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Derek Martin

DEREK MARTIN

  (1965 - )
Nationality:    British
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Since graduating in 1988, Derek has split his time between working as a writer and theatre director and teaching in Further and Higher Education. He began writing as a teenager; when he was 15, the great literary agent Margaret Ramsay took him under her wing and offered much support and encouragement. While many of his plays are either written for young performers or young audiences (generally 14+ in both cases), he has also successfully written for adult audiences. His play GoStay (1996) premiered at Clywd Theatr Cymru, Dusty Pens (1997) has toured the UK, and two short plays - Grapeshot (2005) and Eggshells (2006) - premiered at Theatre 503, London. His play Our World Is In Colour, written to be performed by any number of people, has received numerous productions by youth groups; a version of this play written specifically for four men (and, confusingly, with the same title) toured the North-West of England in 2008. Derek has also written several adaptations, including Treasure Island which premiered at Eye Castle, Suffolk. In recent years, he has worked as a lyricist and librettist on musicals, opera, a cantata and stand-alone songs. Much of this work has been with Michael Betteridge. Their site-specific musical Indigestion has been performed at the Lowry Centre, Salford, and the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith. Derek has a M.Phil. in Playwriting Studies from the University of Birmingham. He was brought up in the North-West of England and currently lives in Manchester.

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below is a list of Derek Martin's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Dusty Pens         Eggshells         GoStay         Grapeshot         Hewitson Diaries: A journalist's life in Victorian Preston, The         Indigestion         Our World is in Colour         Our World Is In Colour (II)         Party Pieces         Treasure Island

Dusty Pens

Synopsis:
Richard III is dead and Henry VII rules England. Richard's right hand man - Francis Lovell - is hiding away after a failed rebellion. He tells his story, playing a wide range of characters including a couple of Kings, three contemporary TV presenters, and a spider. In turns, funny and moving; ultimately this is about a forgotten man, the transitory nature of existence and how history is told by the winners.

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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
two act play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  35 characters

Further Reference:
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Eggshells

Synopsis:
Two English stand-up comics - one white and Southern, the other a Northerner from a Pakistani family - chat in the dressing-room of a Northern comedy club. A play about political correctness, clashing of cultures and tiptoeing around eggshells.

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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
ten min comedy drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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GoStay

Synopsis:
A straight couple struggling with their relationship. He has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and chooses to stay in one room; she is trying to cope with a crisis and really needs his support.

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1st Produced:
Emlyn Williams Studio, Clwyd Theatr Cymru    

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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Drama one act 40 min

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Grapeshot

Synopsis:
A woman is being prepared to be a suicide bomber on behalf of an anti-Capitalist group.

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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
ten min play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Hewitson Diaries: A journalist's life in Victorian Preston, The

Synopsis:
a one-man performance about the life of a 19th century Preston journalist. Dr Andrew Hobbs, a research associate in the citys School of Journalism, has also worked as a journalist in Preston and has been transcribing the work. He then enlisted the help of actor John Hickey, playwright Derek Martin and pianist Malcolm Sim for the production

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1st Produced:
Uclan's Media Factory Theatre 1     18 Jan 2013

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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
biographical play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Indigestion

Synopsis:
What happens when you mix food, music and theatre? Indigestion! A new musical with food at its core, New Space Productions present Indigestion - a production ideal for those with a passion for the Arts, food and people watching. Come and enjoy an evening out whilst delving deeply into the lives of your fellow Diners. Set in the vibrant space of the Lowry restaurant enjoy a full set meal whilst this experimental and boundary-breaking show unfolds around you. Come and eat fabulous food as you never have before. . .

Notes:
by Derek Martin (words And book) And Michael Betteridge (music)

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Organisations:
New Space Productions

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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
musical

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Our World is in Colour

Synopsis:
the pack hate you, Mawgli. they will kill you. You are not like them. A company of performers arrive to tell many stories. But there is something odd about them, and their stories are of people who were all 'different' in various ways. In turns moving and funny, this play uses Drama, songs and movement to explore outcasts, eccentrics and rebels.

Notes:
This play is deliberately written so that is can be played by any number of performers of any gender. The recommended minimum cast size would be 4.

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Organisations:
Clwyd theatr Cymru's Senior Theatre Workshop

1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Our World Is In Colour (II)

Synopsis:
Four men, each with different mental health problems, have been put together to create a show about people from history and fiction who all felt 'different'. This is what they came up with.

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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Absurdist drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Party Pieces

Synopsis:
1944. On the eve of FD Roosevelt's historical fourth election win, a Hollywood party is underway. Here, we meet Bertolt Brecht, Helene Weigel, Charles Laughton, Charlie Chaplin and Groucho Marx. From this disparate group of people - and based on true events - the play jumps in place and time. Talking the talk is all well and good but in exceptional circumstances, ones political beliefs are truly tested.

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1st Produced:
The Threepenny Festival    

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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Political Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  1            Other:  The male roles may be played by women.

Further Reference:
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Treasure Island

Synopsis:
A faithful adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, but with a reduced cast doubling.

Notes:
With a range of characters, this adaptation was written specifically for a company of two men and two women.

1st Produced:
Eye Castle, Suffolk    

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Family drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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