Books in the Acting Edition S. series

When John O'Brien fell in love with Mary Llewellyn he knew there was a gulf between them that nothing could bridge - the gulf of the "Fifteen Streets".

Vera and Anna have made the trip to Donegal to see their singing idol Daniel O'Donnell. Vera has been abandoned by her husband and Anna is content to dream of Daniel whilst sustaining a loveless marriage. Singing waiter, Fergal, invites the women to join him at dawn. In a series of dream-like meetings the women confront their spouses and each other. Neil Martin's country-style songs enhance this easily-staged, telling look at the spirit of women. The music is included in the script.2 women, 1 man

Norman Robbins' fun-packed pantomimes tell the traditional stories in a clear fast-moving style and can be staged simply or elaborately, as required. The choice of music is left to the director.Large flexible cast

This is a modern fable which tells the story of a world in the grip of two giants whose insatiable appetite is driving it, apparently inevitably, to utter devastation. How a society and its individuals react to such a threat is the subject of this multi-faceted play, whose "storytelling" style encourages inventive and imaginative approaches to dramatic work with the performer acting as both character and narrator.Large flexible cast

Set in 1916 in a British casualty clearing station the play tells of a young soldier brought to the hospital having been found critically wounded. Being the only survivor of a platoon serving close to the lines on the Western Front with no hope of recovery, the staff battle to make his last hours as comfortable as possible.  However, they are faced with a dilemma when they receive papers regarding the desertion of Private Underwood and it soon becomes a case of should the Private be made to face the charges served or should he be allowed to die a hero?

The Sleeping Prince: An Occasional Fairy Tale is a 1953 play by Terence Rattigan, conceived to coincide with the coronation of Elizabeth II in the same year. Set in London in 1911, it tells the story of Mary Morgan, a young actress, who meets and ultimately captivates Prince Charles of Carpathia, considered to be inspired by Carol II of Romania.|5 women, 7 men

A servant girl persuades her mistress to write to a man who made her pregnant during a brief romantic interlude. Only after the wedding does the young man discover it is the letter writer he loves.|4 women, 2 men

Superior council house dwellers Betty, Reeny, Vera and their men regard themselves as a close knit family team despite their concealed jealousies and occasional recriminations. When Betty''s daughter Sandra announces she is pregnant and intends to live unmarried with her student lover, the news explodes like an atom bomb.|4 women, 5 men

This is a full length pantomime, entirely traditional with lots of humour and with its own original and delightful score by Eric Gilder which is available separately. The large number of both amateur and professional groups who present Crocker and Gilder pantomimes regularly every year is unmistakable proof of their success. Vocal score on sale.

Musical comedy Based on the story by James ThurberCharacters: 5 male, 6 female, and as many extras as desired.Scenery: Various simple sets (or one basic set).On his fortieth birthday Walter Mitty reflects on his drab, ordinary life. Defeated in his quest for wealth and glory by family responsibilities, a mortgage, and a routine job, he creates elaborate fantasies in which he is the hero. His secret world is so enticing that he often loses sight of the boundary between dream and reali

Leonard Vole stands accused of murdering a rich widow. The stakes are high with shocking witness testimony, impassioned outbursts from the dock and a young man's fight to escape the hangman's noose. Generally regarded as one of Christie's most accomplished plays, this suspenseful thriller keeps audiences guessing until the very end."Once more the Christie conjuring trick has come off. Once more we have been led down the garden path. Apart from being a clever puzzle, this is an extremely actable play."THE DAILY TELEGRAPH"The play has all the usual advantages of Counsel in conflict, agonised outbreaks in the dock, and back-answers from the witness-box. To these are added an ingenious appendix; the jury's verdict is only the beginning of a story that has as many twists as a pigtail."THE OBSERVER

This is a study of the shifting inter-relationships between three young couples, following the developments with sympathy and a certain ironic humour, through a span of twenty-five years.3 women, 3 men

Walter Greenwood's depiction of a northern town in the midst of the thirties' depression.

This perceptive and comical play from the author of One O'Clock from the House involves a wedding that does not get off to an auspicious start and goes from bad to worse.3 women, 4 men

Young Frederick has the difficult task of trying to persuade everyone in the world to jump into the air at a given moment or the world will crash to pieces. Includes parts for six men and two women with doubling.

This crowd-pleasing classic was made into a film which featured an Oscar-winning performance by Ingrid Bergman who starred as "Anya", the last surviving daughter of Czar Nicholas II of Russia. Discovered as an amnesiac in a Berlin asylum by former Cossack 'prince' turned-taxi-driver Bounine, Anya is swept into a scheme to exploit the 'heritage' of 10 million pounds being held in trust for any surviving heirs of the Romanoff dynasty.5 women, 8 men

Albert has a degree in philosophy and with a job as bridge painter has a new perspective on life up high. Through CPSs and programmed efficiency, he replaces four painters and the bridge is all his. He also has to get married - but that's another story. He's bothered by a reluctant suicide and by 1400 additional painters causing the bridge and Albert's dream to collapse.-2 women, 10 men

A British wife, her elderly husband and her lover meet a German professor at an Inn in Yorkshire. His probing questions reveal that they are unhappy and confused. They have played out their scene many times, always ending in suicide and poverty. The professor warns them that they must now break the pattern.2 women, 4 men

A collection of short plays Black and SilverCharacters: 1 male, 1 female Interior Set In this short, affecting and laughable scene parents are awakened in the middle of the night by the baby. They stumble about trying to pacify the infant. At one point the husband panics because he cannot hear the baby breathing in the cradle, which is only reasonable because the wife has put it on their bed.Mr. FootCharacters: 1 male, 1 female Interior Set A

Cecily, destined to spend her life in a wheelchair following an accident, is the centre of the universe for Sheila (her mother) and Ellen (Sheila's sister). A gripping, masterfully written play that will haunt you.|3 women

Owen Shorter, professional journalist, and Mara Hill, well known lady novelist, discover at the beginning of the play that they have been sent to Cuba to write for rival colour supplements.

The events of the past are brought to life in Gorse Cottage when, after twenty years abroad, Mrs Bell's daughter Sylvia returns to visit her mother and spinster sister, Mavis. The beautiful Sylvia brings with her a daughter whose plainness arouses the same enmity in old Mrs Bell that has led her to use and mistreat Mavis for so long. Rose, however, shows spirit and humour in her dealings with her grandmother. The atmosphere of spite deepens into something more when Mrs Bell is frightened almost to death. The only suspects are the members of her own family. Was murder the intention? Will it be finally accomplished? | 5 women, 2 men

The wide expanse of Dickens' novel on the riches and hardships of the Industrial Revolution is triumphantly brought to life in his skillful adaptation of Hard Times for a cast of four. The nineteen or so main speaking parts are portrayed by two actors and two actresses, each of whom also takes a share of the passages of direct narration; the various interior and exterior settings can be simply but effectively suggested with a minimum of props and furniture.-2 women, 2 men