind. His sister, Laura, has disappeared, and he thinks watercolour artist Jessica might be able to help him find her. Jessicas friend Etta has also gone missing, and when she is called upon to identify one of the bodies discovered by the police, she confirms that it is Etta. But Jessicas landlady Mildred seems to have other ideas. A mysterious suicide, an elaborate insurance scam and the arrival of nosy true crime writer Diana Wishart create further layers of intrigue that lead to a thrilling denouement.

Based on a true event, Silent Night is the heart-warming story of an ordinary family in extraordinary times: the Blitz. A direct hit on their Anderson shelter leaves Wilf, Rose, Lily, Jack and their tortoise Harold awaiting the call to St Peter and the Pearly Gates. As the night darkens around them, old tensions and new revelations threaten to blast them apart forever. But dawn rises on a family united and resolved: wherever they go, they will stay together. St Peter, it seems, is in for a surprise - and he's not the only one ...

Based on the true story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two 19-year-olds who murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks in Chicago in 1924, Thrill Me focuses less on the murder itself than on the relationship between Leopold and Loeb. More than 30 years on, the older Nathan speaks at a parole board hearing, recalling the crime and the dynamics of his friendship with Richard, defined largely by their shared intelligence, their passion for Nietzschean philosophy, and their desire for the ultimate thrill. With simple staging requirements, Stephen Dolginoff's tense, two-character musical drama explores the unusual love story behind the 'crime of the century'.

Estate agent Kevin and his wife Valerie are to be subjected to an extended visit from her brother Victor, a none too successful con artist who has just been released from prison. Victor is delighted to hear that wealthy widow Lucy is also staying with them and it isn't long before he sets about charming her with a valuable diamond bracelet he's got on approval from the local jeweller's using the unwitting Kevin as surety. But when events don't go quite according to plan Victor is forced to improvise very rapidly, not least with the bullish rugby playing bank manager, Tank, and his fellow team mate, Tom, the local jeweller. And then a surprise visitor turns up in the form of Soapy Simpson (not so much artist by appointment to Her Majesty but rather more detained at Her Majesty's pleasure). Will Kevin ever be able to hold his head up in the local community again? Will Tom ever get rid of the taste of washing crystals? Will Soapy manage to complete a portrait? Will Lucy fall prey to Victor's charms? Will nothing stop the incorrigible Victor ...?

Nothing and nobody will stop Roy Tunt from spotting his wild birds and today, a stormy December morning on England's desolate east coast, he pursues a very special mission. With one more tick in his dog-eared notebook, Roy will have recorded all 567 species on the British List. The prevailing conditions are ideal and the time is perfect to welcome an elusive vagrant from the Asian Steppe, the rare and beautiful Sociable Plover. Roy sequesters himself away in a bird-spotter's hide on a stretch of flooded marshland. With a packed lunch and a framed photograph of his ex-wife for company, he watches and waits. But might he, perhaps, have other plans? And who is the tall, dark and handsome stranger battling his way through the flood waters towards him? All will be revealed - inside the hide...

"We're sixteen and Will writes this story about a medieval village that gets hit by a terrible storm. And the rain in that storm makes everyone go crazy. Everyone whose skin comes into contact with the rainwater goes insane, mental, like in a movie ..." An unnamed Man speaks to the audience, describing how he first moved to London after leaving school and worked in a series of dead-end jobs before being recruited to a securities finance company in the City. Seduced by the prospect of new suits and six-figure bonuses, he is soon assisting Andy, a trader, in borrowing and making millions of pounds a day. But when the economy takes a downturn and Andy's risk-taking starts to incur huge losses, the pressure begins to take its toll. Disturbing revelations and unnerving sound effects combine to create a sense of impending personal breakdown in Nicholas Pierpan's powerful monologue.

It's Christmas, and Beth Timms is mourning the recent death of her health and safety officer husband, Gordon. Beth's sister-in-law Connie and son Martin have come to stay, determined to ensure that she should have a stress-free Christmas, but between Connie's drinking problem and Martin's unspeaking and emotionally volatile girlfriend Ella, their intentions prove to be short-lived. Only David, the local vicar, provides Beth with any comfort, but when he says a prayer for her bereavement he unwittingly summons Gordon's ghost to return to the family home. Gordon has been busy implementing health and safety measures in the afterlife and is now determined to stick around to help Beth manage her affairs. It soon becomes apparent, however, that his return is not altogether welcome.

The new edition of The GUIDE gives details of all the plays handled by Samuel French Ltd, London, available for amateur performance in the British Isles

Section A Full length plays (including all male and all female plays)
Section B One act plays (including all female and all male plays)
Section C Plays for children and young people
Section D Pantomimes and Christmas plays
Section E List of musical plays
Section F French's technical books

93rd edition available immediately

Little Bo-Peep looks after Fanny Fairacre's flock of sheep on Fairacre Farm. The malevolent Lady Sneering is jealous of her romance with Fanny's son Freddie, so she instructs evil magician Mefisto  from Cindy Sparkle's travelling show  to make the pretty shepherdess disappear. Meanwhile Fanny's gormless farmhand Wally has fallen for glamorous Cindy. Soon they all find themselves banished to the nightmarish "Place of the Disappeared", with no apparent hope of return. Paul Reakes's riotous retelling of the well-known nursery rhyme features all the traditional pantomime elements as well as a travelling show, magic, dancers, and a highly talented cow!

When Sophie's teenage sister turns up at her flat one evening after an absence of four years, Sophie's suspicions are roused. Why is she there? Where has she been? And how does she know so much about Sophie's life? Then when Sophie's flatmate Jen arrives home, she recognizes Alex from the previous evening - as the person who mugged her. This tense one-act play for three women about the conflicting bonds of family, faith, and friendship is an ideal choice for students and youth groups.

"It's my birthday. All I wanted was a bottle of Claret and a couple of winners at Sandown." Instead, retired actress Margot Buchanan receives three separate visitors: her ex-husband Leo, an ageing film star fresh from a punch-up with a reporter, Leo's current wife Judy, and his latest mistress Sadie, an aspiring Juliet seeking Margot's acting advice. Just as the inevitable fireworks kick off, Leo suffers a fatal heart attack. Then the kissogram shows up ...

Grown women, aching feet and heaving bosoms! Follow the Cheshire Cats team as they speedwalk their way to fundraising success in the London Moonwalk. Hilary, Siobhan, Yvonne, Vicky and Maggie are attempting to walk 13 miles across the capital in record time in their decorated bras and posh new trainers, but the sixth member of their team doesn't seem to meet the physical criteria! Cheshire Cats is a cross between a girls' night out and a real mission to support a cause close to many hearts, with plenty of laughs and a few tears along the way.

The Rodales seem like an ordinary family, but beneath the surface things are beginning to crack. Jill and Mal have lost the spark in their marriage, their son Sam resents his father and their daughter Chrissie has recently become a mum and is dealing with marriage issues of her own. And while they all share advice on how others should live their lives, nobody is really taking it on board - until Mal and Jill see things from a dramatically different perspective, that is. Waking up one morning and finding they have switched personas, Mal in Jill's body and Jill in Mal's, they must continue life "as normal" as their other half. Jill faces the challenges of working with their son-in-law, Dean, as the Store Manager of a homewares shop, while Mal has suddenly becomes a housewife, learning more about his children - and finding out the secrets they already know about him! Will seeing things from the other side make matters even worse, or is this just what they need in order to save their family?

Tom, Tink, Bell is the Town Crier - but not a very good one. Thanks to his mistake the proclamation about the forthcoming birthday of the Emperor announces that there will be a birthday celebration every week! The sheer cost of it all upsets the Lord Chamberlain and the Treasurer, Abacus. However, the thought delights Emperor Persimmon and his wife Petronella, and positively thrills Sly and Wily - two tricksters always on the look out to make fast money. In fact some of the money they literally did make is circulating - forged money! Tink and his daughter, Abigail, unwittingly possess some - and it leads to Abis imprisonment. Meantime Jack sells his cow for five magic beans and his mother is irate about it. Jacks adventures up the ensuing beanstalk become interwoven with the tricksters major scheme to sell the Emperor an invisible suit. Yes, it does sound complicated but the bits do fit together.

A group of adolescents from Byatt Gardens School and their teacher are on an enforced field trip to Gateshead's iconic sculpture Angel of the North. With their coach delayed it isn't long before squabbles, misunderstandings, jealousies and antagonisms break out that require the Angel of the North to come down from her lofty height ... The arrival of their arch enemies from Lucas (or Pukus or Mucus) Green School with their jeers and taunts melds the group and when goaded into a football penalty shoot out, Ella gets the chance to redeem herslef with a superb goal.

Elsie, an elderly widow, lives alone and avoids socialising with her neighbours, believing "it doesn't do, to get involved." Then a new couple, Kate and Adrian, move in across the road and their young son Jamie invites Elsie round for tea. Soon the pair are inseparable, with Elsie being drafted in as babysitter whenever Kate and Adrian are out. When Jamie strays too close to the garden pond Elsie acts on her instincts to keep him safe, but his parents are appalled and Elsie's misgivings about ever letting her guard down are reinforced.

Winnie is nearly nine. Her mum, Laverne, is second-generation Afro-Caribbean and heavily pregnant but continues with her cleaning job since her husband left while she dreams of moving the family back to Martinique. Tuesdays are special: Laverne insists that Winnie speaks only French (in preparation for Martinique) and today is Tuesday - not her usual day to clean at the north London house of Kevin Tate, an affluent, bad-tempered, philandering, minor television personality. Not well enough to go to school, Winnie accompanies her mum and settles down to her homework: an essay entitled "My Wonderful Day". Throughout the course of the next few hours, the shy, astute and ever-watchful Winnie will amass plenty of material for her essay as a variety of adults parades before her: Kevin's baby-talking and patronizing mistess, his vengeful wife, and the hungover family friend who pours out his heart believing that Winnie doesn't speak English. But as events reach a frenzied climax, Winnie's essay will speak volumes.

Lord Vetinari wants to overhaul the banks of Ankh-Morpork so he appoints former con-man Albert Spangler, aka Moist von Lipwig, to the position of Mater of the Royal Mint, attached to a senior post at the Bank of Ankh-Morpork. Then Mrs Lavish, the bank manager, dies, leaving her dog Mr Fusspot - who also happens to be the majority shareholder - to Moist. Suddenly he finds himself in charge, and his life being threatened by resentful members of the Lavish family. His talent for a swindle soon has customers queuing up, but when the chairman of the bank needs to be taken out for walkies and its chief cashier may or may not be a vampire, making money is not always easy.

As the present-day guides theorise to the visitors about the historical use of the door-less, window-less room, we see in flashback what happened there back in the 12th(?) century; how the female servants were forced to steal to order,how the Lord fell in love with a girl who was accused of witchcraft, how plague struck the village and how the Lord's brother sealed him, his devoted servant Anne and the girl into the oubliette where they subsequently died. Anne's ghost links the past to the present in this atmospheric and moving play.

A group of young people are rehearsing The Importance of Being Earnest but, as they attempt to perform a play which is alien to them, it becomes apparent that their surroundings are not normal. Gradually, as tensions mount, squabbles ensue and each young person's story starts to emerge, the location is found to be an institution  reinforced by the final grim, chilling echoes of doors slamming and being locked.

Dave Thursby was a hugely successful television comedian, a national treasure loved by the public, a devoted husband to his fragrant wife, a model client for his agent and a staunch friend to his faithful gag writer, Harvey. But when Dave unexpectedly pops his clogs, these close companions are left bereft. There's now a huge, aching void in their lives, and, worse still, some of them may be out of a job. Unless, of course, the repeats, television specials, biographies and newspaper tell-alls can fill the vacuum.

This is legendary feminist Germaine Greer's take on the great classical sex comedy . . .Set in a bath-house steam-room in ancient Greece, the ancient world is gripped by a long and futile war. The women of Athens decide they can take no more and - in secret - they meet with up with the enemy women of Sparta. The women form a pact and the battle moves into the bedroom where it's No Peace,No Love. How will the valiant men of Athens stand up to such a contemptible ultimatum? Ancient fun with a modern twist

Anne has performed stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy at Improv Olympic, The Upright Citizens Brigade, and The Groundlings. She has also performed with such award-winning Los Angeles theaters as The Actors Gang, Cornerstone Theater Company, Rogue Artists Ensemble. She has choreographed several award-winning short films and musicals, and she feels lucky to have a life full of adventure.

A new comic play about wanting to change the world but having no idea how and little idea why.

We must learn to be Europeans. Forgive and forget is our only hope' Lingua Franca follows innocent abroad, Steven Flowers, as he travels from National Service in South-East Asia to 1950's Florence. He soon finds himself working for a chaotically-run language school, together with a cosmopolitan muddle of seven foreign misfits killing their post-war nihilism in the cafés of Florence, the cradle of Renaissance high culture. Based around a leading character in Peter Nichols' acclaimed work Privates on Parade, and inspired by his own experiences, Lingua Franca is a fast-paced, sexually-charged story, and both a damning indictment and a celebration of sexual freedom. Playing with notions of xenophobia and deep-seated cultural stereotypes, nationalist foibles and prejudices clash and sparkle to high comic effect as Steven tries to make sense of his own life and a Europe at peace after so many years of war.

It's the half term holiday and George Kranky is looking forward to a break from school when a letter from Grandma arrives announcing that she is coming to stay  that very day! Soon she is making George's life miserable with spiteful comments and demands for doses of medicine, so George decides to mix a new type of medicine for her. Shaving foam, shampoo, lipstick and chilli powder all go into the mixture, which makes Grandma grow and grow into a giant until she crashes through the farmhouse roof. Soon Dad comes up with a plan to use the medicine to make giant farm animals  and a fortune for the Kranky family. First George needs to remember the ingredients for his marvellous medicine, with a little help from the audience.

Ever wondered what else happened to Sleeping Beauty when she finally woke up in the 21st century? Alan Ayckbourn provides the answer with this alternative seasonal fare in the musical Awaking Beauty. The Prince awakens Princess Aurora and the eager, happy young couple are about to embark on their first night of passionate love when ugly, unloved Carabosse, the wicked witch, butts in having taken a fancy to the Prince. But which one will be the Awaking Beauty? Love, lust, triplets and the ultimate in makeovers are just some of the milestones our heroes and heroines must pass before they can all live happily ever after.

Its 1952 and on the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent Jewish Polish immigrant Micky Salberg and his daughter Sam are struggling to make a living from a farm made up of three cows and a pig called Charley. They are hounded daily by bailiffs chasing the mortgage payments that Micky spends drowning his sorrows in the pub. Micky pesters Sam to help him raise money by reviving his old dance band and the memory of his wife, who was killed by Nazis during the war. Sam eventually agrees to play her clarinet  but refuses to sing. Tommy Bostock, a local lad with a talent for causing offence, shows up at the farm wielding a guitar and offers to join them. Soon the trio is touring the dance halls of Stoke, but when Tommy reveals that he is due to start military service in a months time, the future of the Crystal Ballroom Dance Band looks doubtful. A very funny, emotive play from Ade Morris about love, loss and rock n roll. The original music by Paul Kissaun is available on hire.

Inspired by the true story of a Glaswegian young offender.

Sir Marcus Pennington appears to have it all: a beautiful actress wife, Victoria, two loving daughters and a successful career as a respected barrister. But behind the façade he is leading a triple life, romancing two other women: Dexie, a prostitute, and Millicent, the widow of his best friend, now his PA. In a series of highly engaging monologues, Victoria, Dexie and Millicent tell Marcus's story from three very different perspectives. Preoccupied and detached, Victoria is seemingly oblivious to his indiscretions  and guilty of her own  but regards him with fond indulgence. Shy, self-deprecating Millicent can't help but be taken in by the promise of romance and passion that was lacking in her marriage. Dexie hopes that Marcus will provide a route out of poverty  all the more necessary after she gives birth to his illegitimate son.

t's the start of a new season and founder Joe Maplin announces that he is setting up a camp in the Bahamas. He needs female yellowcoats to go and work out there and the annual "Miss Yellowcoat" competition will decide who is to go. Rivalry between the girls is fierce, with Sylvia and Gladys joint forerunners to win the coveted yellow sash. Camp cleaner Peggy, meanwhile, is thrilled at the prospect of a vacancy for a new yellowcoat and convinces Entertainments Manager Jeffrey that she is the ideal candidate for the job. Ted is forced to employ numerous money-making schemes when his ex wife turns up at the camp with a bailiff in tow and Yvonne and Barry Stuart-Hargreaves send the rumour mill into overdrive when they overhear Gladys escorting Jeffrey into his chalet late one evening. Hi-de-hi, campers!

Six very different young women have come on a residential weekend to see if they have what it takes for the most difficult job in the world. They are all convinced they are up to it, but as we sit in on their awkward interviews, disastrous attempts at teamwork and revealing private conversation, we begin to understand why so few women really have the calling ... to be a nun.

he most popular teenager in Britain comes to the stage! Tracy Beaker Gets Real has been adapted by Mary Morris with music by Grant Olding from one of the most successful children's books ever, Jacqueline Wilson's The Story of Tracy Beaker. We join Tracy, aged 15, as she returns to the "Dumping Ground" and looks back on the last four years of her life, from being fostered  and dumped  and fostered again, to finding a happy, if not altogether harmonious home with writer Cam. When Tracy's mum unexpectedly reappears in her life, Tracy hopes that her days of being passed around like a parcel are over, but she soon comes to realize that the people she has always tried to push away are the ones she really needs the most. Touching and very funny, this play brings Tracy Beaker's trademark talent for troublemaking, fun and friendship to any production.

Prepare To Meet Thy Tomb follows Tomb With A View and Tiptoe Through the Tombstones to complete the trilogy of plays from Norman Robbins about the family that play together and slay together: the murderous Tombs. As night falls and fog descends on Monument House Hotel and Alternative Health Spa, Hecuba Tomb and her niece Drusilla receive a series of unexpected visitors. Novelist Philippa and her assistant Daphne are seeking refuge from a mysterious follower they fear may be the notorious "Norfolk Strangler". Hot on their heels come TV historian Quentin Danesworth and vacuous honeymooners Robert and Miranda. The uninvited guests are soon snooping around the secret passages of the creepy old mansion and asking too many questions for comfort. Sure enough, one by one they fall victim to violent deaths by devious techniques - no secret panel is unoccupied, no cup of tea untouched, and nobody is who they appear to be. This irresistible combination of spoof and baffling murder mystery, over-the-top characters and shocking plot twists will thrill and delight in equal measure.

Richard Lloyd's hilarious new pantomime Sinbadaladdin! adds elements of the tale of Sinbad the sailor to the tradtional story of Aladdin. The result is a bumper pantomime offering parts for two principal boys and two genies - the slave of the lamp and the Slave of the Ring, as well as many other good roles for both male and female actors. Widow Twankee gets up to her usual mischief as manageress of Chinese laundry - not so ably assisted by slopper-out Wishee-Washee, while the beautiful and feisty Princess Jasmine steals Aladdin's heart and risks the wrath of her father, the Sultan Ming the Mirthless, and her mother Sultana No-Lo-Fat. The terrifying magician Abanazar, meanwhile, proves a formidable rival for Jasmine's hand in marriage.

Samuel Adamson's play takes Ibsen's Little Eyolf as the inspiration for a passionate and tragic tale of obsessive love, set in 1950s England. After six lonely weeks with nobody but her crippled little boy for company, Rita Affleck, wealthy, beautiful and consumed by jealous love, welcomes home her husband Alfred. But, far from the passionate reunion she so craves, there is only torment as Alfred's possessive half-sister arrives, and he announces his great revelation.

When Annie's husband John dies of leukaemia, she and best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. They manage to persuade four fellow WI members to pose nude with them for an "alternative" calendar, with a little help from hospital porter and amateur photographer Lawrence. The news of the women's charitable venture spreads like wildfire, and hordes of press soon descend on the small village of Knapeley in the Yorkshire Dales. gets around, and soon hordes of press have descended on the small Yorkshire village of Knapeley. The calendar is a success, but Chris and Annie's friendship is put to the test under the strain of their new-found fame. Based on the true story of eleven WI members who posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukaemia Research Fund, Calendar Girls opened at the Chichester Festival Theatre and has since become the fastest selling play in British theatre history.

Four pairs of characters, four crucial moments ...Jonathan and Wendy are on a blind date and hoping to get it right this time even though they've never got it right before. Barrie is not really interested in women but Janet sees that as no reason to stop trying. Shelley and Bobby have decided to holiday in Spain to finalize their divorce whilst drowning in cocktails. And Angela is marrying for the third time to the dismay of her brother Toby and amidst a barrage of bad omens and a dress resembling a parachute. The result is a gloriously funny examination of the chaotic world of love, relationships and why the grass is never greener

In Autumn 1953, Sir John Gielgud, then at the height of his fame as an actor, was arrested in a Chelsea public lavatory. He pleaded guilty the following morning to the charge of persistently importuning men for immoral purposes. Poised to appear in the West End in a play he was directing and recently knighted, his conviction caused a national sensation - breaking the great taboo of public discussion of homosexuality. More than just a dramatisation of a scandalous event in one actor's life, this controversial new play shows how Gielgud's arrest played a small but distinct part in the battle to make homosexuality legal. It captures the spirit of Britain in the early 1950s when judges, politicians and the national press were describing homosexuality as a cancer, an epidemic and a threat to national life. It offers an extraordinary insight into the dramatic changes in social attitudes to gay life in the last fifty years.

Matt and Ruth are looking foward to a quiet evening at home when their lives are turned upside-down by a visit from eighteen-year-old Freya and her mother, Karen. Freya has discovered that Matt is her biological father, having traced his "donation" to a clinic as an impoverished student. As Ruth and Matt struggle to come to terms with this revelation, more visitors arrive, including Matt's mother, who's now a granny, and "Aunty" Bev, who adds to the chaos by revealing herself as Freya's birth mother. Who's Freya's mum? "The egg one? The womb one?" And who's her dad? This hilarious play explores the impact and repercussions of modern science.

Set on the wild, windswept Yorkshire moors, Wuthering Heights is the tempestuous story of free-spirited Catherine and dark, brooding Heathcliff. As children running wild and free on the moors, Cathy and Heathcliff are inseparable. As they grow up their affection deepens into a passionate love, but Cathy lets her head rule her heart as she chooses to marry the wealthy Edgar Linton. Heathcliff flees broken-hearted only to return seeking terrible vengeance on those he holds responsible, with epic and tragic results.

Prospective contestants for a TV reality show gather in a country house, aiming to win a large cash prize but only if they survive the rigours of the ultimate Spygame. This excellent play offers seven good acting roles and will grip your audience until the totally unexpected ending.

Adapted from his own television play The Flint Street Nativity is a family comedy for any child whos ever been in a nativity  or any adult whos watched one through their fingers.

When Eileen Dodds sent her husband out to get a portion of chips and two pickled eggs, she never suspected he would run off with the shop owner and not be seen for five years - but that's exactly what happened! Thirty years later, Eileen returns from a holiday with Raymond, a blind bingo caller, who she intends to marry in a week's time! But is Raymond only after her money? And will Eileen ever find true happiness? What Fun!

This spectacular pantomime, based on an English legend is full of vengeful fairies, knock-a-bout baliffs, a romantic leading lady and a handsome Principal Boy, plus the outrageous Dame

A hungry giant is advancing upon the Royal Kingdom and henchman Slither Slugslime forces the citizens to give up all their food to him. Only Tom Thumb refuses and Slugslime casts a spell to shrink him to the size of a thumb! Beautiful witch Spellena is enlisted to help restroe tom to his normal size. Meanwhile slugslime fancies Princess Primrose and Mum has to make a cake for the giant with extremely unhelpful "help".

Flavia has been poached from the BBC by a tabloid newspaper. Her brief, to dig up the dirt on her old friend, now Secretary of State. Mission accomplished, she hopes to investigage more serious corruption; but the editor and chief whip have other ideas

Western Front, 1918. A rare beast - a story set in the trenches that includes a fair amount of comedy! September 1918 on the Western Front. Tommy and Dave receive an unexpected visit from Lieutenant Hargreaves who announces that Tommy is to be awarded a medal for his courage in combat. Why then are Tommy and Dave so keen to see the back of him? And who is the strange Icelandic character that enters the scene brandishing a sausage? A well-written, funny, poignant play about friendship, humanity and survival.

reconstruction of two romances for the novelist identical to those that Lizzy Bennet enjoys in Pride and Prejudice.
- Lucy Powell, Time Out, London

A couple are nervously dressing for a party in the hotel downstairs Each glumly despairs of being able to live up to their partner's expectations The trouble is that the person they see in the mirror IS very different from the person their partner sees. She sees herself as a dowdy, boring frump, but he sees her as charming and kind He sees himself as the go-gelling soul of the party, but she sees him as a shy. retiring man who just needs to be loved into fulfilling his real potential. Gradually, they come 10 recognize and accept how different they can be now they are loved Happily, arm In ann. they go downstairs - to their wedding reception

Bernard has discovered that his wife, Jacqueline, is having an affair with Robert. Being a reasonable businessman, Bernard gives Robert two options to compensate for the affair: either he will sleep with Robert's wife in order to keep things even, or he will have him killed. Needless to say, Robert chooses to let Bernard sleep with his wife. Scheming to woo her, Bernard arranges an evening meal with both couples present much to the frustration of their overworked and underpaid maid, Marie-Louise. However, instead of bringing his wife to the dinner, Robert pays Barbara, a call girl, to pose as his wife for the evening. Meanwhile, Jacqueline does not know that Bernard has found out about her affair, and is stunned to learn that their dinner guests are in fact her lover and, supposedly, his wife. The situation then becomes even more hilarious and confusing when Robert's actual wife, Juliette, turns up for dinner!

A murder mystery with more than a touch of humour. Taking its title from the traditional song "Green Grow the Rushes O" the play explores the events surrounding a murder which took place four years previously and how strangely the song lyrics seem to fit so well with the circumstances. Offering ten good acting roles, the story twists and turns, leaving your audience guessing until the very last speech of the play.

In 1970, renowned writer-composer-lyricist Leslie Bricusse adapted the well-loved Dickens short story A Christmas Carol into the hit screen musical Scrooge. This stage version, based on the film, with the addition of six new songs. had a hugely successful national tour before a season at the Dominion Theatre, London in 1996 starring Anthony Newley as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who repents his past life when visited by three successive Chrismas spirits.

devilish plans to possess and torment the children death as in life, set in a Jerusalem Hotel

Bernard has discovered that his wife, Jacqueline, is having an affair with Robert. Being a reasonable businessman, Bernard gives Robert two options to compensate for the affair: either he will sleep with Robert's wife in order to keep things even, or he will have him killed. Needless to say, Robert chooses to let Bernard sleep with his wife. Scheming to woo her, Bernard arranges an evening meal with both couples present much to the frustration of their overworked and underpaid maid, Marie-Louise. However, instead of bringing his wife to the dinner, Robert pays Barbara, a call girl, to pose as his wife for the evening. Meanwhile, Jacqueline does not know that Bernard has found out about her affair, and is stunned to learn that their dinner guests are in fact her lover and, supposedly, his wife. The situation then becomes even more hilarious and confusing when Robert's actual wife, Juliette, turns up for dinner!

Based on the author's earlier Respecting YourPiers, Curtain Up! is the hilarious story of five women who inherit equal shares in a dilapidated theatre and plan to bring it back to life again. They try various fund-raising schemes but their most ambitious is to hold a concert featuring local talent and a world-famous star, who agrees to appear for no fee! However, their plans go awry and it's a race to keep their audience from guessing the truth of the matter. A fastpaced and very funny comedy with five great roles for women.

Love story or ghost story? This warm, wise and witty play shows a man and a woman meeting, apparently on a park bench, apparently to say goodbye. But who is leaving and why? It seems that for all their squabbling they were happily married for a time, until a road accident landed him in a nursing home. Now he must move away and she must move on. The final piece in the puzzle is blurted out by a well-meaning but weary nurse. Their goodbyes, alas, remain unspoken as she flies off to catch her taxi and he remains 'until the memory fades.'

Leo, a doctor, is suffering from depression and finds it hard to come to terms with his illness. Weaving through his memories as a child and a father, Leo re-lives his suspicions, panic attacks and emotions as he tries everything from hypnotism to art therapy to beat the blues. Further insight is offered by his mother, his sister and his wife, who show how depression affects those you love

about a drifting teenager driven to the brink

In a junk-strewn wasteland in a distant future a gang of young people, The Late Sleepers - self-styled vampires, dressed in black and scarlet with bright dyed hair - scrape a strange existence on the outskirts of a walled, city. Their leader is Gabriel, a dark brooding presence whose jealously guarded store of music, videos and DVDs from earlier centuries has informed the gangs' unlikely passion for classic TV, horror movies and P01) songs. When two strangers, James and Elsa, stumble on the Sleepers' hideout, they are intrigued l)y this all-singing, all-dancing gang, and begin a chain of events which will explore both the light and the darkness of their rock and roll vampire existence. With show-stopping numbers, a high gothic wedding, drama and betrayal, and, ultimately, heart-breaking bravery, The Late Sleepers is a fascinating romp through the world of the Undead, of popular culture, and of teenage rebellion.

A new magical life for the popular fairy tale. Prince Charming is off gallevanting round the world and leaves Pantomania to be governed by the selfish Duke of Verruca. When the prince returns the duke refuses to relinquish power. Luckily, faithfull Buttons, his friend Kathy and of course the Fairy Godmother are around to work wonders.

Jim Watt runs the London office of a stock exchange firm and is hosting dinner for the International Director and his wife, Bill and Nancy McGregor, members of the anti-permissive society group. As Bill strongly disapproves of unmarried couples living together, Jim asks his girlfriend, Helen, to pose as his wife for the evening. This suggestion goes down like a lead balloon and Helen walks out on him, leaving Jim with no partner, no cook and only one last option - his eccentric cleaning lady, Edna, who will do the job for a fee, of course. Disaster reigns as Edna attempts to cook an elaborate dish while keeping her guests happy with "religious chat". At an extremely inopportune moment, Helen returns to play the role of his wife, and so does his young personal assistant, Tern. A string of hilarious miscommunications unravel as Jim trades lies and wives almost as quickly as Bill is trading shares.

tale of a writer who returns to the big city to find his lost love .

Pete and George are old friends. In fact, such good old friends that George has been Pete's best man at both of his weddings. Pete. now happily married to Sarah, is appalled when George arrives with the news that his first wife Jessica was not killed in a climbing accident as they had thought but is alive and well and keen to resume her life with Pete! This unexpected revelation leads to a series of hilarious situations as Peter and George try to find a way out of this desperate plight without upsetting either of Pete's wives or his second wife's powerful mother.

Elderly Valerie Trevelyan has been murdered with an overdose of painkillers and there are suspicious bruises on her neck. Worse still is the fact that the two key suspects in the case are her sons, Gavin and Miles. Making no secret of their cold relationship with each other, both had a financial motive and the physical opportunity to have been the killer. As detectives interview the brothers, as well as their senile father, Lionel, secrets about the family are discovered as the clues mount up and clearly lead to one person. But is he actually the murderer? This can be performed with four men or as a one-man show.

Fay, host of the TV chat show Frankly Fay, is worried that her career is on the wane - and her private life isn't up to much either. She is mortified to be reunited, on the set of This Is Your Life, with Caroline Pollard, an old school friend she's been avoiding for years, but Caroline's bereavement gives her an idea that could rescue her ratings. Before long Caroline (a.k.a. Bollards' is appearing on Frankly Fay and winning the hearts of the daytime TV audience - so much so that very soon she has her own show, Candidly Caroline, and is heading for stardom. . .The fickle nature of fame, the difficulties faced by older women in the media and the vagaries of friendship are dissected hilariously in this sly and witty comedy.

April 1939. An English couple, Peter and Suzy, are living in Provence in idyllic isolation, far, it seems, from the rumblings of the coming war. Their peace is shattered from within when Suzy discovers she has been betrayed: Peter is not the man he claims to be. Suzy's life is thrown into turmoil as the possibility arises that Peter may in fact be a ruthless killer on the run. Then a Scotland Yard detective arrives and events become even more complicated and frightening . . .Lies, subterfuge and murder make this fast-moving thriller a dark and disturbing rollercoaster of bluff and double bluff.

Adapted by Philip Goulding from the 1953 Ealing comedy film about a group of villagers who, finding that their branch railway line is about to be axed, decide to buy and run the railway themselves. As well as convincing the railway authorities that they are competent to work the line, they have to face problems from Vernon Crump who is set on providing a competitive bus service. The large cast can be doubled and the special effects required - steam engines, a bus and a steamroller to name but three! - can be achieved in several suggested ways.

A case of mistaken identity leads to tragedy in this engaging thriller. In a snowbound guest house in the Peak District, Marjory Pike is wrongly identified by another guest as the author of a book declaiming certain mediums, one of whom had committed suicide as a result. The son of the deceased medium is staying at the guest house, so when he arrives in the lounge bloodied and bruised, and Marjory is found dead, the finger of suspicion naturally points at him. But the guest house may be haunted, other guests have their own secrets, and even the proprietors are not above suspicion . . . In true Norman Robbins fashion? the deepening mystery is rich with shocks and laughs as the play moves to its unexpected close.

This moving and lyrical play takes place during the summer of 1940 and is set against the dramatic wartime backdrop of the internment camp at Port Erin on the Isle of Man. Two romances develop: one between a German internee of 17 and an English girl of the same age, prevented by circumstances from leaving the Isle; the other between a woman of Italian descent and a German Jew. The play raises issues about a little-recorded part of British domestic history in which the characters are sustained by their hopes and dreams which we, the audience, finally realize will not be fulfilled. Played mostly in duologues and soliloquies this fifty minute play is an ideal festival choice.

In an isolated house on the cliffs of north Cornwall the sibling rivalry between identical twins Max and Ashley Hennessy is coming to a murderous climax. They both know one of them must die, but, trapped in his wheelchair, Ashley knows the odds are now against him and he is in mortal danger - but does DI Fergus believe him? And can he trust Nurse Malahide, who has been employed to protect him? Poor Lalla, the twins' aunt, is torn between the two boys: which of them is the victim and which is the psychopath? Perhaps they have done it once again - pulled off the final "switch".