The Playwrights Database
NANCY MCPHERSON
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Literary Agent: n/a
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below is a list of Nancy McPherson's plays - click on a Play Title for more information
Becoming Maggie Calamity Jeannie Camouflage Cinderella Excess Baggage Fusion Jack and the Beanstalk Made Up Mamie McCall's French Fancy Night I Danced with Cyd Charisse, The Snow White Waste ManagementBecoming Maggie
Synopsis:
Becoming Maggie' is an ordinary love story, set in extraordinary times between 1938 and 1948 in Ayrshire. Maggie and Robert are two working class young people who meet and fall in love, at a time when horizons were limited and life stories could well be played out in a familiar but confined landscape. The connecting link with the wider world was alluring and mysterious for Maggie and Robert, he seduced by it, and she fearful of it. Events of the time capsized their small world and each struggled to adjust and survive. In the end, the connecting and enduring link was their love. There is gentle humour, conflict and poignancy as we see the impact of momentous events on ordinary lives. Requires simple beach setting which, as the play unfolds, becomes an air raid shelter and a dance hall. Use of period music, lighting and sound convey the atmosphere and transitions.
Notes:
Winner of 3 trophies in Scottish Community Drama One-Act Play Festival 2010 And 2 trophies in the East Kilbride Rep. One-Act Festival 2010.
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Brown, Son & Ferguson Ltd, 4 Darnley Street, GLASGOW, 2010 978-1-84927-022-9
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 Drama
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 1 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageCalamity Jeannie
Synopsis:
Set in the Wild West, " Calamity Jeannie'' is an action-packed panto with colourful characters and a strong story-line. Jeannie (the dame) and her father are terrorised by Stud Poker, the evil card-sharp who runs Stodge City with the " help'' of two incompetent outlaws, Tex Fritter and the Disco Kid. In an attempt to resolve the situation, Luke Good, the principal boy, sets off to find gold and a cure for the mad sheriff of Stodge City, Wild Bill Hiccup. His search takes him into Indian country, and after some strange adventures in the Whatacheek Indian Village, he returns to Stodge City for a " High Noon''-type climax, when justice triumphs at last. All the usual ingredients are included - audience participation, slapstick, magic and plenty of humour.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Brown,Son & Ferguson, 1986 0-851745199
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:
Pantomime
Parts:
Male: 8 Female: 5 Other: Pantomime horse, chorus of cowboys, cowgirls and Indians. Doubling up of parts is possible for smaller companies.
Further Reference:
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Top of PageCamouflage
Synopsis:
The wildlife in a Scottish country park are treated to an interesting spat among the humans at large in their habitat one feeding time. Andy and Senga Robertson have evolved bickering into a way of life with which they are both content. Their exchanges as they set up their picnic give rise to a good deal of humour. When Melanie and Philip Austen arrive on the scene, the dominant Senga encourages the downtrodden Melanie to assert herself. Sparks fly as years of frustration explode across the picnic tables and the pompous Philip tries in vain to establish control. The formidable Senga, having stirred things up, emerges unscathed and triumphant. However, life will never be the same for the Austens after this brief encounter.
Notes:
First production 1988 - winner of 5 trophies in Scottish Community Drama One-Act Play Festival. Performed many times since then in Amateur Festivals.
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Cressrelles Publishing, 1988 086319173-8
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 comedy
Parts:
Male: 2 Female: 2 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageCinderella
Synopsis:
The traditional story of Cinderella with all the familiar characters - the dashing Prince Charming, Dandini, the hilarious Swanky and Manky (the Ugly Sisters) and the unlucky-in-love Buttons. The addition of some very funny Scottish characters - King Airchie and Queen Isa of Caledonia, along with Fatchance and Naechance, the hapless Palace guards - injects a lot of humour. There is also much hilarity and action from Boab the Dug, the pet dog that Buttons keeps secretly in the Baron's house. Cinderella is relentlessly thwarted by her nasty step-mother, Baroness Soorface. Her father, Baron Henpecked, is such a wimp that he isn't a great help! The baddies, Bella Botox and her apprentice son, Boris Botox, run a very dodgy beauty business and they create havoc throughout with their new gadget, the Botox Blaster. Good, of course, triumphs in the end, helped along by Merrymunch, the Good Fairy who is brilliant at magic, but she does have an eating problem! This is an upbeat version of a classic with lots of audience participation and good opportunities for acting roles and chorus involvement.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Stewarton Drama Group -
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:
Pantomime with some Scottish characters added in!
Parts:
Male: 8 Female: 6 Other: 1 comic dog and chorus of villagers
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageExcess Baggage
Synopsis:
Four very different women, meet up in the changing room of the Secret Sanctuary Health Spa. Each has her own problems and needs - Pauline is overwhelmed by the pressures of family life, Hilary has too much money and not enough love, Denise is consumed by executive stress and Grace is a bit of an enigmatic loner. Sonya, the overbearing Pilates teacher and Tiffany, the dreamy Beauty Therapist, seem to exacerbate their problems rather than provide the therapy they obviously need. The play builds to a very funny, stressful climax as they each reach the limit of tolerance. However there is a release of tension which allows them to look at each other differently. Grace, the quiet enigma, particularly helps them to bond with each other and they unite in pursuit of a simpler coping strategy.
Notes:
Presented As part of A programme of two All- female plays in May 2011, with ticket proceeds raising £6000.00 for the Ayrshire Hospice. The other play was 'mamie McCall's French Fancy'. SEE BELOW
1st Produced:
Area Centre Theatre, Stewarton, Ayrshire May 2011
Organisations:
Stewarton Drama Group
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:
One-act comedy
Parts:
Male: - Female: 6 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageFusion
Synopsis:
Claire has invited her brother Steven and his partner, Louise, for drinks in her suburban garden. Gary, Claire's husband, is not too happy about the arrangement. There is tension in the air from the moment the guests arrive. Claire's cocktails and fusion cuisine do little to blend the unlikely ingredients of the evening into something which anyone finds palatable. When Joe, Claire and Steven's father arrives, Steven makes it clear that this is one ingredient which just doesn't fit into the mix as far as he's concerned. The chemical reactions are explosive as old wounds open up and the reasons for the rift in a once happy family become evident. Emotions and tensions run high as the five very different characters are caught in a moment where past and present fuse. We are left wondering at the end if there is enough in the mix to allow the different elements to come together. A play with plenty of tension, raw emotion and some much needed humour.
Notes:
Winner of the Scott Salver, Awarded to the best original play in the Scottish Community Drama One-Act Play Festival 2012. Winner of two trophies in the SCDA Ayrshire District One-Act Festival 2012.
1st Produced:
Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock Feb 2012
Organisations:
Stewarton Drama Group
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:
one act play
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 2 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageJack and the Beanstalk
Synopsis:
Jack Dumpling does his best to help his poor mother, Clootie Dumpling, and his hapless brother and sister, Pimple and Dimple Dumpling to make ends meet. He thinks his luck has changed when he falls in love with Jill, Baron Boggin-Bogle's daughter. However the Baron has other plans. Aided by his two enforcers, Frankie Fakebake and Permatan Pete, the Baron issues an eviction order to the Dumplings and forbids Jill from seeing Jack. In dire straits, Jack sells the family cow, Cuddle, but is duped by Giant Guzzle's unscrupulous chefs, Butcher Bonecruncher and Basher the Tattiemasher. Jack ends up with only a bag of beans to show for his trouble. When Jill is captured and taken to Carcass Castle, the giant's pad, Jack reaches rock bottom. The magic milkmAIDS, Hairy Hulk and Dairy Mulk, come to his rescue. Miraculously, a giant beanstalk appears. Jack and his family go on a scary adventure to Carcass Castle and after a narrow escape, Jack slays the giant, saves Jill and everything come up roses for the Dumpling family!
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Stewarton Area Centre, Ayrshire Dec 2010
Organisations:
Stewarton Drama Group
1st Published:
Spotlight Publications, Dalgety Bay, Fife (September 2011) 978-1-907307-33-1
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:
Pantomime with some Scottish characters added in!
Parts:
Male: 8 Female: 6 Other: Giant, cow (2 people) and chorus of villagers
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageMade Up
Synopsis:
Linda and Danny have a fragile relationship. They have recently made up after their latest split. Danny finds it difficult to hold down a job and settle down. In many ways he is a misfit because of his background. Linda is struggling to pull things together as she tries to accept that she is unlikely to become a mother. She needs Danny to sustain her - which he wants to do - but somehow he always ends up putting obstacles in the way. They each have difficulties with the outside world of employers and their life seems to go round in circles as the same patterns emerge. Funny, moving and with some clever word play exchanged between the couple, we are left wondering at the end if they will be able to capitalise on new opportunities or not.
Notes:
Placed third in the SCDA Glasgow District One-Act Play Festival 2012. This play is A stand-alone one-act play, but could Also be performed As A sequel to the one-act play, 'Waste Management' which Also features Danny And Linda As the two main characters. A further option is to combine the two plays And present them As A full-length play in two Acts.
1st Produced:
Denny Civic Theatre, Dumbarton Mar 2012
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Spotlight Publications, Dalgety Bay, Fife (Apr 2012) 978-1-907307-41-6
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 play
Parts:
Male: 2 Female: 2 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageMamie McCall's French Fancy
Synopsis:
Two retired ladies meet up in a Coffee Bar. They discover that they share a nostalgia for a more genteel type of afternoon tea experience. Gentle humour arises from the fact that they are obviously out of place in this environment. However, underneath this humour, it is poignant to observe that what they share most is their loneliness. They are each unable to break out of the barriers which prevent them from savouring a more eventful life. In the end, they settle for a less exciting, but acceptable substitute for the real thing.
Notes:
Presented As part of A programme of two All- female plays in May 2011, with ticket proceeds raising £6000.00 for the Ayrshire Hospice. The other play was 'Excess Baggage'. SEE ABOVE
1st Produced:
Area Centre Theatre, Stewarton, Ayrshire May 2011
Organisations:
Stewarton Drama Group
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:
One-act comedy/Drama
Parts:
Male: - Female: 3 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageNight I Danced with Cyd Charisse, The
Synopsis:
Three mechanics, each at different stages in their life, settle into their usual pattern of work on a typical Friday morning in a garage workshop. Their contrasting characters give rise to much comedy banter, but it soon becomes clear that they are all dealing with loneliness and each has his own individual relationship with the truth. The two women, who visit this male environment, couldn't be more contrasting. They add to the humour, but they too have to confront their loneliness. It's a poignant ending as this group of five disperse at the end of the morning.
Notes:
Winner of four trophies in Scottish Community Drama One-Act Play Festival 2010.
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Spotlight Publications -
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 comedy/Drama
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 2 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageSnow White
Synopsis:
In the Kingdom of Glenboak, we find Princess Snow White is being badly treated by her jealous step mother, Queen Verucca. The hapless King Pimpleheid is powerless to stop the Queen's wicked plans which she hatches with the aid of Winklepicker, the Wizard.Clarty Carbuncle, the Place housekeeper and her gormless twins, Wattie and Tattie Carbuncle, provide much of the humour along with the Place jester, Mincy McSporran and the kitchen maid, Tumshie McTavish.Prince Braveheart of Glencool wants to marry Snow White, but is distraught when she runs off into the forest to escape from Queen Verucca. For a while, Snow White is protected by the intervention of Fairy Flip-Flop who guides her to a cottage in the wood where the 'tartan army' gnomes look after her. However, the queen has one last attempt to get rid of Snow White and she appears to have succeeded, much to the chagrin of the gnomes. All ends well with the arrival of the Prince and his search party. Senga the Sook, the queen's grovelling maid, and Growl the dog, are instrumental in bringing about a happy ending!
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- 2009
Organisations:
Stewarton Drama Group
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:
Pantomime written mainly in Scottish dialect
Parts:
Male: 6 Female: 6 Other: Comic dog, 7 gnomes, chorus of villagers, forest animals. Doubling up of parts is possible for smaller companies.
Further Reference:
-
Top of PageWaste Management
Synopsis:
Linda and Danny bump into each other at a recycling area. They are at a clearing point in their relationship. The dynamic and spark in their relationship gives rise to some sharp humour, but underneath this they are struggling with the confusions, chaos and disappointments of life and gender role expectations. The casual and brief intervention of two strangers curiously helps them to focus, and in the end they have cleared enough space to move on.
Notes:
Runner- up in the UK Geoffrey Whitworth Play Writing Competition 2011. First Production runner - up in Scottish Finals of Scottish Community Drama One-Act Play Festival 2011.
1st Produced:
Denny Cvic Centre Theatre, Dumbarton Mar 2011
Organisations:
Kirkton Players, Glasgow
1st Published:
Spotlight Publications, July 2011 978- -1- 907307- 31- 7
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 comedy/Drama
Parts:
Male: 2 Female: 2 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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