The Playwrights Database
PETER GORDON
(1950 - )Nationality: British
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Literary Agent: Josef Weinberger Limited
Peter Gordon was born in York in 1950. after leaving archbishop Holgates Grammar School he eventually went on to read for a degree in Civil engineering at Sheffield Polytechnic. He has, to date, written nine comedy plays and one psychological thriller. Seven of the plays have been published and are available for performance through the play catalogue of Josef Weinberger Ltd. Peter's plays have been produced world-wide but he is, perhaps, best known for his murder mystery spoofs, featuring the incompetent Inspector Pratt.
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below is a list of Peter Gordon's plays - click on a Play Title for more information
Death By Fatal Murder Generations Apart Murdered To Death Out Of Focus Par For the Course Reunion, The Secondary Cause Of Death Seeds Of Doubt Sleighed To Death Slim Chance Third Week In AugustDeath By Fatal Murder
Single interior set: Sitting room in a country manor house. 1940. Inspector Pratt's record of crime detection at Bagshot House is not enviable. In his two previous visits, chronicled in 'murdered to Death' and 'secondary Cause of Death', the body count mounted disastrously as he looked on, helpless and hopeless! Now he is back and, as usual, chaos reigns supreme. During the course of his latest investigations, Pratt meets the new owner of the house, Nancy allwright and soon he is embroiled in more mystery, aided and abetted by Miss Maple and Constable Thomkins. Upper-crust Ginny and Italian gigolo, enzo help with enquiries but danger soon looms with an unexpected arrival and a frightening suggestion by Welsh busybody, Blodwyn Morgan.
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1st Produced:
Charter Theatre, Preston
04 Oct 2006
Organisations:
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1st Published:
Josef Weinberger, London, 2006
Music:
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Genre:
Spoof Whodunnit
Parts:
Male: 4 Female: 4 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageGenerations Apart
Single exterior set: Cliff top (minimal set required). Present day. Having met anne at the time of the 1969 Isle of Wight music festival and fallen madly in love, Paul decides to run off with anne to her mainland commune, leaving behind his conservative life on the island. On hearing the news, his father, albert, suffers a heart attack which forces Paul to reconsider his options. In the present day, a chance encounter with anne's daughter leads the recently widowed Paul back into the past and the flames of romance slowly grow, not just for Paul and anne, but for their children as well. the parallels between Paul's past relationship with his Father and his current relationship with his own son become apparent in this poignant and humorous look at how the events of 1969 affect three generations of the same family. a must for all who remember the heady days of the hippy!
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Warner Chappell Plays, London, 1996
Music:
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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: 3 Female: 3 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageMurdered To Death
Single interior set: Lounge of a country manor house. 1930's. This hilarious spoof of the best of agatha Christie traditions is set in a country manor house in the 1930's, with an assembled cast of characters guaranteed to delight. the play introduces the inept and bungling Inspector Pratt, who battles against the odds to solve the murder of the house's owner. It soon becomes clear that the murderer isn't finished yet, but will the miscreant be unmasked before everyone else has met their doom, or will the audience die laughing first?
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1st Produced:
Rugby Theatre, Rugby
12 Apr 1997
Organisations:
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1st Published:
Warner Chappell Plays, London, 1993
Music:
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Genre:
Spoof Thriller
Parts:
Male: 5 Female: 5 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageOut Of Focus
Single interior set: annexe of a Church Hall. Present day. Out of Focus is set in the annexe of a church hall. an unfortunate over-booking results in a gathering of a wonderful mix of local characters, ranging from the Vicar's wife to a man intent on delivering a talk on steam locomotives to anyone who will listen! they eventually unite to try to produce a pantomime but, as rehearsals proceed, alliances are formed and switched as the opening night nears. events culminate backstage after the final performance.
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1st Produced:
Surrey
13 Oct 2000
Organisations:
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1st Published:
Warner Chappell Plays, London, 1989
Music:
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Genre:
comedy
Parts:
Male: 4 Female: 5 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of PagePar For the Course
Captain's Day at the Seven Lakes Golf Club gets off to a bad start when the men's Captain is indisposed. Club secretary, Simon, relishes the chance to take over but is soon thwarted by the arrival of Vice Captain, Nick, and his girlfriend, Tiffany. Lady Captain, Fran, and enthusiastic but hopeless Barry add to the confusion as a series of disasters mount. With the unexpected arrival of Simon's wife, Laura, tensions build and things go from bad to worse. Love or loathe golf, it will never seem quite the same again!
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Music:
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Genre:
comedy
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 3 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageReunion, The
It's always good to meet up with old friends. Or maybe not . . .When Nigel arranges a reunion in the back room of a pub, he is optimistic of a good turnout. Whilst the numbers disappoint him, he soon has his hands full when a motley middle-aged threesome turn up, bringing with them assorted wives, girlfriends, prejudices, and resentments that have simmered for the last twenty-five years. as the evening unfolds, the men are forced to reassess their old alliances and reflect on their lives, as the women are increasingly struck by the futility of the whole exercise!. Comedy and confusion combine in this hilarious but poignant story
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Josef Weinberger Plays (30 Jun 2010)
Music:
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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: 1 Female: 3 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageSecondary Cause Of Death
Single interior set: Lounge of a country manor house. 1939. the sequel to Murdered to Death. (although it is a 'stand-alone' play that can be performed to audiences who are unfamiliar with Murdered to Death). Inspector Pratt arrives at Bagshot House with grim news for Colonel Craddock but that's just the beginning. Who is the strange Polish Count? Is Henrietta really an army Captain? and where does the thespian Longfellow fit into the scene? these are just some of the characters who make Pratt's return a chaotic nightmare.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Preston: Charter Theatre
27 Apr 2005
Organisations:
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1st Published:
Josef Weinberger, London, 1999
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:
Spoof Thriller
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 6 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageSeeds Of Doubt
Single exterior set: Suburban garden. Present day. While Alan attempts to tend his vegetable plot, his peace of mind is disturbed not only by his impending fortieth birthday, but also by doubts about the fidelity of his wife, Claire. the quiet of his garden initially provides some respite from his worries but this is soon disturbed by the ongoing squabbles of his neighbours, Jill and Dave. When a secret message falls into the wrong hands, a chain of events is set in motion which affects not only the two couples but their friends, the well meaning but inept Derek and the recently separated Sarah. alan's concerns are temporarily eased by a surprise birthday party, but the evening's events only serve to throw the other relationships into turmoil, and sow the seeds of doubt for everybody!
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Swindon Arts Centre
02 Jun 2004
Organisations:
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1st Published:
Warner Chappell Plays, London, 1991
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:
comedy
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 3 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageSleighed To Death
1930s England, Christmas Eve in the manor house of the bumbling aristocrat, Sir Walton Gates and his wife Grace. His daughter from a previous marriage arrives from town with her new companion in tow, the dashing James Washington and added to the mix is Sir Walton's estranged brother Archie, recently returned from years spent in Australia, bringing with him an appetite for mischief and a dodgy accent. Enter England's most confused police officer, Sergeant Pratt, who unwittingly kicks a hornet's nest of English gentility and the evening soon descends into chaos with hilarious consequences. Magic tricks will fail miserably, shots will inadvertently ring out and identities will be confused but can Pratt identify the individual with murderous intent before a body is found? Probably not. . .In the new prequel to the Inspector Pratt Trilogy, Sleighed to Death takes us back to the ignominious start of Inspector Pratt's career and we discover that his early life as a policeman is no less hilarious!
Notes:
1st performed as Dong Ding Murder Me On High
1st Produced:
The Haymarket, Basingstoke
25 Jan 2017
Organisations:
Talking Scarlett
1st Published:
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:
Spoof Thriller
Parts:
Male: 4 Female: 4 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageSlim Chance
Jean, the branch organiser of a Slimming Club, is frustrated as usual by the late arrival of her charges. even when the motley collection assembles, it's clear that slimming is the last thing on their minds. the arrival of a timid new member, together with Jean's relevation of grim news from Head Office, forces them all to re-evaluate their reasons for slimming in the first place. . .
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Josef Weinberger, 2007
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
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Genre:
One act
Parts:
Male: - Female: 8 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageThird Week In August
Single exterior set: Caravan site. Present day. When Sue decides to try a "get away from everybody" caravan holiday, little does she realise that she's booked into the caravan site from hell! She is soon taken under the wing of expert but inadequate caravaner, Neville. That's when he's not engaged in battle with his wife . . .. or trying to cope with his separated sister-in-law. Matters become complicated with the arrival of the enthusiastic Tony and his reluctant girl friend. Neville decides that a communal barbecue is the order of the day . . . . . then things really start to hot up! If you've ever been near a caravan site you'll recognise them all!
Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Josef Weinberger, London, 2005
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: 4 Other: -
Further Reference:
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