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Brendan Murray

BRENDAN MURRAY

  (1956 - )
Nationality:    English
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    n/a

the youngest of five children, Brendan Murray grew up in Salford, Lancashire; took a degree in Drama; trained as an actor, and worked for ten years in schools, fringe, Rep and commercial Theatre. From 1982 to 1985 he was Head of Theatre-in-Education at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry and, in 1989/90, writer-in-residence at the Crucible Theatre Sheffield. Since then he has divided his time between writing, directing and teaching, principally at Drama Studio London. In 2002/3 he was the Visiting Gulbenkian Fellow in the Department of Palliative Care at King's College Hospital and, from 2003 to 2008, Artistic Director of Oxfordshire Theatre Company. His plays have been produced throughout the UK and abroad and won both the Brian Way and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards. Like the good northerner he is, he lives in Brighton.

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

         A*L*I*C*E         After Columbus         After You         Angelic Aspiration, The         Antigone         Big Baby         Big Magic , The         Cherry Orchard, The         Collywobbles, The         Delicious Revenge of Princess Rubyslippers, The         Diary of a Madman         Eliza's House         Entertaining Angels         Falling Sky, The         Hare and Tortoise         Housewives' Choice         How High Is Up         Leap in the Dark, A         Lifeboat         Little Maggie Dancing         Magic Flute, The         Mansfield Park & Ride         Missing in Action         Monday's Child         My Beautiful Laundrette         My Foolish Heart         Nine Days' Wonder, The         Noah's Ark         On the Beach         Once upon an Island         Pa Mor Uchel yw Fyny (How High is Up)         Practical Significance of g, The         Robin Hood         Scarlet Ribbons         Seeing the Lights         Something Beginning With         Under the Bed         Unlikely Tales of Molly Moonshine, The         Vision Of Loveliness         What? No Bananas!
A*L*I*C*E

Synopsis:
Free adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for a totally flexible cast. 90 minutes.

Notes:
the play was originally performed by A group of some 30 young people but the cast could be flexible in terms of numbers And gender.

1st Produced:
Blackpool Theatre Grand     2002

Organisations:
Blackpool Theatre Grand Youth Theatre

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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Genre:
Youth theatre

Parts:
Male:  5-15            Female:  5-15            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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After Columbus

Synopsis:
After Columbus conveys the dreams and the struggles faced by the great number of immigrants who came to the shores of New York in the early 1900's seeking a new life. The play crafts a delicate balance of tragedy, humour and hope and its seemingly naive outlook mirrors that of many of those immigrants who sought to attain prosperity in the 'New World'. Its themes also echo through the situations that currently challenge the United Kingdom with regard to immigration. The play is based on an actual event that had a direct and significantly positive impact on the rights of labourers in the American workplace: The Triangle Shirt Factory Fire. This fire was one of the worst disasters since the beginning of the industrial revolution where 149 young female immigrant workers lost their lives due to a lack of organisation within the labour force.

Notes:
Written by Brendan Murray, Fiona Bruce And Stephen Ley, the show has Also been successfully performed by Drama students. the casting includes some doubling And could be extended to 10 or more.

1st Produced:
Belgrade Theatre Coventry     1983

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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After You

Synopsis:
Poetic Drama about a teenage boy's chance meeting with his dead father's gay lover and how this impacts on his relationship with his mother and his nascent sense of identity. Sixty minutes.

Notes:
Will be published in BIG theATRE in small spaces (Plays by Brendan Murray) in 2011 by Aurora Metro Press. Until then Available via Author's website. German translation/rights Available from theaterverlag Munchen.

1st Produced:
Stratford Circus, London     01 May 2002

Organisations:
Red Ladder Theatre Company

1st Published:
Aura Metro Press (2011   

Music:
-

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Genre:
theatre for Young People

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Angelic Aspiration, The

Synopsis:
An examination of the natures of goodness told through she story of 1937 Basque Children's Camp and its impact on the lives of one ordinary English woman and her family. 110 minutes.

Notes:
the play was originally written for A cast of four but works much better As A piece for A larger cast And has been successfully produced in this way by Drama school students.

1st Produced:
Eastleigh Town Hall     1990

Organisations:
Solent Peoples Theatre

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Antigone

Synopsis:
When Antigone goes against the law of the land in burying her brother, she sets in motion a chain of events leading to the shattering of her family and the downfall of the house of Oedipus. Antigone charts one woman's passionate fight against her oppressors and this new all-female version will be presented by a cast of 5, in a physical, musical and hauntingly beautiful retelling of the classic tale, shining a new light on Sophocles' depiction of a patriarchal society.

Notes:
Original Playwright - Sophocles. Original choral music by Maria Haik Escudero

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Tales retold

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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Genre:
adaptation

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Big Baby

Synopsis:
Starting with a roll in the hay and ending with a crime against nature, this comic, caustic, cautionary tale, exploring the pressures of parenting and education in a world obsessed with the measurable, careers through the centuries from rural idyll to urban tragedy; innocence to experience; midwifery to murder. Sixty minutes.

Notes:
the casting - Apart from Janet & John - can be flexible with regard to gender Although (personally) I think it works best when Elsie is played by A man And Baby by A woman. Subsequent productions by Visible Fictions, Oxfordshire theatre Company, No Pigeons theatre Company (Campden Fringe). Runner up for the John Whiting Award 2000.

1st Produced:

Organisations:

1st Published:
-   

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

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Genre:
theatre for Young People

Parts:
Male:  2-3            Female:  1-2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Big Magic , The

Synopsis:
A big play for small people: a two-act exploration of the relationship between fear and selfishness; the sometimes funny, sometimes scary story of Bombo's quest to find what makes the world go round. 75 minutes.

Notes:
Originally directed by Roman Stefanski. the casting could be flexible with regard to gender. German translation/rights Available from theaterverlag Munchen.

1st Produced:
Polka Children's Theatre     07 Feb 2002

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Plays for Young Audiences   

Music:
-

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Genre:
Children's theatre

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Cherry Orchard, The

Synopsis:
Madame Ranyevskaya returns to save the family estate she has loved throughout her life but is unable to accept help; as though to face the realities of the present would betray her longing for the past. Through inaction, she risks losing the thing she holds most precious, her Cherry Orchard. The whole orchard dressed in white. Do you remember, Lyuba? The long avenue - how it stretches like a ribbon; how it shines on moonlit nights. . .You haven't forgotten, have you?

Notes:
Original Playwright - Anton Chekhov

1st Produced:

Organisations:
DogOrange

1st Published:
-   

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

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Genre:
adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Collywobbles, The

Synopsis:
Black comedy shifting between the present day and the 1940's as the arrival of a stranger compels two ex-Vaudevillians to confront past guilt and imminent death. 60 minutes.

Notes:
the play exists in two versions: the original for three Actors (as directed by Viv Harris) And A revision for five.

1st Produced:
Greenwich & Lewisham Young Peoples Theatre     1993

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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

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Genre:
theatre for Young People

Parts:
Male:  2-3            Female:  1-2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Delicious Revenge of Princess Rubyslippers, The

Synopsis:
Sibling rivalry explored, exploded and unraveled as fairy tales collide in this comedy with something for everyone from children to grandparents. 80 minutes

Notes:
A Two Act reworking of Something Beginning With. . . for family Audiences. Nominated for A Writers Guild of Great Britain

1st Produced:
Oxfordshire Theatre Company     2007

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://www.playsforyoungaudiences.org/scripts/the-delicious-revenge-of-princess-rubyslippers   

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

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Genre:
Comedy / Family show

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Diary of a Madman

Synopsis:
Adaptation of Gogol's classic novElla charting one man's descent into madness. 45 minutes

Notes:
My first piece for the stage from 1981 but still, I think, worthy of inclusion in my catalogue.

1st Produced:
Unproduced    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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

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Genre:
Drama / One man show

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Eliza's House

Synopsis:
Past and present collide in a house where no-one's very sure who's who and no-one's told the truth for forty years. Sixty minutes.

Notes:
Nominated for the Manchester Evening News theatre Award: Best New Play And Winner of the Brian Way Award (ACE Children's Award) 2002. German translation/rights Available from theaterverlag Munchen.

1st Produced:

Organisations:

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 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

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Genre:
theatre for Young People One Act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Entertaining Angels

Synopsis:
Entertaining Angels is a humorous and touching look at the role of the Church in contemporary village life and what it really means to be a Christian in the 21st century. Like much of Murray's work, the play has grown out of research in and among the communities he writes about - in this case a series of interviews with clergy, parishioners and other parties about the state of the Church of England within rural communities.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
New Perspectives

1st Published:
-   

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

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Falling Sky, The

Synopsis:
Drama about priorities and choices told through the lives of five inhabitants of a rural community over the course of one fateful year. 90 minutes.

Notes:
Originally directed by Clare Smout. Audio version for New Perspectives theatre Company 2010, starring Stephanie Cole, Julian Glover And Amanda Root, directed by Daniel Buckroyd. Will be published in BIG theATRE in small spaces (Plays by Brendan Murray) in 2011 by Aurora Metro Press. Until then Available via Author's website.

1st Produced:
Oxfordshire Theatre Company     2007

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Aurora Metro Press (2011)   

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:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Hare and Tortoise

Synopsis:
Stop watch is set; we hear the 'tick, tick, tick' Ready? Steady? Geared up, raring to go, Hare is in training at the starting line, alert.waiting. Who is the fastest, the best? Old clock chimes; we hear 'the tick and the tock' Slowly does it, taking it easy, Tortoise is planning winter hibernation, poised with pen and paper, pondering.restomg zzz. Steady as you go, steady as you go. Meet two competing friends in the new fantastic adaptation of Aesop's fable; a story about racing, opposites, time and friendship. From sun-shining spring to snow-falling winter, we bring you this much loved story brimming with ideas, characters, live music and wonderful physicality. the Hare and Tortoise in the greatest race of earth with a nail biting seconds ticking, medal winning end.

Notes:
Music by Dominic Sales

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Tutti Frutti and York Theatre Royal

1st Published:
-   

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:
TYA

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Housewives' Choice

Synopsis:
Bitter-sweet tale of delayed marital consummation against the background of coronation day with songs from the 1950s. 50 minutes.

Notes:
All Actors must be Able to sing.

1st Produced:
Hampshire     2005

Organisations:
Oxfordshire Theatre Company/ Forest Forge Theatre Company

1st Published:
-   

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:
theatre for Older People

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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How High Is Up

Synopsis:
Little Star and the Bird Who Has No Wings face an extraordinary journey to meet the Magicians of Roaring Winds, Pouring Rain and Silent Snow to stop Time. Watched over by the Sun and the Moon, Little Star reaches an unexpected shore. Full of music and movement, this magical play celebrates life in all its changes and its lasting truths.

Notes:
Far And Away my best-loved play, it can be performed with four or five Actors of either gender And has been produced All over the world And translated into Welsh (see below) And German. German translation/rights Available from theaterverlag Munchen.

1st Produced:

Organisations:

1st Published:
-   

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:
TYA 50 min

Parts:
Male:  2-3            Female:  2-3            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Leap in the Dark, A

Synopsis:
A sister who never speaks, a brother who never lets her, the woman who loves him and the stranger who comes to disrupt their lives. the story of the joys and dangers of letting go and finding love with songs by Paula GarDiner. 60 minutes.

Notes:
A love story specially written for An Audience of Adults with learning disabilities.

1st Produced:
Hijinx Theatre Company     1997

Organisations:
Hijinx Theatre

1st Published:
-   

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:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Lifeboat

Synopsis:
War-time adventure story about personal and collective responsibility. 60 minutes.

Notes:
Written with And for students At Rose Bruford College And toured to schools in Sheffield.

1st Produced:
Crucible Studio Sheffield     1987

Organisations:
Rose Bruford College

1st Published:
-   

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

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Genre:
Children's theatre

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Little Maggie Dancing

Synopsis:
theatre piece for actors and dancers about a couple's struggle to come to terms, after fifty years of marriage, with each other, their failed dreams and the death of their son. 90 minutes.

Notes:
the play requires two older Actors, two dancers (who can Act) And A young girl. the music may be live or recorded.

1st Produced:
Unproduced    

Organisations:
Crucible Theatre Sheffield

1st Published:
-   

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

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Genre:
Drama/ Dance Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  1

Further Reference:
-

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Magic Flute, The

Synopsis:
Adaptation of the Mozart opera for small forces and young audiences written with Dominic Harlan. 50 minutes.

Notes:
the piece requires opera singers And both A pianist And flautist of the highest standard. German translation/rights Available from theaterverlag Munchen.

1st Produced:
Pavilion Theatre Brighton     2009

Organisations:
Glyndebourne Education/Brighton Festival

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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Genre:
Opera for children

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  1

Further Reference:
-

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Mansfield Park & Ride

Synopsis:
Two Act comic take on Jane Austen novels, complete with feisty heroine; taciturn hero; oily clEric; ambitious mother; unscrupulous cad, and lots of wet shirts. Songs by Richard Taylor. 110 minutes.

Notes:
Originally directed by Ivan Cutting. Suitable for Adult or family Audiences of 12 yrs And Above.

1st Produced:
Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich.     2009

Organisations:
Eastern Angles

1st Published:
-   

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

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Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Missing in Action

Synopsis:
This is the story of two friends who join the Army. . .When he joined up. . . I couldn't see him sticking it. He'd never stuck at anything. But he stuck at this. It's true what they say: it does make a man of you. Well, it made a man of him. When I saw him in his uniform! I don't mind telling you, if I'd been any prouder I think I'd have burst. How for one of them the war ends . . .You try not to think about it. What it must be like for them. What they're going through. But there it is on the news; in the papers. And when you hear that the family's been informed. . . Your heart goes out to them, it does truly. How for the other the war goes on . . .I know this sounds terrible - a terrible thing to say - but for them as died, well the war's over, isn't it? they can rest in peace. But there's no rest for him. He's fighting a war of his own now. And God only knows when that'll end. Or even if. Based on the testimony of retired and serving Service personnel and their families, MISSING IN ACTION looks back to the First World War and forward to an uncertain future to explore the often overlooked and widely misunderstood phenomenon of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how it impacts on the lives of all those affected by it. Tender, tough and never less than touching.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Central Studio, Queen Mary's College, Cliddesden Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Rg21 3Hf     05 Oct 2012

Organisations:
Proteus Theatre Company

1st Published:
-   

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:  4            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Monday's Child

Synopsis:
Monday's Child tells a simple poetic story of the unique bond between a grandmother and a little girl. We share the delights and surprises of the respective stages of their lives: discoveries, memories, imaginings. . .Together they love to sing and dress up and are often oblivious of the challenges that the real world throws at them. The little girl delights in discovering her world and loves learning new things - how to count, the different colours and the simplicities of abc and 123.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Tutti Frutti and York Theatre Royal

1st Published:
-   

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:
TYA

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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My Beautiful Laundrette

Synopsis:
Adaptation of Hanif Kureshi's screenplay.

Notes:
the original production starred Naveen Andrews And Ian Hart And was directed by Kate Rowlands

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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

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Genre:
Drama/theatre for Young People Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  7            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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My Foolish Heart

Synopsis:
Comic boy-meets-girl story set just after World War II with songs from the 1940's. 50 minutes

Notes:
All Actors must be Able to sing.

1st Produced:
Hampshire     2004

Organisations:
Oxfordshire Theatre Company/ Forest Forge Theatre Company

1st Published:
-   

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:
theatre for Older People

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Nine Days' Wonder, The

Synopsis:
An outrageously dark comedy ending in crimes to terrible to mention.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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:
dark comedy

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Noah's Ark

Synopsis:
Modern day comic tale of family tensions vanquished by the power of the imagination and almost nothing to do with the Bible story! Commisioned and produced by Oxfordshire theatre Company with songs by Jon Nicholls 110 minutes.

Notes:
Originally directed by Chris Garner. Some Ability to sing required.

1st Produced:
Oxfordshire Theatre Company     2004

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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 / Family show

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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On the Beach

Synopsis:
Two interweaving stories, set seventy years apart, collide in this exploration of bullying and social exclusion. 60 minutes.

Notes:
Written with And for students At Rose Bruford College And toured to schools in Sheffield.

1st Produced:
Crucible Studio Sheffield     1989

Organisations:
Rose Bruford College

1st Published:
-   

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:
Children's theatre

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Once upon an Island

Synopsis:
A young girl dreams the history of her island community. 60 Minutes.

Notes:
Commissioned As part of the Jersey 800 celebrations 2003.

1st Produced:
Jersey Arts Centre     2003

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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:
Children's theatre

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  Chorus of children.

Further Reference:
-

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Pa Mor Uchel yw Fyny (How High is Up)

Synopsis:
Magical story of Little Star's quest to save her friend's life by making time stand still. 50 minutes.

Notes:
Far And Away my best-loved play, it can be performed with four or five Actors of either gender And was translated into Welsh by Sion Eirian.

1st Produced:
Theatr Gwent (Gwent Theatre)     2000

Organisations:
Gwent Theatre

1st Published:
Argraff (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:
Children's theatre

Parts:
Male:  2-3            Female:  2-3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Practical Significance of g, The

Synopsis:
Comedy-Drama set in World War II exploring moral responsibility and the dangers of reducing the world to that which may be measured. 60 minutes.

Notes:
the play was written for the senior youth theatre group At the Crucible but it has since been performed by Drama students.

1st Produced:
Crucible Studio Sheffield    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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:
Youth theatre

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Robin Hood

Synopsis:
The bumbling sheriff of Nottingham has been ordered to raise taxes. His daughter Maid Marian is tired of the male dominated world she lives in. She wants to shoot arrows not do needlework. She creates an alter ego so she can get away from all this - Robin Hood

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Tramshed, London     Dec 2014

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Scarlet Ribbons

Synopsis:
An old woman's final days in the company of a teenage housebreaker, Nat King Cole and a bottle of single malt. 50 minutes.

Notes:
the original production played to Audiences of both teenagers And old people in care - sometimes separately; sometimes together. It was directed by Darren Cheek And won A Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award 2009. It requires one Actor Able to impersonate Nat King Cole. Will be published in BIG theATRE in small spaces (Plays by Brendan Murray) in 2011 by Aurora Metro Press. Until then Available via Author's website. German translation/rights Available from theaterverlag Munchen.

1st Produced:
Oxfordshire Theatre Company.     2008

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Aurora Metro Press (2011)   

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:
theatre for Young People / theatre for Old People

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Seeing the Lights

Synopsis:
This comedy is funny and sad in equal measure, tackling topical and family issues with sympathy and humour.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Something Beginning With

Synopsis:
Sibling rivalry explored, exploded and unraveled as fairy tales collide in 60 minutes of comic confusion.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Sherman Theatre Cardiff     1997

Organisations:
Sherman Theatre Company

1st Published:
-   

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:
Children's theatre

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Under the Bed

Synopsis:
Comic exploration of childhood fears & the power of the imagination. Mo and Jo are trying to sleep but something is under the bed. So, with a little help from their friend the Hot Water Bottle, Mo and Jo travel everywhere in search of some peace and quiet. their rollercoaster adventure takes them from the glaciers of the Arctic to the sands of the South Seas - and home in time for breakfast with mum and her new husband. 60 minutes

Notes:
Original production directed by Matthew Bailey. Subsequent national tours by theatre Centre, 1998 And 2009, directed by Natalie Wilson. Nominated for A Writers Guild of Great Britain Award (Best Children's Play). German translation/rights Available from theaterverlag Munchen.

1st Produced:
Sherman Theatre Cardiff     1998

Organisations:

1st Published:
Plays for Young Audiences   

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:
For Ages 4+ Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Unlikely Tales of Molly Moonshine, The

Synopsis:
Meet Molly Moonshine, lady traveller and unreliable raconteuse. you won't believe half of what she tells you - her tales are some of the tallest you will ever hear!

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, Lincoln     27 Apr 2011

Organisations:
Theatre Centre

1st Published:
-   

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:
Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Vision Of Loveliness

Synopsis:
A post-World War II all-male revue interwoven (fifty years on) with a love story about two old men as they struggle to deal with the fears of old age. Songs by Terry Davies. 120 minutes.

Notes:
This is A large scale piece requiring A live band.

1st Produced:
Unproduced    

Organisations:
Albany Theatre Deptford

1st Published:
-   

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 theatre

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  2            Other:  Optional male chorus

Further Reference:
-

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What? No Bananas!

Synopsis:
Comedy-Drama following the experiences of a group of evacuee children during World War II. 100 minutes.

Notes:
Written by Brendan Murray, Fiona Bruce And Stephen Ley, the show has Also been successfully performed by Drama students. the casting includes some doubling And could be extended to 10 or more.

1st Produced:
The Belgrade Theatre Coventry     1984

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

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 Drama / family show

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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