Meet Our Authors
David Collard
Henry VII
Inventing the Truth - Shelley v Trelawny
The Last Will and Testament of Roger Edwards - Gentleman
David Collard graduated from Cambridge and was a professor of economics at Bath for many years. His publications include Altruism and Economy (1978) and Generations of Economics (2010). After retirement he got involved in a spectacular Son et Lumiere production in Usk Castle and then in amateur dramatics. Henry VII is his first major play. David is co-editor of A Companion to Alfred Russel Wallace (2019), the famous biologist born in Usk. A smallholder, he keeps a few sheep and ducks on a steep Welsh hillside. He is married with one daughter, three grandchildren and one great grandchild.
SCAREDY CAT
by
Kieron Toner
Kieron has been involved in amateur theatre for nearly forty years, principally as an actor. In more recent years he has directed several productions including 'The Lion In Winter', 'Katherine Howard', 'The Deep Blue Sea', 'The Memory of Water', 'Frankenstein', '1984' and 'Cider with Rosie'. He was the chairman of his theatre group for nearly ten years.
His first move into script writing was his adaptation of the Bram Stoker classic 'Dracula' which will be presented by his theatre group as its main October production in 2024. He found he enjoyed the experience and so decided to write a little more.
Kei Bailey
Lydia Hector the Word Collector
Where the Mushrooms Grow
Aladdin
Clever Clogs
The Curse of the Mummy's Mummy
Samantha Strewth, Super Sleuth
Mother Goose
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Never Ever After
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Kei studied Theatre, Film and English Literature at university in York, graduating in 1999. Since then he has worked on numerous theatre productions and projects; directing, writing and acting with a variety of organisations, including the BBC’s Shakespeare for Schools Festival, Sheringham Little Theatre, Liverpool Empire, Grimsby Auditorium, Stamford Arts Centre and Hebden Bridge Little Theatre. He spent five years as Production Director at Blackfriars Arts Centre in Boston, where he wrote and directed their in-house professional, community and youth theatre. He has written a large number of pantomimes and plays for amateur companies and youth theatres across the country.
Gerry Jones
Women Behaving Badly
Aladdin
I have a medical background, microbiology, cardiology and digital medical imaging, which is of no use what so ever when writing pantomimes. To date I have written about 8 or 9 pantos, one farce, and in the middle of a world war 2 play, with only two characters.
I have lived in Southam near Cheltenham, for 5 years and founded SouthAM DRAM Group in our small village, with some of the profits from the pantos going to The James Hopkins Trust for children with life limiting conditions. So far we have raised over £5,000 for them with just 3 pantos. I am married to Paul, 30 years to date and have 3 children and 5 grandchildren
Happy Ever After
Calamity
Another Calamity
Stephen Rockell
Stephen has been involved in theatre for over 20 years, he has performed in an extensive range of theatre productions and also worked in television and film.
Having started on stage as a boy, he has gone on to perform many leading roles in a variety of genres. He has written and directed productions which have all received rave reviews from local press and audiences alike.
His most successful script to date is his Pantomime; "Happy Ever After," which was first performed in 2010 to sell out audiences throughout.
Mattie Lennon
My Kerry Hill
A Wolf by the Ears
In the Hut
Mattie Lennon was born on January 10th at Kylebeg, near Blessington County Wicklow, on a small farm. He would later say that it was so small, “We could bring it in when it rained.” He spent the first 25 years of his life there and then Dublin city called. He worked in construction for a couple of years and then spent thirty seven years employed by CIE, the national transport company.
He started writing doggerel, ballads and articles almost sixty years ago. Over the years he has written songs, essays and a couple of plays. He has compiled and presented numerous radio programmes on different stations and has brought out a CD of Seanachai stories. He has edited two collections of transport workers’ writings and produced a DVD, Sunrise on the Wicklow Hills.
His only advice to aspiring writers is, “The only people who make money out of writing are those who write ransom notes.”
Peter Nixon
Say Goodbye to Satchwell Road
Satchwell Road Can Take It
Dark Stairway
Born in deepest Essex, Peter was educated at Christ’s Hospital and Exeter University, where he studied Medieval History and Archaeology, before embarking on a career in education during which he wrote and directed numerous plays for young people. Now retired he still writes plays as well as pursuing a lifelong ambition to read James Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake” and write a ‘plainer’ version of the labyrinthine text to help others do the same. He now lives in the Garden of England, Kent, with his wife, Lyn, where they tend their own garden and pursue an absorbing interest in folk dancing.
Martin Gore
He's Behind You
When I was nine years old I told my long-suffering mother that as I liked English composition and drama I was going to be a Playwright. She told me that I should work hard at school and get a proper job. She was right of course.
The opportunity to rekindle my interest in writing came in 2009, when I wrote my first pantomime Cinderella, for my home group, the Walkington Pantomime Players.
I love theatre, particularly musical theatre, and completed the Hull Truck Theatre Playwright course in 2010. My first play, a comedy called He’s Behind You, had its first highly successful showing in 2016.
As a writer though my focus is on the audience. Be it a play or a novel I’m an old fashioned writer I guess. I want you to laugh and to cry. I want you to feel that my stories have a beginning, a middle, and a satisfactory ending. When I write I seem to disappear into another world and become completely self-absorbed. It’s a great feeling.
Robert Duncan
Rainland
Cinderella
Beauty and the Beastie
Robert Duncan is cartoonist, painter and writer.
He has written several plays and pantomimes, using the talented Thame Players as a starting point. The first of these was the musical Leonardo, which he wrote with Gordon Waller of Peter and Gordon (number one in 1964 with World Without Love.)
His comedy play Cluedo toured the country to great effect and still holds the all-time box office record at the Theatre Royal Windsor. He has recently adapted Cluedo into CUT!
He has designed over 2500 greeting cards, notably the world bestselling Not Particularly Orange range.
His animated four minute movie based on Edward Lear's The Jumblies has won awards for Best Animation In Austria, Colorado USA, St.Petersburg, and the IAC Film and Video Institute. See it on YouTube.
He spends every day drawing cartoons and writing stuff, and occasionally surprises himself by creating a masterpiece…
Philip Joyner
Pale Primroses
The Primrose and the Thorn
Phil Joyner has been involved in theatrical projects all his life. As a teacher of children with special needs, he created many plays and productions. He also performed on stage himself playing such roles as John Merrick in “The Elephant Man” and Fagin in “Oliver”. Now retired he lives in Bristol where he is an active member of two theatre companies.
Charlie Marx
What If?
The Star Gang
The Truth in Her Lies
Sheerluck and the Case of the Missing Case
Invisible
Fairytale
It's All Greek to Me
Changes
A Christmas Caroline
Peter Pan - The Pantomime
The Ghost Writer
All Rise for the Queen
Cinderella
Last Stop
Last Stop II the Empire's Bad Back
The Common Guy
The Committee
Charlie Marx was born on April 27th 1973 in Glasgow.
He left school at 15 and decided to be a Rock Star but quit because he didn’t like the hours. In his mid-twenties he decided to write a play and since then he believes that one day he may just finish it.
Charlie went on to study, English, Psychology and Media gaining a BA.
Having written over 100 plays, musicals and screenplays, he also has published novels; “The Atheist’s Guide To Heaven & Hell”, “Chutzpah”, “Give Me A Job You Ba***rd!”.
Charlie’s plays have been produced in some of the biggest theatres in Scotland and been responsible for many best selling shows and pantomimes, original and adaptations of classics.
Charlie is a very fast writer and usually writes the spine of a play in a week and has written for specific theatre groups according to their casting abilities and genre choices.
Charlie lives in Scotland with his Hungarian writer girlfriend and their Romanian dog Gypsy and continues to write.
Todd Geren
I Am Little Lee: A Child with Rett Syndrome
Todd Geren is the Fine Arts Director at Fannin County High School in Blue Ridge, Georgia, USA. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Teacher Leadership at Kennesaw State University. Todd co-authored a novel,The Quiet Storm, with Dominic Silvani. Todd has produced over thirty plays for his acting troupe, “The Rebellion”, including Little Shop of Horrors and Fallout: Macbeth. His stage roles include The Teen Angel (Grease), and Reverend Hale (The Crucible). He was Joshua Gardner in the Cinemarr film Bell Witch: The Movie. Todd has a wife, Beth, and two children - his son, Christian, and his daughter Hannah, the inspiration for his debut play I Am Little Lee: A Child with Rett Syndrome.
Alexander K Whittington
Purgatory Hotel
Alexander Whittington is a Theatre Education Major at Northwest Missouri State University. His plays of choice are plays that feature small casts and binding between cast mates. Alex hopes to get his theatre degree and teach high school. Alex writes plays in the hope you feel sadness as much as hope. Alex has had dreams of being a playwright for years. His biggest dream is to see one of his plays in a fully realized production. Alex hopes you enjoy his writing!
Tarquin Shaw-Young
Notta Lottery
A Star is Born
Snowmageddon
Murderous Intent
Luke Warm
Tarquin began working for The Stagecoach Talent Agency in 2000 running their drama audition workshops. Since then he has probably auditioned well over 30,000 students.
Tarquin’s early work in theatre allowed him to play a wide range of roles, with several weekly rep seasons at Sidmouth, four years for Jill Freud at Southwold Rep and pantos at Chipping Norton.
Tarquin has also written the successful farces Notta Lottery, Luke Warm, Snowmageddon, the supernatural thrillers Murderous Intent, Murder by Deception, Blood on the Canvas and for children,The Hound of Music, Dick Whittington and the children’s book Captain Kiwi and The Possum Pirates.
Brian C Petti
The Love Song of Sidney J. Stein
Brian C. Petti is an award-winning playwright who has been produced internationally by such companies as Ten Grand Productions, Theatre of NOTE and 5th Wall Productions. THE LOVE SONG OF SIDNEY J. STEIN was part of the NYC Fresh Fruit Festival and it was the winner of Las Vegas Little Theatre New Works Competition. LIKE DROWNING was produced by 5th Wall Productions in Charleston, SC, and HEROINES had its world premiere at Cornerstone Theatre Arts in Goshen, NY.
Roger Goddard
Fifty Shades of Beige
A Darker Shade of Beige
Last Tango in Redditch
Cold Meat
Back to the Present
Jung at Heart
Vlad the Impaler (The Real Dracula)
Whine of Duty
Roger Goddard has been involved in amateur dramatics for over 40 years, working in all aspects of the theatre and during that time has written a number of very successful one-act plays. However, it wasn't until he retired in 2006 that he began writing full-length plays. The first of these, "Fifty Shades of Beige", was so well received that he was encouraged to write further plays and these too have been successfully performed.
Roger's usual modus operandi is comedy but he likes to tackle serious subjects and finds that using comedy is a good way to provoke thought and debate on sometimes difficult matters.
Robert Dodge
For a Day
Born 1954 in America. I have been involved with theater since I was sixteen. My first play I was cast as Renfield in the play Dracula. Since then I have performed in many plays in California and Oregon. I even had a running part as Uncle Bob in a live radio comedy called, The Lucky Jim Fishing Show.
I always enjoyed theater; however, I have been diagnosed with a neurological condition that weakens my muscles and prevents me from standing for long periods of time. Therefore, at sixty-four and preparing to retire, I have decided to write for stage. To date I have written two complete, two-act plays and six ten-minute plays. There are many more that are in the works. I enjoy writing and hope to keep busy, wishing my plays will be enjoyed by audiences worldwide.
StratonRushing
Some Sunny Day
Straton Rushing is a playwright and actor pursuing currently based out of the Dallas, Texas area. In 2019 he has the pleasure of being invited to the Kennedy Center’s Playwriting Intensive. His plays have been produced by the Maverick Theatre Company, the Drama Desk-Nominated Emerging Artist’s Theatre, SceneShop Productions, The Guinea Pig, Nouveau 47 at the Margo Jones Theatre, The Player’s Theatre, TheatreWorks New Milford, Camp Death Productions and several other companies around the USA. He has had the pleasure of teaching various facets of theatre with BareBones Shakespeare, Arlington Public Libraries, and the Muse Theatre Workshop.
Barry Levy
All Together Now
Barry has been involved in theatre for over 30 years ranging from pantomimes to musicals and everything in between. Having started performing at the age of 8 in smaller roles, he gradually developed to perform larger roles in several productions.
At the age of 17 he co-wrote and produced his first pantomime Ali Baba & The 40 Thieves and then went on to write more pantomimes including The Son of Robin Hood, Snow White & The Warriors Kingdom.
At the present moment he runs a community theatre group based in Liverpool called City Theatre. The first production was the newest script he has written which was the comedy play called All Together Now; which he also directed.
Matthew Konkel
The Secret of Light
Matthew was born without warning-- a sword of revelry in one hand and a word processor in the other. In the following years he put both to recommended and discouraged use and today considers himself a man of many dispositions. No, you don't. Yes, I do.
Matthew's plays have been produced nationally and internationally by theater companies including Eager Risk Theatre, Open Space Arts, Edmonds Driftwood Players, Milwaukee Entertainment Group, Organised Chaos Productions, Over Our Head Players, and Screaming Media Gi60.
He is also an award winning film-producer and screenwriter. His feature film Neptune from Last House Productions was an Official Selection of the 2016 Slamdance Film Festival.
Alan D. Maislen
Blues for Caliban
Rimbaud at Midnight
Side Effects
Alan Maislen’s farce about impure Puritans--Hystorical: A Comedy of Eras—was a finalist in the 2017 New York New Works Theatre Festival, held at the Duke on Broadway & 42nd. His musical comedy, Y in the World, a history of the YMCA, debuted in the maiden season of Hartford, CT’s Belding Theater. His humor has been featured in Rolling Stone: In Search of Historic Elvis. In 2018, his short story Incontinence won honorable mention in the Mark Twain House Royal Nonesuch Humor Competition. He haunts West Hartford, Connecticut. He is an Old Dunelmian. Salman Rushdie once quoted him (unwittingly). And Frank Zappa named his daughter.
Derek Kannemeyer
The Play of Gilgamesh
I
Derek Kannemeyer was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and grew up at the outskirts of London, but he has lived most of his adult life in Richmond, Virginia, where he has been a career teacher of French and English, a professional actor, and a working writer. His work has appeared in scores of publications from Fiction International to Rolling Stone. He was recently the winner of the inaugural Blue Nib poetry chapbook contest, and his new poetry collection Mutt Spirituals is forthcoming from San Francisco Bay Press.
The credit for the attached head shot goes to my wife, Sally Kannemeyer.
Peter Cowlam
The Two Gentlewomen of Dover
Peter Cowlam studied Performance Writing at Dartington College of Arts. He has had plays performed at the Barbican Theatre, Plymouth, and by the Dartington Playgoers, and has had readings at the Theatre West 100 Plays project in Bristol. He is also a novelist, winning the Quagga Prize for Literary Fiction twice (in 2015 and 2018).
Lizzie Maxwell
Mediocre Millie Gets her Happy
LIZZIE MAXWELL began her career in show business as a teenager through a Readers
and Playwriting group (RAPT). After winning prizes and honorable mentions for her
plays “Just Bring Me One Rose” and “Chocolates for Sasha”, she began to produce a comedy club.
Fueled by her success in writing and hosting, and with degrees in Radio and TV and Psychology, she headed west to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. She
pursued this with a fervor and has been seen on ER, LA Law, Unsolved Mysteries,
General Hospital, and many TV movies.
She later wrote and published a support guide for actors “Little Fish In A Big Pond”
which was a segue back to her earlier dreams of writing.
Most recently, in 2019, Lizzie wrote and directed “The Perils of Perfume”. You can view that movie and more on You Tube.
Dan Borengasser
The Canterbury Tales Revisited
Many of my plays have been produced or have received staged readings. Three plays –
A.R@Uni.Gov, The Kindness of Strangers, and Sense & Insensibility – have been published. My plays have been produced in theatres across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, as well as in Canada, Mexico, India, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Several
short screenplays have been produced as well as a feature length film I helped write, titled The
Donor Conspiracy. Three radio plays have been produced and broadcast nationally.
Heather Powell
DANA
Rainbows are Real
Morning Musings
Heather Powell was born in Dalkey, Co. Dublin and attended Dublin College of Art. She has enjoyed a life-long involvement with amateur theatre – both on stage and off. Having travelled the world extensively and working in Africa through the 1970s, Heather moved to Australia in 1990 where she now lives in Bateman’s Bay, NSW. Her writing has attracted considerable critical acclaim and she bases it all on her philosophy of ‘Laughter is (literally) the best medicine’.
TIM TYLER
The Lions In Winter
Tim Tyler has been writing for many years now (screenplays and plays), yea, more years than his arthritic memory can remember. Although some of his works have placed highly in writing contests across this great land of ours, he has yet to make any significant money from his efforts. But who’s in it for the money? Not Tim. As if constantly being rejected by the most powerful agents and biggest names in entertainment isn't enough, Tim also seeks more abuse by doing stand-up comedy from time to time. The good news is, you won't be seeing him on "Letterman" any time soon.
Sonya Shaw
The Book Club
Jane Eyre
Edinburgh born Sonya Shaw has had a life long love affair with the theatre both by acting and writing for it along the way.
One of her favourite parts was Miss Jean Brodie where she played the lead. One dream fulfilled: the other was to play the cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. She enjoyed it but her two children were mightily embarrassed at the sight of their mother in full fur lion outfit.!
Jane Eyre has been one of her favourite books since she first read it aged twelve and Mr. Rochester her second love after Mr. Darcy.
Christina Hamlett
She Sails Sea Ships
Far From the Seashore
Lights! Camera! Date!
The Girl From Schenectady
Talking Teens (A Collection of 10 Monologues)
Talking Teens 2 (collection of 10 Monologues)
Fancy Meeting You Here
A Tale of Two Balconies
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Just Say Yes Already
Tempest in a Teapot
Waiting up for Darcy
A Troupe of Tropes
Home is Where the Hearts Are
Ladies First (A Collection of 10 monologues for women)
The Great Gatsby Revisited
The Girl Next Door Moved Away
Cheering Section
Betwixt and Between
The Accidental Empress
Duets (a collection of duologues)
Remembered (a collection of monologues)
Former actress and theatre director Christina Hamlett is an award-winning author and playwright whose credits include 43 books, 213 plays, 5 optioned feature films, and squillions of articles/interviews on the performing arts. She holds a degree in Communications with an emphasis on Audience Analysis and Message Design, an area of specialization which has allowed her to work in all aspects of media relations. She’s also a script consultant for stage and screen, an online instructor in playwriting and screenwriting, and a professional ghostwriter with an international clientele. Christina and her gourmet chef husband reside in the United States.
Andy Isca
Barnyard Tails
Andy Isca was born in New York City and is a long-time resident of Louisiana. He is a retired public school music educator, during which time he developed some of the highest rated small school band programs in the Southern US. He is currently a music instructor for Louisiana Delta Community College.
Dr. Isca is often invited to be a guest conductor and clinician for school and community bands and isconsidered an authority on the subject of adult community bands. Aside from his career in music education he has an extensive background in musical theatre, and has been both music director and conductor on many theatrical projects. Dr. Isca is also an active composer, with many published
compositions to his name.
Paul Symonloe
Bemused
Paul is an English-born writer of stage-plays and novels. He has also produced (but not published) a series of satirical drawings, “From the Playful to the Grave”. Paul
grew up in a serious academic family; his father was a Czech-Jewish refugee, and his mother a kindly, atypical Englishwoman. To everyone’s surprise (including his own) he gained an English Literature and Linguistics degree from London University. He admires the timeless - tragi-comic - genius of John Sullivan, creator of 'Only Fools and Horses'. Along with Sullivan, Jane Austen tops his list of rare humans whose gift it is to both understand human nature and transmit their understanding effortlessly to others.
BD Boudreaux
Barnyard Tails
B D Boudreaux is from the Bayou Barataria area south of New Orleans. The offspring of a family of Cajuns on one side and sailors and riverboat men on the other, he has traveled far and learned much. Along the way he has been an actor, singer, musician, radio dj, TV Weatherman, cook, sailor, NBC Page and New Christy Minstrel. He is also the Founder and First Non-Prophet of Cajun Zen, whose philosophy of Laissez les bon temps rouler has been his guide along the way.
Jim Geoghan
The Subway Sandwich Trilogy
Only Kidding ran off-Broadway for two years. Nominated for two Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding New Play.
Light Sensitive premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, nominated for the Jefferson Theatre Award in Chicago.
Two Gentlemen of Corona premiered at the West Coast Ensemble in Los Angeles. Winner of two Los Angeles Ovation Awards.
The King of City Island opened simultaneously at the San Jose Stage Company and Theatre East in Los Angeles
Ug, the Caveman Musical, book and lyrics.
Beehive on Broadway, book.
Member of the Actor’s Studio Playwrights Lab.
Creator of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Suite Life on Deck at the Disney Channel. Two-time Emmy nominee.
Devin Gifford
Spy Fry
Devin lives in North Yarmouth, Maine. Her debut play, Spy Fry, is an action comedy written for her town’s community theatre. As well as writing the script, she starred in the production and helped direct it. She has participated in community theatre for eight years, and she loves to be involved in all parts of a show. Although this is her first stage play, she is an experienced fiction writer with two published books available on Amazon. Currently, she is working on her third work, a young adult fiction novel. She was selected as A Young Emerging Author by The Telling Room in Portland, Maine, and her next book will release in the summer of 2020.
Peter Gill
Meet Tommy Atkins
Peter was born and raised in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. His first published works were of local, historical interest commencing with Cheltenham at War in 1994. Peter has been writing and producing for the theatre stage for the last twenty years - many of his productions he has performed in and continues to tour with. Amongst his successes are The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, Seance, Talbot House - a home from home, and Meet Tommy Atkins. The last two of these are inspired by his passionate interest in the Great War of 1914 - 1919.
Peter is also one of the UK's most experienced piano/vocalists and spends much of his work life touring the country in a variety of theatre shows which include: Politically Incorrect -
The Songs of Tom Lehrer, An Evening with the Wit and Songs of Noel Coward, The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, alongside Anita Harris as her Musical Director, and of course in Meet Tommy Atkins.
T.R. Biggar
Medium Rare
Night Class
TR Biggar has been involved in theatre for most of her life as an actor anda playwright. She has had several plays produced by various theatre groups.
She lives in Canada where she has written for many and various performance venues including a sketch comedy troupe, a radio comedy entitled The Walloon Show and Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre. TR has also had several short stories published in literary journals and anthologies.
Kathleen Maule Holen
Adventures on a Flying Swing
The Giant Gurgling Glob Bread Monster
Three Cats for Christmas
Broom, Book and Cackle
Kathleen Maule Holen is a retired nurse practitioner and a practicing professional archaeologist. While in Community Theatre for over five years as an actor, writer and director she has written four plays, A Mammoth in Harmes Way, Woodstock Reunion, He’s Not Santa, He’s My Roommate and The First Step. Two plays, Woodstock Reunion and A Chicken Fried Murder have recently been published. An Adventure on a Flying Swing and The Giant Gurgling Glob Bread Monster are her first children’s plays. They were written with the aim of reaching a wider audience. She values creative writing, and especially live theater, in bringing people together through humor.
Craig osborne
Free Range
From an ex holiday camp entertainer to manager of Worcestershire’s largest animal charity hospital, Derbyshire born Craig Osborne has had many different roles in his life. He has always loved the creative process, from photography to graphic design and he is award-winning and published in both genres. Over the last couple of years he has been part of the local amature theatre. He says a ' bucket list’ thing to do really, though he found he could develop his creative side through the genre of writing. Working with a menagerie of animals and people within his work, gave him the inspiration to write his debut play ‘Free Range’.
Mark Billen
The Love for Three Oranges
Aladdin's Arabian Nightmare
The Red King
Beastly Baron Counterblast
Mark Billen is an accomplished playwright who specialises in writing plays for young people to perform. His scripts have been highly praised for their suitability for schools and youth drama groups. Mark's plays have been performed in UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and in international schools in Germany, Luxembourg, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Singapore, Ethiopia and China.
Mark has also written books for younger readers sold in aid of Action for Children and some books of short stories.
Les Epstein
Llorona of the River
Les Epstein is a teacher, writer, director and an actor, having worked with theatres and academic institutions throughout Ohio, New York, Virginia and North Carolina. He served as Director of Education for Opera/Columbus for ten seasons and seven as Executive Director for the Children’s Theatre of Winston-Salem. Currently, he is the Chair of the Department of Theatre for Community High School of Arts & Academics in Roanoke, VA.His plays and operas have been performed in over ten different states including a recent premiere of “Rising Possum Blossom at the Roy Arias Studio Theatre in New York City.
Claudia de Franko
Llorona of the River
CLAUDIA DE FRANKO is a native of Mexico City, who came to Roanoke 17 years ago to work for Hollins University as an Assistant in the Department of Foreign Languages. Claudia earned her B.A. from Hollins with a double major in Studio Art and Sociology, and has studied French at the National Politechnic Institute in Mexico City and L’Universite de la Sorbonne. She served as a lecturer in Spanish at Hollins for five years, and has taught Spanish and Art at several other institutions for the last 12 years. She is currently finishing a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at Hollins University.
Michael Dittman
The Clear Creek Tract
Michael Dittman lives and works near Pittsburgh in the United States. He is the author of Jack Kerouac; A Biography, Masterpieces of the Beat Generation, and Small Brutal Incidents. His short stories and poetry are widely published. He works extensively with the Lab Theatre Project. He has been awarded grants from Pennsylvania Partners on the Arts and other foundations.
Brian Darnley
The Great Wopperloop
Zzoomerang
Brian trained as teacher of Educational Drama in Newcastle upon Tyne. After
college he joined the acting company of Brian Way’s Theatre Centre, London -
touring to schools throughout the UK. He later established Theatre Roundabout – a
Theatre in Education Company in Durban, South Africa - performing to audiences of all races during apartheid. It was here that he started writing – to provide original material for the theatre company.
He has worked in television, radio and theatre as an actor, presenter, director, writer and teacher. Highlights include coaching at E15 Acting School, playing the lead role in the 35th year of The Mousetrap and appearing in Dr Who.
More recently, he entered the world of Corporate Communications - writing and
directing conferences and video productions. He is a Fellow of Trinity College, London and has an MBA from the University of Reading.
Jerry Seever
Pardoned
Foretaste
O Hear The Angel Voices
Jerry Seever has been married 43 years and currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri. He has three children and six wonderful grandchildren. After graduating from the University of Missouri he has worked over 37 years in the RESCUE ministry helping homeless families across America. He has performed in drama in high school, college, churches and community theater. He has been writing and directing plays since 1984. He is currently 71 years young and is happily retiring from his full time employment in August, 2020 to have more time writing plays and spending time with his loving family.
Bo Bradley
The Red Brick Road - The Untold Story of the Witch of the South
Bo Bradley is an artist and published author. She has published two books, one E-book and several poems. Bo is actively involved in her local Community Theatre and can often be found on stage. Currently Bo has written, co-produced and co-directed a short film that has been submitted to several film festivals. The Red Brick Road is the first play that Bo has endeavored to write. Writing a full length play has given her a new appreciation of all aspects of the theatre, rising to challenges and celebrating with her friends.
Jamie Dare
Tempest in a Teapot
A Wedding and Two Funerals
Waiting up for Darcy
Jamie Dare is a playwright and author whose plays have been produced throughout the United States. She specialises in comedy mashups, with an interest in reimagining classical literature using humour, parody and contemporary cultural references. (Translation: adds jokes to beloved masterpieces). Along with writing partner Christina Hamlett, she co-authored While You Were Out, a chick-lit novel set in London and featuring a heroine who suspects her charismatic new boss might have the power to manipulate time and space. Ms. Dare resides in Southern California with her family. She's thrilled to be part of the Silver Birchington team.
JAY NAGLE
Dracula-la-la
Sticks A Story of a Little Match Girl
As Artistic Director/Choreographer /playwright and Co -Founder for Totally New Theatre, Jay Nagle, with his late partner Dwayne Parks penned over twenty original new musicals, many receiving numerous awards.
Jay now lives in Las Vegas and works with the Smith Centre for the Performing Arts in various teaching artist positions. As a performer, he has had the opportunity to appear at the Lincoln Centre, Broadway, and Off Broadway and in several National tours.
DWAYNE PARKS
Dracula-la-la
Sticks A Story of a Little Match Girl
Dwayne Parks was classically trained on piano and string bass from a young age and also took an interest in singing and acting . He worked at the Burt Reynolds Theatre in Florida,The Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, Radio City Music Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House. While in New York he worked at the famous Ballroom with such famous names as Peggy Lee, Eartha Kitt, Liza Minnelli and many more. Together with Jay Nagle he founded Totally New Theatre. Dwayne died in 2012.
Maisy Beth Crunden
The Story of love
Maisy is a young playwright, actor-musician and composer, with intentions of intertwining the worlds of theatre and music. She is an international award-winning playwright who primarily creates theatre for actor-musicians and youth ensembles, having previously directed numerous original productions with Medway Little Theatre Youth. In 2020 she graduated from East 15 Acting School with a 1st Class Hons and has also trained at GITIS, the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, where she studied the work of Chekov and Pushkin. Her love for writing is also captured through her work as a singer-songwriter, performing regularly across South-East England since age 14.
Owen J Lewis
The Wind May Blow
Owen was born in Lancashire in 1959. He performed his first poetry publicly at the age of six. He rose to prominence in the British Folk Music scene and soon went into radio with both the BBC and local networks. After graduating in ’97 Owen became an Actor and a Teacher. During this time he was writing and watching out for suitable play subjects. The Wind May Blow is Owen’s 12th play to be published and was written for the students of Clacton Coastal Academy. It was first performed at the West Cliff Theatre, Clacton On Sea, Essex.
kim wedler
I Love You Moore
Much ado about muffins
Kim Wedler has been a teacher and globetrotter for over 20 years. Her passion for the Theatre has been a constant, both in her professional and private life. She has performed in over 60 plays and is a NODA award winning actor who, recently was also Barnet Drama Festival’s best Female Lead for two years running.
Her experience on the Stage and behind the scenes has led to her writing a number of plays and monologues. Her work both epitomises - and gives a fresh twist to - the tradition of Great British Comedy.
David Starling
Breakfast in Bed
Dr Dee's Magical Mirror
David Starling lives on the beautiful North Norfolk coast where he works as a class leader at a small, independent school providing specialist teaching for children with autism and communication difficulties. Through his affiliation with a local amateur dramatic company (where he became known as "The Norfolk Olivier" - if only to himself) he began writing plays. After receiving some positive feedback locally, David wondered whether his regional voice might appeal to a wider audience.
Life is a mixture of comedy and tragedy; David tries to reflect this combination of humour and melancholy in his writing.
Paul Sherman
Penny For Your Thoughts
Poor David
The First Valentine
Charlie Cartwright at the Back of Beyond
Paul Sherman has now retired from full-time teaching, and splits his time between writing and directing plays, and running youth theatre workshops.
He has had five books published to date, of which the last ‘Where Seagulls Dare, and other tales from Herm Island’ was launched at the Guernsey Literary Festival May 2010.
His play ‘Kilmainham Kids’, about the children imprisoned in that eponymous Dublin Gaol in the 1850s, premiered at the Barn Theatre, Welwyn Garden City in 2019. He is now working on a play about the surrealist photographer Claude Cahun, who moved to Jersey and led a resistance campaign against the occupying German forces, was arrested, imprisoned and sentenced to death. On the liberation of the Channel Islands, she was released.
Duane Abel
Jelly Jars
Mister Admir-Abel and Family
The Princess Paige
"Duane M. Abel has been creating his comic strip series ZED for weekly newspapers throughout the USA for over 25 years. The feature has been collected into several book collections by Corkey Comics Publishing and GARFIELD creator Jim Davis has proclaimed that "ZED is a comic strip with a lot of heart!" Duane attended college on a theatrical scholarship where he majored in overacting as well as scene stealing. He has brought his student assembly DRAW YOUR DESTINY to over 1,000 elementary schools in the USA and is a "breath of fresh air" speaker at several professional conferences. Away from his drawing board Duane has hosted his own kids television show, appeared in several independent films and has a handful of motion picture screenplays in production. He is married to his college sweetheart Coral, a proud member of the National Cartoonists Society and even prouder dad to two boys. He plans to draw his comic strip for a record 85 years, a feat he will not achieve until his 100th birthday!"
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Chantal Jackson-Barchan
Party People
Chantal’s love of books began at early age with a particular fondness for Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton books. During the first lockdown, she was inspired to write her first children’s story. Jack’s Dream was one of several winners of the Yahoo Stor14s writing contest and was subsequently turned into a podcast narrated by actor Benedict Cumberbatch. She has recently branched into playwriting and is excited to further explore this avenue!
Jane Tipping
Illuminate
Jane Tipping trained as a drama teacher and went on to act with the Travelling Players Theatre Company, based in Newport Gwent, extensively touring schools and community venues in the UK.
She graduated with an MA in Creative Writing at Plymouth University.
The first play she wrote was The Lambing Shed based on the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease. It was directed and performed by the Northcott Theatre Company, Exeter.
The first performance was at the Matford Livestock Centre and then toured throughout rural Devon.
She has written four plays Diafora, Visions, Zennor and Development Matters which have been directed and performed by the Cygnet Theatre, Exeter. She has also provided words and music for Early Years productions.
Jane presently co-hosts spoken word open mic events.
Janet Howson
A Grave Situation
Janet was born in Rochdale and moved to the South of England in 1970. She loved writing poetry from an early age and discovered she loved drama after joining a local theatre group. She trained to be a teacher and taught Drama and English for 35 years in several Comprehensive schools, directing a lot of plays, some of which she wrote herself.
She is now retired and is enjoying writing short stories, plays and poetry, She is published in the anthologies: The Best of CafeLit 8, 9 and 10, Nativity and Mulling it Over, Covid 19: An Extraordinary Time, Aftermath and It Happened in Essex. Her first published book was Charitable Thoughts followed by Dramatic Episodes, All of these publications can be found on Amazon Books.
Colin Barrow
-aka William Dockings
Aladdin - A Pantomime
Cinderella
One Act Pantomime Collection
With over 40 years of theatrical experience, (acting, directing, light, sound, stage management, stage crew, set build, scenery painting, etc, etc,) I have a good knowledge of being 'on stage' as well as, 'behind the scenes'. This experience gives me a great insight to onstage and backstage logistical difficulties at many venues. This I apply to my scripts whether they are plays or pantomimes with the knowledge they will work at almost any venue, with limited or abundant equipment and with any budget. With over 70 scripts published through various publishers, in my own birth name or via a, 'nom to plume' my work over the years has had a successful response in the UK and around the world. My acting has taken me to include 'world premiers' and the opportunity to sit and drink oodles coffee (or maybe something stronger) with many big names in theatre and film. Including Cary Grant who many years ago helped to send me on the path of professional script writing.
Nigel Manson
Estranged Liaisons
Bread and Dripping
Miss Marble Takes a Break
Miss Marble Strikes Again
Nigel Is a family man. he and his wife have 7 children between them. He was Born, bred, lives and works in the undulating countryside along the North Norfolk coast. he shares a family business in the town of Sheringham and has been involved in amateur theatre for thirty plus years. Nigel Spends much of his time in the role of chairperson for the local amateur dramatic group Stage Direct. He enjoys writing, and has written, and has previously had published, a number of plays- mainly comedies, of which, some have been performed and enjoyed by many people.
K.S.Dearsley
Antarctica
K. S. Dearsley is a prize-winning playwright and author of Discord's Shadow, nominated for a British Science Fiction Association Award. For more years than she cares to admit, her day job was as a feature writer for the local press. Her first plays were written as a child, and performed with her sister for their long-suffering parents. Thankfully, none of them survive!
She says: "Antarctica grew from the habit my headmaster at primary school had of reading to his class for a period each afternoon. One of the books he read was South, Ernest Shackleton's account of his disastrous expedition to Antarctica. What made the difference between survival and death? Was it
luck or leadership? What makes a hero, and how can anyone know how they'd measure up without being tested? These questions formed the starting point for the play. From there on Brenda, Ron and Terry took over."
Deborah Heath
Agatha QuizTeam
Deborah has an MA and BA in Drama from Exeter University. Deborah’s produced and published work includes adult drama/comedy, children’s musicals and
regular theatre reviews. As a partially sighted writer, radio drama has been a particular influence for Deborah and she is proud of “The Shelter Secrets”; an audio project she undertook with Heritage Arts Company. She is a regular guest on “Bookshelf”; a review programme for blind and sight impaired audio book users. Her influences are Agatha Christie, Jimmy Perry, Frances Durbridge and Alan Ayckbourn. Deborah loves immersive theatre and plays that push the boundaries of expected staging.
As well as her own work in theatre and music, Deborah is proud to be a primary music specialist,
ukulele and drama teacher. She works for Tick Tock Music St. Albans and is involved with Best
Theatre Arts. She is passionate about her family, her many pets, Veganism and Watford FC.
Jane Wanless
Let's Do a Pantomime
Practice Makes Perfect
Moving House
Popular Penguins
Betty Blue
Football Crazy
A Brithday to Remember
After studying science at university, Jane began a career in accountancy, specialising in personal
taxation. The local drama group was a welcome change from pressures of the office, with Jane
appearing in plays and pantomimes. That was until she was sacked as the good fairy when expecting her son, as she was too large to fit through the fairy’s stage entrance. After returning to the stage as soon as she could, Jane became part of a team writing pantomimes for the group.
As the years went by, Jane’s group struggled to find plays to suit its age profile, so building on the
pantomime experience, Jane started to write plays. Encouraged by how well the first, Football
Crazy, was received, Jane continues to write after taking early retirement.
Christmas on Cape Arundel
by WILHELM HÖJER
Wilhelm Höjer was born on August 10th 1981, in Stockholm, Sweden, into a diplomat family. He grew up between America and Europe and studied philosophy and journalism at the Pontifical “Angelicum University” in Rome, Italy, (2005-2008). During university he was involved with amateur theatre and musicals. While employed at the Vatican City he was an editor on the International News Desk of Vatican News (2008- 2015). Mr. Höjer has appeared in the Epoch Times, Dagbladet, Katolskt Magasin, and on The Proverbial Lawyer Radio Show. He is currently a high school humanities teacher at the St.Vincent de Paul Academy in Kansas City, Missouri
Anthony Paul Lashley
Marshmoor
The Mimes of Sherlock Holmes
The Burglar
Anthony worked as a teacher for many years; holding the positions of Head of Drama, Head of Creative Arts and Director of Media Arts.
Taking early retirement, he spent 10 years in Spain, where he worked on a number of school productions with Spanish students, played and sang in a rock band and, along with his wife, had their book “The Boy, The Father & The Sea” published by Austin Macauley Publishers.
Since returning to the UK, he has worked as an extra in the first episode of “The Nevers”, an episode of “The Crown” series 5, and a BBC four-part series, “The Sixth Commandment”.
Other published pieces include: poetry, a series of twenty short stories, and his comedy version of “The Christmas Carol”.
He maintains his interest working as a volunteer at his local theatre and continues to sing and play the guitar."
Konrad Rogowski
Actions at a Distance
Over the past forty years I have worked in community theatre as an actor, director, and playwright, and as president, publicity manager, and set designer with the Suffield Players, Suffield, CT, USA. I am the recipient of the Massachusetts Critics Circle Career Achievement Award, and numerous CTA Drama Festival awards for acting and direction. My plays have been produced locally, and I currently have four plays with publishers: “A Simple Act of Kindness”
and "It's Gabble, Blather, Babble and Poop!" with Drama Notebook, (USA), “Being of Sound Mind” with Playwright’s Publishing Company, (Great Britain), and “The Great Halloween Costume Kerfuffle!” with Plays Magazine (USA). My current focus is on writing and finding new audiences for my plays.
Jane Hilliard
Mother Knows Best
My journey into story telling started many years ago, mostly to entertain my
children on long car journeys, but when I joined my local drama group I turned
my hand to writing plays, at a time when we were stuck for a play to
accommodate the available actors I decided to write one and see how it went.
I’m pleased to say it was a success and I haven’t stopped writing plays since,
many of which have been published. I am still an active member of the group
having turned from acting to directing, this has given me the opportunity to
see my plays performed on the stage. I live in Hampshire on the edge of the
New Forest, I have two daughters and four Grandchildren.