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David Rudkin

DAVID RUDKIN

  (1936 - )
Nationality:    British
facebook     email:    n/a     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    Casarotto Ramsay and Associates Ltd  

David Rudkin's first play, Afore Night Comes, staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company in their 1962 experimental season, informed the Company's revolutionizing approach to the performance of Shakespeare. David writes for television, radio, and Theatre.

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

         Afore Night Come         Ashes         Burglars         Cries from Casement as His Bones Are Brought to Dublin         Deathwatch         Fifth Hunt, The         Golem, The         Grace of Todd, The         Hansel and Gretel         Hippolytos         Lovesong Of Alfred J Hitchcock, The         MAIDS, The         Mary Whitehouse And the Emperor Of Byzantium         Master And Margarita, The         Merlin Unchained         Moses and Aaron         Mystery Of Jesus, The         No Title         Peer Gynt         Red Sun         Rosmersholm         Saxon Shore, The         Sons of Light, The         Sovereignty Under Elizabeth         Space Invaders         Triumph of Death, The         When We Dead Awaken         Will's Way
Afore Night Come

Afore Night Come
outsiders meet the establishment as a group of seasonal workers pick pears in an orchard not far from the industrialised Midlands

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Oxford     1960

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in New English Dramatists 7, Penguin, London, 1963   

Music:
-

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Genre:
Gay full length

Parts:
Male:  12            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Ashes

Synopsis:
This is a sensitive study of a childless couple and the various indignities they have to endure in the search to find out why they are childless after two years of trying for a family. Filled with much wry humour this is a delicate treatment of a difficult subject and as such is suitable for advanced societies, University and College groups.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Hamburg     1973

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1974   

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:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  extras

Further Reference:
-

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Burglars

Synopsis:
Children burgle a house and find the owner spreading oil slicks on the road outside and revelling in the deaths he causes. they hunt and catch him, but what should they do then?

Notes:
1972 Unicorn theatre, London

1st Produced:
London     1970

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Prompt Two", Hutchinson, London, 1976   

Music:
-

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Genre:
Childrens Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  6 characters

Further Reference:
-

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Cries from Casement as His Bones Are Brought to Dublin

Cries from Casement as His Bones Are Brought to Dublin
Roger Casement's remains (or what purported to be Casement's remains) were exhumed from their previous location in a British prison and returned to Ireland in 1965 where they were granted a state funeral at Glasnevin Cemetery, instead of Casement's beloved Murlough Bay in Co. Antrim. the play focusses on the living Casement as he wrote his famous diaries and on the personification of his disembodied bones, and grapples with his ultimate dilEmma, the divisions of identity between Ulsterman and Irishman, English Man and Irishman.

Notes:
written by David Rudkinand Paddy Scully. Adapted by Paddy Scully from David Rudkin's original radio play (BBC 1974)

1st Produced:
London     1973

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
BBC Publications, London, 1974   

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

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Genre:
Gay historical character

Parts:
Male:  16            Female:  9            Other:  doubling possible

Further Reference:
-

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Deathwatch

Synopsis:
Two men share a prison cell with a notorious killer. One is in love with him. One wants to become him. Four female actors explore Jean Genet's Deathwatch in the U.S. premiere of Obie winning playwright David Rudkin's translation.

Notes:
Original Playwright - Jean Genet

1st Produced:
London     1987

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:
1h 30m Adaptation. - - Gay, theme/character full length

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Fifth Hunt, The

Synopsis:
the activities of a self appointed Pornography Commission who ultimately, under the leadership of the Devil, join forces with their repressive allies, the pornographers themselves

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
London     1972

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:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Golem, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
written with Peter Brook

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:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Grace of Todd, The

Synopsis:
Todd is overweight and hates exercise. He has been called up and the new cadets are having a cross country run. Todd falls in the river and is left behind his colleagues. He hear a silver voiced lady calling from the woods. She gets him to entertain her. When the cadets come back the wood and lady disappear - but now Todd has confidence - he has grace

Notes:
music by Gordon Crosse

1st Produced:
Aldeburgh, Suffolk     1969

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Oxford University Press, London, 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:
One act operetta

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Hansel and Gretel

Synopsis:
For parents with children, children with parents, and all who have been children. Others need not apply

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Stratford-On-Avon     1980

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:
Horror Show

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3 with doubling            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Hippolytos

Synopsis:
A thorough, as opposed to literal, translation. the Greek theological imagery re-expressed in moral and existential terms that are native to us.

Notes:
Original Playwright - Euripides

1st Produced:
Stratford-On-Avon     1978

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Heinemann, London, 1980   

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:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  4            Other:  with doubling

Further Reference:
-

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Lovesong Of Alfred J Hitchcock, The

Lovesong Of Alfred J Hitchcock, The
This poetic new play takes a unique look at the way the great filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock developed the ideas of his most famous films, including Marnie, Vertigo and Strangers On A Train. Starting off in in his director's chair, the sixty-year old Hitchcock begins to imagine some of the defining films of our time. the play explores Hitchcock's childhood memories of his mother, the strict Jesuit priests who schooled him and the pranks he played as a schoolboy. It also explores his later life, including conversations with screen writers, the feelings of guilt towards his faithful wife and his earliest feelings of love.

Notes:
Adapted for New Perspectives from his award-winning radio play, Rudkin's new work for the stage takes an unprecedented journey into the mind of one our most fascinating cultural icons. the result is a unique and haunting character study, presented with all the tension and mystery of Hitchcock's greatest films.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
New Prespectives

1st Published:
Oberon Books 2014   

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:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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MAIDS, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
Original Playwright - Jean Genet

1st Produced:
London     1987

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:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Mary Whitehouse And the Emperor Of Byzantium

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
Gay Sweatshop

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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Master And Margarita, The

Synopsis:
16/17/1050

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
National Youth Theatre

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:
Adaptation

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

Further Reference:
-

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Merlin Unchained

Merlin Unchained
the play starts off with Merlin - a broken man living in the forest. While people come to see him and attempt to cure him there is no luck. That is when with the help of the Green and Golden Lady he regains his senses for one last mission. Meanwhile we see the sisterhood of light, spreading their religious beliefs, almost a separate story to Merlin's. When Merlin is restored, the story cuts to modern setting. Merlin enters a town to see the poor and sorry state of it, while McAbendroth, the Life President (who was also a demon who talked with the sisterhood) sits upon an astronomers tower and wants to install a new moon so that light will be there forever. With somewhat of an apocalyptical feel to it, Merlin comes and wins the day, allowing darkness and the stars to be seen once more - nature in its course winning over technology. Finally returning to the opening of the astronomer's tower, a rebellious sister who has now become chief astronomer talks about freedom from religion, and a new era until she is murdered by her own son. Finally cutting back to Merlin we see his death.
- Dave Taylor, www.theatre-wales.co.uk

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Theatr Y Castell, Aberystwyth     2009

Organisations:
Aberystwyth University Theatre Studies

1st Published:
Contained in: "Red Sun and MerlinUnchained" published by Intellect 2013   

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:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Moses and Aaron

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
translation of the libretto, music by Schoenberg

1st Produced:
London     1965

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Friends of Covent Garden, 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:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Mystery Of Jesus, 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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No Title

Synopsis:
A man rents a flat in a country house; but everyone else treats him as though he were the dangerous inmate of a mental institution. Every endeavour of his to establish his identity is valid only builds up the evidence against him

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:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Peer Gynt

Synopsis:
Symbolic satirical in verse based on Norwegian folklore.

Notes:
Original Playwright - Henrik Ibsen

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:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  Large Cast

Further Reference:
-

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Red Sun

Red Sun
the tale of a prhistoric shaman creating an avnging zombie from clay. the zombie is called Adamu and the story draws on myths from Gilgamesh anf the Fall in the Bible, to Frankenstein and the Jewish golem - squeezing in the odd quotation from 'Hamlet' on the way. - Marmion, Time Out London

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Warehouse Theatre Croydon, London     2004

Organisations:
AJTheatre Company Theatre Company

1st Published:
Contained in: "Red Sun and MerlinUnchained" published by Intellect 2013   

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:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Rosmersholm

Synopsis:
unmasks the moral evasions which prevent us from being truly free

Notes:
Original Playwright - Henrik Ibsen,BBC 3, 1990

1st Produced:
Wimbledon Studio, London     1997

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in Major Plays Three, oberon, London, 2006   

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:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Saxon Shore, The

Saxon Shore, The
A Saxon soldier discovers he is a werewolf

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:
Historical Play

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Sons of Light, The

Sons of Light, The
A cold Northern volcanic island; new pastor and anarchic sons; self repressed religious community; tomorrow's new glad slaves in an experimental 'pit' beneath the earth

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Newcastle Upon Tyne     1976

Organisations:
Tyneside Theatre Co

1st Published:
Eyre Methuen, London, 1981   

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:
Myth of Resurrection

Parts:
Male:  13            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Sovereignty Under Elizabeth

Synopsis:
the Queen, on Eve of Jubilee, sleepwalks, tortured by personal guilt she feels for the diminution of her subjects' moral sovereignty during her reign; but by day bravely shoulders her duty to sacrementalise.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
London     1977

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:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Space Invaders

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
The Other Place, Stratford-Upon-Avon     11 Oct 1983

Organisations:
Royal Shakespeare Company

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:
Youth one act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Triumph of Death, The

Triumph of Death, The
A pagan subculture in a European forest is exterminated by a new religion. One world's baffled encounter with a more powerful one that cannot authenticate it.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Eyre Methuen, London, 1981   

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:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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When We Dead Awaken

Synopsis:
in which a figure from the past rises to haunt an ageing artist

Notes:
Original Playwright - Henrik Ibsen

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Absolute Press, Bath, 1990   

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:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Will's Way

Synopsis:
A solo in which Will Shakespeare gives a Saturday-morning talk to the audience at Stratford's old Other Place. It was created by Nick Woodeson, who has made it uniquely his own. the text is in print, in a beautifully-produced hardback edition, available from Stratford's Celandine Press

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Stratford-On-Avon     1985

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Celandine Press, Stratford, 1985   

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:
Solo Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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