doollee banner
The Playwrights Database
contact doollee


Mordaunt Shairp

MORDAUNT SHAIRP

  (1887 - 1939)
Nationality:    English
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    United Agents  

Alexander Mordaunt Shairp was born on March 13 1887 in Totnes, Devon. He was educated at St Paul's School and Lincoln College Oxford. He spent most of his life as a schoolmaster. "the Green Bay Tree" of 1933 was a controversial hit both in the West End and on Broadway. He was offered a script writing position in Hollywood which he took up. It did not last long and he returned to London and resumed teaching. He lived in Hampstead with his wife Hilda and stepson Hugh Williams who went on to become an actor and appeared in some of his step father's plays. Shairp believed that performing in front of an audience was good for boys - building up confidence and communication skills. He wrote numerous plays for his pupils to perform including one that required a cast of 80 plus a choir. Most of his non school plays were written to propound the theories of Freud and Havelock Ellis. He died on January 18 1939

Buy Plays with Doollee

Each page of doollee.com has links to play/book outlets, either directly to the Publisher, through Stageplays.com and Amazon to the second hand and 1st editions of AbeBooks. These links will automatically take you to the relevant area obviating the need for further search.
AbeBooks.co.uk   AbeBooks.com   Stageplays.com   amazon.com   amazon.co.uk   amazon.ca
whether you are a Playwright who wishes to make their entry definitive, an unlisted Playwright or a User with a tale to tell - we want to hear from you.
download WORD submission template

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

         Bend In the Road         Crime At Blossoms, The         Green Bay Tree, The         Man Of Silence         Offence, The         Phoby, The         Shameless Wayne         Time And the Boy

Bend In the Road

Synopsis:
A man is writing a book about mind over matter. His wife is dying and he wills her to live which she does. He realises that he has a power. He uses it to will the death of the man his wife had had an affair with. the man wastes away and very ill asks the writer to put him out of his misery. the writer realises his error

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:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Crime At Blossoms, The

Synopsis:
Valerie and Christopher Merryman desperately need money. there had once been a terrible murder in the cottage where they live and Valerie has the idea of opening the cottage for tours of the crime scene. It is a great success with visitors arriving by the coach load. Valerie even starts a re-enactment for an extra charge. Christopher thinks things have gone too far and stops the enterprise. there is a knock at the door - it is the murderer

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French Ltd, London   -

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:  12            Female:  10            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Green Bay Tree, The

Green Bay Tree, The
Manipulative older gay man tries to keep his younger lover

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
St Martin's. London    25 Jan 1933

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
George Allen & Unwin 1933   B00088GD5A

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. - - Gay, theme/character full length

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:

Top of Page Top of Page

Man Of Silence

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:
Youth play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Offence, The

Synopsis:
A Father is jealous of the attention that his wife gives to their son. the son is not allowed into one of the rooms of the house as it is the preserve of his father. A cousin dares the boy to enter - he does and breaks a priceless bowl. the Father beats him until he is unconscious. Years later and now married he is haunted by what had happened but cannot remember what occurred. then he has an accident and breaks a bowl

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Ritz Theatre, New York    1925

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Ernest Benn 1925   -

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:  5            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Phoby, The

Synopsis:
A girl and boy get locked in the garden shed. the girl remains calm but the boy suffering from claustrophobia goes to pieces. Eighteen years later they are both on an Underground train when it breaks down

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Contained in: "Modern Plays In One Act" published by J M Dent 1929   -

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:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Shameless Wayne

Synopsis:
Two families are feuding

Notes:
Based on the novel by Halliwell Sutcliffe

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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Time And the Boy

Synopsis:
the boy in Shakespeare's England, Queen Anne's and the 1930s

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:
Youth play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page