Bøker i Acting Edition-serien

Nigel Sheridan's suburban life is, superficially, idyllic. He has an attractive wife; bright, well-behaved teenage children; a pleasant house; peace and stability ... But for several years Nigel has harboured a secret, and today his wife Eve has discovered it. How will the family survive the revelation that Nigel is having an affair in this intense, caustic drama?

It is 1950 and revolution has swept a country and now reached a mission station which cares for children. A new Communist government has taken over and there has been persecution of Nuns and Priests throughout the province. The Mission has been cut off from the local village and the orphaned children have been removed. The British Consul, together with his wife Ruth visits the Mission, both have a deep-seated dislike of Germans because of their son's death in the Second World War. A letter arrives from Mei Cheng the governing General of the province addressed to Sister Magdalen. This elderly Nun looked after Mei Cheng when he was an orphaned boy many years previously and is the Generals Godmother. | 6 women, 3 men

One of four plays by the late English actress, writer and dramatist, Mary Hayley Bell, Duet for Two Hands ran on Broadway in 1947. A classic thriller about a pioneering surgeon and the sinister results of his work.

The new vicar has transformed the vicarage with his flair for interior design. One of the village spinsters, Hester Byfield makes it plain that she is interested in him - romantically - but she is spurned. One of the village girls comes to see him and says that she is pregnant and ne'er do well teenager Larry is the father. after leaving the vicarage she sees Larry in the arms of the vicar's maid and distraught steps in front of an oncoming lorry and is killed. The vicar invites Larry over to the vicarage and tells him that he holds him responsible for the girl's death. Larry is in a dishevelled state as he has been fighting. | 4 women, 5 men

In a tatty provincial theatre "Fecund" is being staged. This comedy introduces us to those involved: from the stage manager (with a blinding hangover); to the leading actors (from the bitter to the plain incompetent) and others. The second act focuses on the audience, an equally mixed group.

Doris Wallace, bitchy queen of the tabloid press, is on the verge of a glorious venture in TV. She's not going to let anything get in her way, not even the "silly cow" suing her for libel. Any skeletons she may have in her cupboard are, like her bondage gear, firmly locked up - or so she thinks.

Performed at the Edinburgh Festival as the Coarse Acting Show.

Features ten plays, which have been selected from the BT National Connections scheme, in which some contemporary playwrights in the UK and Europe were commissioned by the Royal National Theatre to produce original drama specifically for young people. The scripts are specifically written for 11-16+.

The Affair is a 1962 play by Ronald Millar based on the novel by C.P. Snow. A group of professors at Cambridge University try to hire an old colleague back even though they all don't like him, they all agree he was dismissed unfairly.

Henry Miles suspects that his wife Sarah is having an affair, and asks his friend Maurice to contact a private investigator on his behalf. However, Maurice was once Sarah's lover and wants to know if she was unfaithful to him too. This adaptation unravels Maurice's story in a series of flashbacks.

Set in the Beverly Hills home of Oscar winning movie director Bruce Delamitri, Popcorn is a satirical comedy thriller with the firepower of a hit squad. When notorious killers Wayne and Scout interrupt Bruce's passionate introduction to Brooke Daniels, a nude model and actress, they want more than an autograph from their cinematic idol. Wayne intends to use Bruce's "art" as justification for murder. Events are disrupted by the arrival of Bruce's soon to be ex wife and spoiled teenage daughter and his producer. However, Wayne means to succeed whatever the cost.5 women, 4 men

Flora Poste, orphaned at twenty, decides to go and live with her relatives at Cold Comfort Farm. Once there she discovers they exist in a state of chaos and feels it is up to her to bring order.

This clever satire explores the Four Ages of Man from a modern perspective using dialogue, songs, dances and mime. A voyage of discovery that freely pokes fun at the styles and pretensions of theatre, this tongue in cheek piece is ideal for adventurous groups.|Large flexible cast

Following their adventures in Utter Garbage, Dumpster, an idealistic young rat, and his sensible Uncle Binlid live happily in a clean city park, until the reappearance of Lord Vermin and his vile helpers. But Drumpster wants to look at the stars and soon the good rats are building a spaceship from rubbish. Propelled into space by the child-people in the audience, they meet Volga Ratskaya, a space laboratory rat. But they must battle with Lord Vermin before they can return safely.Large flexible cast

"Based on characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle"--Cover.

One night Stephen Barlow invites one of his young pupils home for additional tutoring. There is an evident bond between them; his is one of regard, and hers is one of admiration. But Stephen's wife, Grace, misreads the bond, and persuades herself that the two are in love. The sudden prospect of losing her husband's love to a young girl leads her to a cruel attack upon the girl, who is mortally embarrassed and conscience stricken. She runs away into the night. Stephen goes after her, but is not able to find her. Days pass, and there is no sign of her. The police drag the river and search every corner. Stephen is openly suspected of having seduced and murdered the girl.8 women, 2 men

All the tragic majesty of Thomas Hardy's celebrated novel is captured in this arresting and theatrically exciting adaptation, narrated by a masked Chorus in the style of Greek tragedy (Hardy's favoured form of theatre) and using songs to counterpoint and underline the action. Michael Fry's adaptation provides a clear and thrilling experience and an enlightening and fascinating re-evaluation of a familiar text.Large flexible cast

The peaceful atmosphere of a hotel on the Italian Riviera is shattered by the arrival of Agatha, an outspoken widow, and her timid sister, Fiona. Agatha crushes all protests as she rounds up the guests into communal games, her unflagging spirit of togetherness invading the private lives of the other characters. All the ingredients of package holidays, late flights, double bookings, foreign food etc. - provide an evening of uproarious and innocent fun.4 women, 3 men

This clever spin off of The House of Frankenstein finds the Baron, Baroness and their repulsive retainers, Igor and Frau Lurker, going to stay at a macabre Transylvania fortress. Excitement turns to terror when they are greeted by more than a few of their mortal (and immortal) enemies. They are to take part in an unholy survival test involving ghouls, ghosts and the fiendish Dr. Jekyll. The Frankensteins flee from cellar to attic, desperate to escape a fate worse than death!-5 women, 7 men

Flora Crewe, an unconventional, young English poet living in India in 1930, is having her portrait painted by local artist Nairad Das and writing letters home to her sister Nell. Intermittent scenes, which are set in England in 1980, focus on Nell as she sorts through the cherished letters to aid Flora's would be biographer, Eldon Pike. Within this context, Indian Ink weaves a captivating, whimsical love story that underscores aspects of relationships between cultures and between the sexes that are indelible.-4 women, 14 men

Baron Victor Von Frankenstein, bored with his attempts to give life to the lifeless, has turned his attention to curing the supposedly incurable! In a grim castle in the Carpathian Mountains he and his long suffering wife Elisabeth, the unsavory hunchback Ygor, the Valkyrian Frau Lurker and the Monster play host to various mysterious and menacing denizens of the night (invited or otherwise) who visit the Baron to beg him to rid them of their vices. But this challenge, although a welcome diversion for the headstrong young scientist, proves to be no picnic ... more of a living nightmare! A highly entertaining wise cracking comedy horror!-4 women, 6 men

Alexandre Dumas's yarn of those famous swashbucklers, Porthos, Aramis, Athos, and D'artagnan has been transplanted into pantoland. With the Musketeers re-cast a a bevy of thigh-slapping lovelies, a host of hissable villains, this adaptation offers a colourful new setting for this classic tale.

Gerald Coates wife, Babs, arrives home drunk from a day racing with a disreputable man. She is always getting drunk. They argue and in the struggle she is stabbed to death. Gerald panics and hides the body.3 women, 6 men

Tony accepts the situation somewhat philosophically, but his American fiancee, June, has other ideas. When she learns that there is to be a by-election - Cleghorn having been raised to the peerage - she secretly puts up the deposit money and gets the butler nominated as the Conservative candidate. She also breaks her engagement to Tony, who has decided to contest the seat again, this time as a Socialist, and who turns to Bessie the pretty parlourmaid for consolation. Beecham wins the seat, and Tony announces his intended marriage to Bessie. As the new M.P., Beecham applies for the Chiltern Hundreds and happily resumes his job of butler, revealing his love for Bessie, who promises to be his wife.4 women, 4 men

In "Theft", Chappell's comedy-thriller, two seemingly happy marriages and one formerly strong friendship are destroyed by the burglar with his own brand of subversive observation. This play is packed with one-liners, daring reversals and comments on marriage, money, and crime.

When their father dies, the Dashwood girls are forced to move to a Devon cottage. They are befriended by Aunt Jennings who determines to find them husbands. Marianne, trusting her sensibliities falls for the dashing Willoughby, while Elinor applies her sense to her feelings for Edward Ferrars.