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Peter Coke

PETER COKE

  (1913 - 2008)
Nationality:    British
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    Film Rights Ltd  

the family name was pronounced "Cook". a side effect of this was that the comedian Peter Cook, when commencing his professional carrer, was nearly forced by equity to change his name; after he had suggested such alternatives a Xavier Blancmange, the union backed down. detective Paul Temple for the BBC radio series 1954-1968

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

         Aladdin         Autumn Manoeuvres         Breath Of Spring         Face To Face         Fool's Paradise         Gentle Guardsmen, The         Gentle Persauders, The         Goodnight and Goodbye         In Confidence         Man Who Wrote In Bed         Midsummer Mink         Sleepy Mermaid, The         Taxpayers' Waltz, The         What Are Little Girls Made Of?         Winter Glory
Aladdin

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
Music And lyrics by Cole Porter; book by Peter Coke; Addition material by Dennis Goodwin

1st Produced:
Coliseum, London     17 Dec 1959

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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:
2act Pantomime

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  large cast

Further Reference:
Wearing - the London Stage 59.277

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Autumn Manoeuvres

Synopsis:
This sequel to Breath of Spring and Midsummer Mink sees Dame Beatrice - and her lodgers Nan, Hattie and the Brigadier-embarking on a series of 'operations' to acquire funds to purchase a flat. their complicated but well-planned manoeuvres succeed so well that by the end of this gentle comedy they are well on their way to obtaining a second flat, proving, as Bea says, that in their case age certainly isn't limiting!

Notes:
sequel to Breath of Spring & Midsummer Mink

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1983   

Music:
-

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

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Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  8            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Breath Of Spring

Synopsis:
Dame Beatrice houses a collection of middle-aged 'guests', plus Lily her maid. To repay Dame Beatrice for giving her a job despite her criminal past, Lily presents her with a mink stole filched from the next flat. the Brigadier deploys his 'troops' to return the fur. the whole campaign is so invigorating that they decide to retain this excitement in their lives by pinching furs and giving the proceeds to charities.

Notes:
musicalised on Broadway As 70, Girls, 70. It was Also loosely filmed As Make Mine Mink (1960) starring Terry Thomas

1st Produced:
Theatre Royal, Nottingham     03 Mar 1958

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1959   

Music:
-

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
Wearing - the London Stage 58.68

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Face To Face

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Canterbury     1965

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

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Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Fool's Paradise

Synopsis:
although surrounded by valuable antiques, JaNe and CatheRINe live in debt, for the late husband of both ladies, BaSIL HaYLING left house and property to them, stipulating that they were both to live there but could not sell any of it. BaSIL's sister has just left a spray of emeralds in her will. If they prove valuable, all their debts can be paid. Unfortunately, JaNe giddily accepts deposits on the emeralds from too many people and can only hold them at bay by inventing a third owner for them - a SeNHORa CONCHITa eLVaS - whom she then impersonates. as debts and troubles increase, she even accepts a deposit on CatheRINe's son, rashly promising his hand in marriage to glamorous and enamoured FIONa ReNSHaW. they all spend some merry moments solving this almost inextricable tangle.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Grand, Wolverhampton     23 Feb 1959

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1960   

Music:
-

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:
Farce

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
Wearing - the London Stage 59.59

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Gentle Guardsmen, The

Synopsis:
Mrs Torrington does the flowers at a small country church. Just before she goes on holiday she makes a display using Gentle Guardsman roses. When she returns from holiday she is surprised to find the roses as fresh as when she went away. She proclaims that there has been a miracle. the vicar tries to stop this story from getting about - but it spreads. Tourism to the church increases so much so that the vicar keeps quiet about the fact that another member of the congregation had replaced the original flowers.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1961   

Music:
-

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:
Rural episode One act

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  11            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Gentle Persauders, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Goodnight and Goodbye

Synopsis:
Tom is visited by Yvonne. She tells him that her husband is trying to kill her. Next Tom is visited by Yvonne's husband and daughter who tell him that Yvonne is going around telling everyone of the murder plot

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French Ltd   

Music:
-

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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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In Confidence

Synopsis:
Widowed angela meets the seemingly blind Colonel aplin in Venice. She is soon borrowing sums of money from him. When the Colonel hears that angela is to dine with a rich Count he asks for repayment of the loans. as angela cannot do this he gets her to draw a ground plan of the Count's apartments. angela suspects the Colonel wants to steal a priceless painting.. Later she comes across the Colonel at the airport. Using her suspicions about the theft of the painting she tries to get more money from him. as they are talking he picks her pocket and she picks his.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1964   

Music:
-

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:
comedy One act

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Man Who Wrote In Bed

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Folkestone     1968

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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:
-

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Midsummer Mink

Synopsis:
BRIGaDIeR RaYNe: distinguished, elderly. TeD: a policeman, gullible, young. MIKe: Irish, a silver-tongued rougue; 20s. CHRIS: ferrety, crooked; middle-aged. aLICe, LaDY MILLeR: elegant; middle-aged. NaNeTTe PaRRY: gaunt, enthusiastic; middle-aged. Elizabeth HaTFIeLD: bird-like; indeterminate age. DaMe BeaTRICe aPPLeBY: vital, mercurial; late middle-age. LILY THOMPSON: cheery, practical, cockney; 20s. MaDaMe CHaMBeRT: smart, brusque; 40. DeTeCTIVe INSPeCTOR (MISS) WILSON: pleasant, brisk; 30. the amiable aristocratic crooks of BReaTH OF SPRING are at it again. BRIGaDIeR RaYNe deploys his charity campaigns with military expertise but little monetary success until NaN is passed a mink coat by a crook on the run. This inspires BRIGaDIeR RaYNe and his cohorts to become modern Robin Hoods, and soon they are running a meticulously organised receiving system for stolen furs, giving all their profits to charity. Gradually, operations become more and more dangerous. Finally, with the house full of furs, hidden in musical-instrument cases 'borrowed' from the albert Hall, and a police inspector making enquiries, they decide to retire - temporarily.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1965   

Music:
-

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  7            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Sleepy Mermaid, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Liverpool     1962

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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:
-

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Taxpayers' Waltz, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
New Theatre Guild, 1970   

Music:
-

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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What Are Little Girls Made Of?

Synopsis:
ISaBeL MeRRYWeatheR divorced but happy, runs an antique shop with her Rear-admiral father. Some of her customers are, to put it mildly, eccentric. When one of them leaves a baby temporarily in the shop, ISaBeL's strong maternal instincts are aroused. assisted by her most eccentric visitor of all, a lady who is opening her own antique shop nearby, she sets about an unconventional adoption plan. the unexpected results are astonishingly successful, and the ensuing flood of babies leads to frenetic complications and eventually, to a highly original, if questionable, plan of operation, affecting not least the Rear-admiral

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1978   

Music:
-

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Winter Glory

Synopsis:
In WINTeR GLORY, we meet once again the redoubtable quartet of DaMe BeaTRICe and her lodgers - NaN, HaTTIe and the BRIGaDIeR - who featured in PeTeR COKe's earlier comedies BReaTH OF SPRING, MIDSUMMeR MINK and aUTUMN MaNOeUVReS. This, however, will be positively their last appearance, as due to an unfortunate slip-up in their schemes to put a pathetic pet out of its misery and to help an ageing actress fade away at a peak of happiness, they despatch themselves heavenwards as well!

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1988   

Music:
-

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  7            Other:  2 silent men

Further Reference:
-

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