|
Scroll down for all the plays "The play went very well ... everyone who saw it thought it was wonderful" Judi Munro, Texas USA It's a wet and cold winter's night in the small
village pub. The locals gather for the company, a stiff
drink and the open fire. The landlord is a surly,
middle-aged grump with an attractive younger wife. She
has trouble with the language. There's a middle-aged
married couple from the local university. Their sarcastic
comments towards each other are razor sharp. Then there's
the two elderly spinster sisters. One's a wag and enjoys
a tipple. Her sister is much more quiet and has
"just the one". That in itself is a talking point but when the stranger lets slip he can tell you the exact date of your death, things certainly hot up. Surely it's a joke, a con. Nobody can see into the future. If they could, what are the lottery numbers for next week and who's going to win the premiership this year? Edward is not pushy and regrets having made his big statement. But two of the regulars take him very seriously. They want to know. One of the elderly sisters wants to know and is told. She's not going to die for another ten years or more. But young Buck also wants his date of death. Edward shudders. It's today! Of course the sceptics laugh at this but there's not much of today left. The storm increases. Suddenly the lights go out. With flickering candles the group sit and argue about Edward's prophecy. Midnight approaches. Now it's down to the last minutes, the final seconds. There's a countdown. Will Buck die and prove Edward's a prophet? The play is not resolved until the very last line. Dead In The Morning runs for about 40 minutes, has 8 roles [4F/4M] and one simple set. It's enjoyed some exciting performances and is ideal for drama competitions and festivals and as a double-hander with Box-Office Break-In.
Inside the box-office of a huge 2000 seat theatre, the three staff count the massive takings. It's a one-off rock concert with cash-only entry. The joint is jumpin'. There's cash to splash. Suddenly the door is opened and two masked intruders crash in. The three money-counters are terrified. The entrepreneur is actually more worried about the money but that's another story. The bandits place explosives in a strange place. Not the safe but the switchboard. You see these are not your usual bandits. They ignore the cash, they want the power. Electric power. They want it off. Are you insane? If you kill the power, 2000 screaming rock fans won't be able to go deaf in peace. The rock musicians will have to play acoustic music. But you see that's exactly what the bandits want. They represent the Peaceful Sounds party. Now the entrepreneur thinks about this. What an angle. Acoustic Headbangers. Brilliant. The bandits are attacked and some of the goodies escape. But why aren't the police called? And just who are the baddies? The accountant is tied up and the bandits escape. But the accountant is singing. More like stinging. There's yet another twist in this funny and entertaining play. Box-Office Break-In runs for 30 minutes, has one simple set and five male or female roles. It's ideal for festivals and competitions and is a great double-hander with Dead In The Morning.
TWO EASTER PLAYS Both Pilate Error and Believing Thomas run for about 25 minutes and sit beautifully into your Easter service. Pilate Error
Caiaphas has heard of a growing movement called Christianity. Two witnesses have asked to speak to Pilate but they are women. Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene appear and say things which enrage, amaze and mystify the leaders. Will the women be killed? Will Pilate and the Caiaphas be sacked? Pilate Error has four roles and is ideal for Easter church services and play competitions. Wonderful reviews from many churches. Believing Thomas
Apala returns and meets Thomas the Older and Younger. They tell her why they were given their nickname. Apala wants to know about the Son of God and in telling of their faith, the men discover they are not Doubting Thomas but really Believing Thomas. This short play carries a powerful message with a mixture of humour and scripture. Three roles in a powerful testimony of faith in the risen Christ. Outstanding reviews from many churches. Click on PREVIEW SCRIPTS at the top of the home page.
Shakespeare In Saigon
"An absolutely charming, funny and thoughtful piece that really makes
you feel a lot better after seeing it. The play is fresh and new and of
today. It’s bubbling with some very funny one-liners and has some rather
poignant moments. It’s one of the most delightful plays I have seen in a
long time; a damn good night at the theatre. Highly recommended.”
David Cadwallader is a retired secondary-school English Literature teacher who has come down in the world. His savings and superannuation have been wiped out on a costly divorce and failed property investment. He lives alone in a basic, rented flat in a suburb heavily populated with working-class, non-English-speaking people. Kim Thanh Nguyen is a young Vietnamese woman recently arrived in this country and living next door to David. Thanh speaks almost no English and is an outworker making clothes for a pittance. She lives with her paternal grandparents who speak only Vietnamese. David is bitter about his lot in life whilst Thanh is uncertain. She is in a foreign land with no English skills and little knowledge of her adopted country’s culture. David and Thanh meet and life will never be the same again. Can people change by overcoming their troubles? Shakespeare in Saigon has three characters as David's elderly mother appears via speaker-phone. The play runs for about 70 minutes and has won outstanding reviews. The play is written in Vietnamese, English and Elizabethan English. "A delightful play, beautifully written. It’s an unusual and moving love-story with Shakespeare as matchmaker. Don’t miss it. Cenarth Fox's plays are exceptional." Brian Amos Eastern FM Theatre To preview any script click PREVIEW SCRIPTS at top of page __________________________________________________________________________________________
Two-Act Plays
The Real Sherlock Holmes 85 minutes, 3 hander [2M/1F] with each actor playing several roles. One simple set "If ever there was a great night of theatre it would have to be The Real Sherlock Holmes.” Brian Amos “A well-researched play revealing so much about Conan Doyle. I loved it, a super night, warmly recommended” Curtain Up "The cast played with verve and pace. The full theatre was engrossed" The Sherlock Holmes Society of Melbourne "It is a wonderful play" Brighton Theatre Company "It was fantastic; history with humour. We just didn’t want it to end" Peridot Theatre Co "This drama is an utter delight, a very poignant script and performance" Sherlock Classic Specialties USA
Original production toured for three years and entertained and educated thousands of delighted audience members. Click on PREVIEW SCRIPTS for a free preview script or send email to sales@foxplays.com CD of show as audio play now available - www.foxplays.com As is CD of Sherlock Stock and Barrel [Sherlockian musical]
85 minutes, 9 roles [5F/4M] and 2 male and 2 female roles can be doubled. One set. "Agatha Crispie was an outstanding success. We were delighted with your excellent script" Gundaroo Dramatic Society "The cast found Agatha Crispie fun to stage and the audiences received it very well. Although most of the references to Christie’s mysteries went over the younger heads, the older members of the audience found them hilarious" Newman College "Our audiences thoroughly enjoyed our season of Agatha Crispie" Barossa Valley Drama Society "Everything went well and everyone who came said how much they enjoyed it. The set and costumes were good and we were very pleased. Thank you so much for Agatha Crispie" St John’s Players
Delightful spoof on Dame Agatha and her wonderful detectives Miss Marple and Hercules Poirot.
In the south of England not long after WW1, Agatha Crispie scribbles away. Her second husband, Archibald Walloman is big on digging. He owns half of Cornwall. Agatha's mother-in-law and step-daughter are outstanding snobs and regard Agatha's literary efforts as nothing short of scandalous. Even Archibald demands that his wife should attend to dinner parties and flower arranging. Only Pimms, Agatha's long-serving tipsy maid stands by the unpublished author. One day a well-known writer, Dorothy S. Layers, pays a visit and Archibald is bowled over. But horror of horrors. The lights go out and Archie is left with a body in the library. A body with a peg on its nose. Archie rushes out to get the others but when he returns the body is missing. Agatha is fascinated and wants the police to solve the crime. The others are furious. Absolutely no police. They compromise and the little old spinster from the village is invited to investigate. Miss Mary Mead has a reputation for solving crimes without making a fuss. Well Miss Mead does solve the mystery and the results are shocking. So shocking that Agatha is hounded into submission by her overbearing relatives. Does this mean Agatha's classics will never see the light of day? Will the world never read Murder on the Blaunau-Festinniog Express? Witness for the Defence? The Rat Trap? The pressure is too much. Agatha disappears. It takes a week for her family to admit she's gone. But where? Pimms is concerned about the ashes in the fireplace. Oh no! Agatha's been murdered! Or worse. She's done herself in! The ashes are scattered in the rose garden. Everyone is sworn to secrecy. Absolutely no scandal! The family are furious. How dare she embarrass them like this! What can they do? Archie has recently written letters to various people. Agatha was to post the letters before she disappeared. The plot thickens. The new butler arrives. His name is Hercules Grey-Cells and he's from Belgium. He examines the ashes in the rose garden. This butler is more like a detective. Then Chief Inspector Bland from Scotland Yard arrives. This is too much. And when Miss Mary Mead returns, the family are in a spin. It all races to a perfect ending with the goodies winning the day and all mysteries solved. It's a very funny play. If you know anything about Agatha Christie and some of her famous characters, the play is hilarious. Excellent reviews from seasons in England and Australia. Photo from St John's Players, London UK
Marvellous murder mystery with a twist. 85 minutes, one set, 8 roles with 5 for females. "A classic whodunit! A thriller in the grand tradition providing the audience with at least one body, several suspects and plenty of motives." Piggery Lane Players "Remain Seated is a fast-moving mystery thriller with plenty of suspense" Tongala Little Theatre Inc "Our production of Remain Seated went very well" Quirindi Dramatic Society "Remain Seated is a combination of various aspects of theatre – drama, comedy and farce. The plot has more twists than a country lane" Sunshine Community Theatre Inc "Remain Seated is a challenging play for both actors and audiences. The final scene is a real cliff hanger" Kingsport Players Local theatre companies are everywhere. There is probably one or more quite close to you. Well it's in one such local theatre company that a terrible incident took place. The actors were staging a new play, a comedy/drama ending in a whodunit. The actors were into the first act and following the script. Two actors struggle and fall behind a settee. One actor has a gun and sound effects produce a bang. But then the other actors dry. They haven't forgotten their lines. The gun really went off. It was loaded. And what's worse, much worse. The actor who is supposed to get shot, has been shot and is ... dead. The play is stopped and after much confusion the police and an ambulance are called. The problem is explained to the audience who are eventually "allowed to go home". They don't really of course but are privy to the police investigation. And boy, do some secrets come out. Each actor in the theatre company plus the stage manager hated the dead actor. Everyone had a reason to see the actor killed. This is looking more like a crime of passion every minute. Of course this is a great challenge for the actors who have to play two roles - themselves and the character in the play. The investigation draws out even more clues and your audience, who have all "gone home", are trying to guess whodunit. But the plot twists keep on coming. The real murderer is on stage but not everyone is who they seem. Finally the actors are allowed to go home and the police discuss the suspects. But all is not as it seems here either and the actors have been very good at their job. This thriller is not resolved until the very last line. Remain Seated has lots of comedy and plenty of drama. It's been staged with great success by theatre companies and schools in the UK, USA and Australia. It runs for 85 minutes and has 8 roles with 5 for females.
Dinner theatre at its best. 10, 20 maybe 30 roles. One set, three locations. It's a musical, a farce and a circus and more! An absolute smash Lachlan Arts Council Very well received Big River Repertory What a BIG success Captain proved to be. We included concert items with our passenger actors performing. Our catering classes in home economics provided authentic meals for both first class and economy passengers. It was a highly successful show. Please send a catalogue of your plays as we would be very interested in performing another of your great shows. Glenmore HS The experience of a lifetime. It was indeed a nutty night of laughter and mayhem enjoyed by all. What did you enjoy most about This Is Your Captain Speaking? All of it! Mordialloc Light Opera Society An out of the ordinary, fun and laughter-filled evening. An interesting dinner theatre production that will have its audience raving for months to come. Gordon F Kells HS Canada The pace was fast and furious from the start with the traditional divide between cast and audience fading quickly. The cast obviously had a great time and the audience was gathered up by this enthusiasm. The action was happening everywhere at once and those in the audience were more a member of the cast than an observer Narracan News Flying from Traralgon to Thorpdale on Pandemonia Airlines was a nerve-racking experience. About 100 people gathered in the "gate lounge" [the Trafalgar Public Hall] where security officers were working overtime to catch smugglers and people on "stereos". The pace was fast and furious from the start with the traditional divide between cast and audience fading quickly ... Memories of past overseas trips came back as the crowd queued to go through the metal detector and squeezed into economy class seats. The flight attendants kept passengers entertained throughout the eventful flight which started nornally with a meal being served but things soon got out of hand with a pregnant passenger, drunks and hijackers all adding to the confusion. To top it all off the passengers were treated to a sing-a-long lead by the appropriately named Captain Myopic. The in-flight movie started well but technical problems meant passengers were entertained by a home video of Trafalgar. The cast was obviously having a great time and the audience was caught up in this enthusiasm. The action was happening everywhere at once and the audience was more a member of the cast than an observer. Trafalgar High School It's a musical, revue, part-panto, a play, part-movie and a lively piece of dinner theatre. It's enjoyed wonderful success by all ages in all locations - theatres, halls, classrooms. It's actually a three set show but you don't change the set. You move the audience. It's simple. At first your audience arrive in the airport terminal. This could be the foyer of your theatre. Here they check in, inspect the "shops", hire a cushion, meet fellow travellers and are entertained by some interesting characters. It's all scripted but with such close contact, your actors will need to be a little flexible. Next it's on to Customs [could be part of a corridor] where your audience must pass through the metal detector and have their personal luggage inspected. Again it's tightly scripted with small comic scenes. All good fun. Finally everyone moves into the plane ready for the flight of their life. Your plane could be just a large room with benches or individual chairs. There's no need to make a low roof although many groups do. The cheaper the better. You see you're flying with the world's worst airline and the crummier the set the better. Lots of funny possibilities. You could offer two classes of ticket - first and economy but have the first class passengers up the back. You can name a destination, the more exotic the better. One group advertised the show as being a flight to Paris, France. The crew wore berets and spoke with terrible French accents. You'll almost certainly find that the audience will enter into the spirit of the show demanding better seats, more food, etc. There is a scripted play which takes place on the plane. It involves many things some of which you can re-arrange e.g. if you have some talented performers you could include them in the floorshow on the plane. Floorshow? Yes, you see the in-flight movie breaks down and the crew have to make do. One passenger has 4000 slides of trees taken on vacation. Why not show these to the passengers! You get the chance too to make a local video. One of the passengers has been to see the sights in your town or suburb and here are the results. This is hilarious as your audience see themselves and their town on screen. Some of the passengers include the short-sighted pilot, an overbearing parent, a mother-to-be, a priest Father Forgive-Me and a drunk who firmly believes he's on a train. You can include a singalong and special items as mentioned previously. When it seems the plane is running low on fuel, something drastic has to happen. Passengers are asked to complete a will which bequeaths their underwear and spouse to the person they name on the form. Just when it seems the plane is heading for Disaster, a most unlikely pilot emerges and everyone is saved. This is Your Captain Speaking has been staged with terrific results by all age groups in Canada, the USA, UK and Australia. The meal you serve can be BYO everything to chicken in a basket to a full sit down three-course slap-up feast. Captain is a great way to raise money. Take off today.
Smashing comedy where whatever can go wrong does go wrong. 90 minutes, one unusual set, 4F and 2 or 3M The play was very well received - we found that Act 1 produced a few laughs and was taken fairly seriously, so that when we started on Act 2 with a completely new Brad (25 years older than the original!) they were taken by surprise. The scene where Amanda and Brad get to know each other rather well on the sofa produced fits of laughter too. All in all it was a very successful production. HATS A salute to the real stars of theatre - your stage manager, stagehands, lighting and audio operator and your set designer and builders. Oh and you'll need a few actors as well. Four females and two or three males. It's a one-set sitting-room show. Wealthy family, two grown-up daughters, the boyfriend and the Spanish-speaking long-serving maid/cook/ whatever. Bit of drama. The boyfriend seems to be too keen and the daughters hate their step-mother. But when father has a road-rage incident and receives threatening phone calls, things start to hot up. But they're also hotting up off-stage. Parts of the set don't quite work. Then the actor playing the boyfriend has throat problems. Come interval it's all change here for survival. An unrehearsed stagehand steps in with script in hand. Have you ever tried playing a romantic scene with a book in one hand? A friend of a member of the cast takes over the sound and light controls and the drama descends [or is that ascends?] from drama to comedy to farce to bedlam. When doors jam and the offstage fire in the kitchen moves on stage, well, it's every actor for herself!! Requires great timing and skill as the cast and the set disintegrate. World premiere in England a hit.
A comedy about sex-education. A fun show, an amusing and entertaining play. Cheryl Threadgold – Melbourne Observer A gentle comedy that, while dealing with a serious subject, doesn’t take itself too seriously. It sets out to entertain and sends the audience away feeling quite happy with a smile on its face. It has some very funny lines which keep the play bubbling along so that the audience are kept chuckling along until the final curtain. Cen Fox has a definite way of reaching an audience without preaching, allowing us to decide our own moral values. There’s no crude language but plenty of laughs and so much that, I think old and young can identify with. To sum up, a very entertaining play that gave a lot of enjoyment to the audience and one that I think a lot of companies should look at. Home-grown is not always best but Betty’s Birthday is, I think, an audience-pleasing play and deserves to be seen. John Gunn Curtain Up
Cenarth Fox is a prolific Australian playwright who writes just
marvellous plays and Betty’s Birthday is no exception It was a fun night
and a night from which you came away thinking very closely about what
you’d seen. It was a night to remember. If you get the opportunity to
ever see Betty’s Birthday, I recommend it to you. Cenarth Fox has
written some marvellous shows over the years and this is one of his
latest staged this time by STAG. It was really a great night.
Brian Amos Radio Eastern One set, two act comedy about sex, about how we learn about the birds and the bees. Six roles [3F/3M]. It's Betty's birthday. She's 70ish and married to retired sailor Rusty, a superb cook. He's whipped up a fantastic meal for his beloved's birthday bash. Guests are their son Brian, boring and middle-aged, and Brian's clever and lively wife Jean. Son/grandson Alan and his girlfriend Leonie are also in on the free feed. The only missing family member is grandson Peter Now although we never meet young Peter, he is the real star of this play. In-between courses, Brian tells the others he's about to tell his young son the facts of life. Brian thinks the world has gone mad and telling kids about sex today is bloody difficult. Mind you, being a super serious person, Brian finds lots to complain about. So we have three generations of the same family all discussing the right and wrong ways to tell children the facts of life. It's funny, dramatic and eventually surprising. And when one family member suggests a way of making money from sex-education, your production takes a new and potentially profitable twist. How to make more money from your show! Literally! Can you remember how you learnt the facts of life? Well most of those methods and courses and others are revealed in this character-based comedy on this very important subject. 80 minutes of laughter, a thought-provoking comedy.
Prices vary according to which country you are from. In Australia the average price for a script is A$8.80 [US$6.90]. Royalties are 10% of ticket sales with a minimum fee of about A$65 [US$45]. Contact FOX PLAYS for a detailed price list. And don't forget all the free material which comes with each show! For wonderfully entertaining plays which get you thinking, contact FOX PLAYS today.
|
Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea when Jesus Christ
was crucified. Pontius played a major role in the trial and execution
of the Son of God. Sometime after the crucifixion, Pilate gets wind of
his dismissal. Has he been betrayed? Is Caiaphas the Jewish high priest
behind the sacking? Caiaphas and Pilate have worked together for many
years. If the governor gets the chop, things won't look too good for
the priest. 
Thomas, the disciple of
Jesus, the one who refused at first to believe that Jesus had
risen from the grave, is now an old missionary working in
India. He loves his work but still suffers from that infamous
nickname - Doubting. Apala, a wise woman arrives. She's
never heard of Christianity but senses Thomas has a niggling
doubt. She leaves and a young man arrives from the Holy Land.
He claims to be a younger version of the elderly Thomas. Could
it be true?
An unusual love
story with Shakespeare as matchmaker.
Arthur Conan Doyle is tidying his belongings. He
reflects on his fascinating and remarkable life. But his memory is not
all that flash. Fortunately his mother is on hand. He wrote some 1500
letters to the "Ma'am" so if anyone knows young Arthur's deeds and
misdeeds, mother does. And who else should pop in but that well-known
consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. He too knows a thing or three
about Sir Arthur's activities. And what activities. Fairies, ghosts,
murder, sport, politics, sex, intrigue, literature and more. Mystery
fiction may be intriguing but the truth about Doyle and Holmes is even
stranger.
Agatha Christie and her
mystery stories are well-known. But who has heard of her
contemporary, the completely unknown writer of mystery
stories, Agatha Crispie? 
