Playshare SchemePlayshare Scheme

About the Scheme:

The scheme is an answer to the problems many teachers experience finding suitable material for performance in examinations at all levels and the large cast demands of the school play. It aims to build up a stock of suitable plays written by teachers, who understand the demands and needs of schools and colleges.

Teacher / writers receive a quarter of the amount for each sale. The rewards will not be enormous financially but will be satisfying nonetheless. Teachers retain their copyright and are free to seek for sale with a mainstream publisher should they wish. The only proviso is that if their work should be accepted by such a publisher, then Dramaworks must be informed and their play will immediately be withdrawn from the Playshare Scheme. This is to avoid infringement of copyright laws.

Click on a Play Title to see an Extract from the Play.

Publications Order Form
Writers Click Here!

 

With each order you will receive, in a nicely designed wallet file to keep everything together:

  1. A teacher's copy of the script presented as a Stage Management Book, with ruled facing pages for directions, FX cues, etc.
  2. A further unbound copy of the text, for photocopying whatever you will need for your cast.
  3. Detailed Production Notes and Suggestions which include: character notes; notes on style and the play's intentions; lighting, sound and FX cues; lists of properties and stage furnishings; practical suggestions on set, lighting, sound and costumes; practical suggestions, for the inexperienced director, on style and on tackling problems posed by the script.

All the above are in the Production Notes book, plus perhaps the most useful section of all, especially if you are not experienced in direction: a page by page breakdown of implications, practical suggestions and alternative ways of tackling the problems posed by the script. For instance, where the writer has suggested a blackout, the Production notes might suggest a piece of physical theatre to take the cast from one part of the script to the next, avoiding breaking up the flow of the piece with a black-out. Of course, for those unused to physical theatre, the notes will also suggest what form this physicalisation could take.

In addition, the cost covers the Performance rights, which can be very expensive if you are undertaking a public performance of, say, a school play.

Add all this to the fact that you do not have to buy multiple copies of the script, as you normally would for each member of the cast at, say, £6.00 per copy, and the price begins to look begins to look better and better!

 

Smaller Cast Plays Suitable for Examination Scripts or Festivals

All Female Cast:  
INSIDE SAM'S HEAD by Marsali Taylor. 14 chars. approx 25 mins. about the experience of being deaf and other peoples' perceptions of it within a school environment. £55.00
SUSPICION by Marsali Taylor. 13 chars. doubling poss. approx 30 mins. theme of gossip and the damage it can do in a school environment. £55.00
FLAT SPIN by Marsali Taylor. 6/7 F. approx 25 mins. an unselfish act amongst University students sharing a student flat. Realistic setting and situation. £55.00
FLAT SPIN 2 by Marsali Taylor. 8F doubling poss. approx 25 min. the same students try to persuade their difficult landlady they are fit tenants for another year. Comical Fun. £55.00
IT'S MY PARTY and I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO by Jo Hardy. 5F. approx 30 mins. snappy role-swapping, physical peice about the dark and light sides of being a teenager. Challenging but fun. £55.00
BEAUTIFUL INSIDE by Jo Hardy. 5, 6 rr 7F. approx 25 mins. the dangers of peer pressure and its effect on personal image. Anorexia. £55.00
IN THE SHADOWS OF THE ATTIC by Jo Hardy. 5F. a ghost story set in modern times and the late Victorian Boer War period. Victorian murder discovered and the mystery solved. £55.00
*WORKING FOR THE COMPANY by Andrew Shakeshaft. 4F. approx 30 mins. futureistic idea - what if the cultivation of drugs was government funded and big business? Serious piece. £55.00
MARY'S STORY by John Tarrant. 4F. approx 45 mins. Injustice and punishment in a school setting. Set in 1955 to discuss corporal punishment. £55.00
*WOMAN IN THE MOON by Jeni Whittaker. 8F. approx 45 mins. the femaile role and differing views of marridge. Useful peice for Performing Arts exams, imvoling music and dance opprtunities. £60.00
*COMING CLOSER by Jeni Whittaker. 4, 5 or 6 F, flexible cast, 30 mins approx. A tale in a physical and narrative theatre style about the murder of a young girl. Don't trust even female strangers. £55.00
   
All Male Cast:  
*DIRTY MONEY by Joe Maingot. 5M. approx 25 mins. when big business clashes with personal integrity, who is the winner? Bush and the Iraq war the background for the play. £55.00
BULLYBOY by Joe Maingot. 6M. approx 25 mins. a sensitive boy regrets bullying a younger boy and runs away from boarding-school. seroius subject but plenty of humour along the way. £55.00
   
Mixed Cast:  
BIG HAIR DAY by Fiona Baddeley. 9F, 2M. approx 45 mins. comedy set in the 1970's in a hair salon, exploring the hopes and dreams of those who work there. £60.00
THE STORY OF MAGGIE REID by Marsali Taylor. 5F, 3M. approx 30 mins. ture tale of a 19th century girl who killed herself when her sailor fiance, beleived dead, turned up after she had married his father. £55.00
BREATH by Nikki Atkin-Reeves. 4/5F, 2/3M. approx 20 mins. physically based piece which uses fairy-stories and nursery rhymes to explore the issue of stalking. £55.00
CHANCE OF A LIFETIME by Jo Hardy. 3F + 1/2M, or 4F + 1 M. approx 20 mins. what if you could just glance at a news page in the future, which shows the winning lottery numbers...? £55.00
*PUNCHING JUDY by Jo Hardy. 2F/1M. a teenage pregnancy ends tragically. accompanied by moving or still projected images and/or puppetry, this is a challenging, thought-provoking piece £55.00
THE REUNION by John Tarrant. 7F, 3M. approx 30 mins. the contrast between the aspirations of a group of pupils and what has happened to them ten years after leaving school. £55.00
VIDEO NASTY by Michael Theodorou. 3F, 7M + extras. approx 45 mins. naturalistic dialogue round youth/street crime, linking it with video violence. includes follow-up work/ resource pack. £60.00

Of the above, most are more suited to GCSE level.
* Could be used at A level. They have sufficient character depth and/or impact through presentation style.

 

Large Cast Plays and Musicals - Festival-length to full-length
[Includes Plays for Younger Students. These are indicated.]

 
Price:
PINOCCHIO by Jeni Whittaker. mixed cast, or single sex. 14 - any number. suit Yrs 5,6 or 7. approx 25 mins. physical theatre re-interpretation of trad. story, including whole cast all the time. £55.00
THE CUCKOO CLOCK by Michael Theodorou. mixed cast 30 plus. adapted from Victorian childrens' book. Suit Years 5,6,7,8. Could involve even younger children. Full - length. Lonely orphan Griselda is shown a magical world by the cuckoo clock. £95.00
TONTINE by Marsali Taylor. 14F / 3M. approx 35 mins. the appalling facts about the young women who worked in the French silk manufacturing businesses in the 18th century. £60.00
BULLY FOR YOU by John Tarrant. mixed cast of 18, could be all F, could be less cast with doubling. approx 40 mins. ages 11 - 14. bullying and how to cope with it. £60.00
A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Michael Theodorou. 9F + 24M or up to 22F + 11M. approx 45 mins. a charming new rendering of the well-known story. ideal for Xmas end of term. £60.00
MONKEY by Damiam Brant. min 2F, 1M +6 either/or. better with larger cast. approx 40 mins. a troop of apes [played as humans with some ape like moves] discover the importance and dangers of individuality. £60.00
ALEXANDER - SON OF THE GODS by Damian Brant. min 6F, 12 M +M/F extras. approx 1hr. story of Alexander the Great, in classical verse style with physical theatre opportunities. £65.00
SHEHEREZADE by Jeni Whittaker. 41 mixed cast speaking cast, much doubling possible. suit Yrs 7/8. approx 1hr. how our heroine tricks her husband to save her life through telling stories [Arabian Nights]. £65.00
WAITING by Nikki Atkin-Reeves. mixed cast, min. 18, of which at least 6M. approx 1hr. teen and life issues in a physical theatre format - waiting for life, death, good or bad news, or just queuing! £65.00
WHY MUST I BE A TEENAGER IN LOVE? by Michael Hatfield. - mixed cast of 31, doubling possible. approx 1hr. fun script about gangs, acceptance, boy-girl stuff and rock'n'roll! £65.00
THE DEVIL IN THE SHADOWS by Andrew Shakeshaft. all M cast. min 15 M + extras. approx 1hr. suit Yrs 8/9. different `take' on the Grendel/Beowulf story. mix of drama, physical theatre poss. and humour. £65.00
GHOSTHUNTERS by Jeni Whittaker. - 55 speaking parts, mixed or single sex [orig. for M], doubling poss. approx 1hr. suit Yrs 6/7. 5 plays within play. spoofs Harry Potter, James Bond etc. £65.00
THE CHANGELING PRINCESS by Marsali Taylor. 38 or more mixed cast, can double. full length. suit Yrs 6/7/8/9. humorous fun panto-style play without lovey-dovey bits. £90.00
ADVENTURE ON ALGENIB by Marsali Taylor. - 44 or more mixed cast, can double. full length. suit Yrs 5/6/7. astronaut explorers think they are the most advanced beings in space - but are they? £85.00
MARKED by Nikki Atkin-Reeves. 18F, min 6M with doubling. full length. explores attitudes to the mentally disturbed and care in the community. thoughtful, often funny. strong characters. £95.00
SHADOWS OF AN OUTLAW by Andy Limd and Roy Civil [music]. 30 plus mixed cast. full length musical. wheel-chair bound Wild West outlaw sends his 3 daughters to complete his unfinished taks... £120.00
FAMOUS AND FORGOTTEN by Andrew Colley and Fiona Ross [music]. 20 plus mixed cast. full length docu - musical. true story of a Preston ladies' football team team in the First World War. £120.00
DRACULA by Michael Theodorou. up to 40 mixed cast, min. 6F / 7M with extras. full length play. seroius adaptation of the original Bram Stoker novel. needs strong technical effects. £95.00
LYSISTRATA by Michael Theodorou. 12F / 9M, + chorus of men and chorus of women. full length play. an accessible modern English version of Aristophanes' original. Fun, lively and lewd! £95.00
THE VILLAGE THAT KILLED A MAN by Michael Hatfield. min 1OF / 13M or more. full length play. strong, physical a, passionate - and often funny adaptation of 'Fuente Ovejuna' by Lope de Vega. £95.00
SINDERELLA, QUEEN OF THE NIGHT by Chris Walker. mixed cast of between 37-50! can be just 3M, the rest F. very good fun Vampire version of Cinderella story with a difference - a spoof. £95.00

Postage & Packing is included in the prices shown above.

 

Further Questions Answered

Before I commit so much money, how do I know what I am getting and whether it will be suitable?
Click the title of any play on this website and you will receive:
cast list; character notes; an idea of what the play is about and its themes; sample pages of script from different parts of the play and sample pages of production notes.

Will Exam Boards accept these plays as texts in a scripted performance examination?
The answer is 'Yes.' These plays are 'published' by DRAMAWORKS. All of the plays accepted - and they are chosen carefully from the many sent by teachers - have been performed successfully [so we know they work] and many have won awards in festivals for new scripts.

Are more plays needed?
YES!! Please keep sending them to me. We need plenty more - especially plays for single-sex casts, short and full-length.

Most questions will be answered if you look at the details given for each play. Otherwise, Jeni will be happy to answer questions if you e-mail, write or ring.

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