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Judy Upton

JUDY UPTON

  (1967 - )
Nationality:    British
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    The Agency (London) Ltd  

Judy has since written many plays for the Red Room, was commissioned by the Royal Court, Out of Joint and Hampstead Theatre. Winner of the 1994 Verity Bargate and George Divine awards and received three Guiness/National Theatre Ingenuity awards.

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

         Ashes And Sand         Ballad Of A Thin Man, The         Bruises         Cabaret on a Sinking Ship         Come To Where I'm From         Confidence         Everlasting Rose         Gabby Goes Global         Girlz, The         Hotmail From Helsinki         Know Your Rights         Noctropia         Out Of Time         People On the River         Pig In the Middle         Shorewatchers' Horse, The         Sliding With Suzanne         Stealing Souls         Sunspots         Team Spirit         Temple         ThatcherWrite         To Blusher With Love         True Grit
Ashes And Sand

Ashes And Sand
Hayley's gang of teenage riot girls are on a lust-or-bust rampage in their tired seaside town. Enter a young, hands-on policeman, Daniel, who owns a room full of women's shoes. Daniel and Hayley share a desire for danger, sexual release and the need to fulfil their dreams. How will they solve the confusion between lust and love, violence and tenderness in this cynical world?

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:  3            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Ballad Of A Thin Man, The

Synopsis:
the action centres around the lives of three young people who live, work and play at a ramshackle farmhouse converted into a sound studio. From this isolated base Ian, Carrie, and Jade indulge their dreams of fame and fortune: Until their lives are disrupted by the arrival of McClaine, a rock musician who claims to have worked with all the great names of the sixties. Although the reason for McClaine's visit appears entirely innocent, it is not long before his presence begins to affect the entire household.

Notes:
based on the Pardoner's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

1st Produced:
Margate: Theatre Royal     15 Feb 2000

Organisations:
Channel Theatre Company Spring Tour

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:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bruises

Bruises
Beyond the windows of a South Coast boarding house lies a world of violence and pain, a world where a Father is passing an inheritance of drunken cruelty onto his son.

Notes:
winner of the Verity Bargate Award 1992

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:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Cabaret on a Sinking Ship

Synopsis:
Cabaret on a Sinking Ship uses a rousing blend of politics, satire, song, sex and laughter to capture the spirit of the naughty noughties', much in the same way cabaret artists of the 1930's responded to their broken society. Part cabaret, part musical theatre, part straight theatre, Cabaret on a Sinking Ship entertainingly explores the darkness behind the cabaret glitter.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Workshop Production, Nightingale Theatre, Brighton     26 Sep 2009

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:
piece

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Come To Where I'm From

Synopsis:
Come To Where I'm From is a theatrical tapestry of the UK, woven by writers asking if home is really where the heart is.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
The Theatre Chipping Norton     07 Jun 2012

Organisations:
Judy Upton

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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Confidence

Confidence
Join the schemers and dreamers on the seafront, as another summer season begins. Amongst the paint peeling kiosks on the prom, Ella arrives like an erotic whirlwind, hell-bent on securing the elusive jackpot

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
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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:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Everlasting Rose

Everlasting Rose
Terrified of ageing, a caravan Casanova changes wives every decade, until a woman of the 90's challenges his delusory routine

Notes:
first play

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:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Gabby Goes Global

Synopsis:
A comedy about a Brighton Department for Work and Pensions (formally known as the DSS) Claimant Advisor who decides to manage a group of modern artists who sign on at her office.

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:
comedy

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Girlz, The

Synopsis:
Tara and Stacey do everything together - clubbing, fighting and skiving off school. the only difference between them is their sex lives - and the rumours spreading about Stacey begin to worry Tara. When Tara starts putting pressure on Stacey to sleep with Shaun, Stacey faces some tough questions - but when things go badly wrong, it is Tara who has to find an answer

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Orange Tree, Richmond, UK >>>     19 Mar 1998

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:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Hotmail From Helsinki

Synopsis:
A play for young people. Two young stowaways in the hold of a cargo ship bound for Helsinki. She is visiting her email penpal Benja (who may not be all she seems), he is a world traveller with a host of exciting tales about his adventures. . . that seem almost too good to be true. Initially they are suspicious of each other, but as a friendship grows, we learn they a girl desperate to escape bullies at home, and a boy needing to escape from the persecution in his own country.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Vienna English Theatre     2001

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
limited print for Austrian Schools, 2001   

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:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Know Your Rights

Know Your Rights
Jane lives below Bonnie and her 3-year-old son Jake. It's the kind of place where neighbours smile and say hallo of a morning. then one day, on the stairs, Jake accidentally trips up Jane. . .

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
The Red Room At Battersea Arts Centre     1998

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:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Noctropia

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
music by Oliver Searle

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Central School of Speech and Drama collaborate with Hampstead 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:
musical theatre

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Out Of Time

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
written by Tom Morton-Smith and Judy Upton for Hampstead theatre's Daring Pairings week

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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People On the River

People On the River
Louise and Nicky meet for the first time on the Marina Walker TV Talk Show, where Nicky gets to perform his new single, "Hit and Run". It could have been under happier circumstances. . . . . Nicky had previously killed Louise's husband in a road accident. What more could a publicist ask for ?

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Finborough Theatre, London >>>     27 May 1997

Organisations:
Red Room

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:  4            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Pig In the Middle

Synopsis:
Set in the near future, "Pig in the Middle" explores the moral, ethical, and medical minefield of animal to human transplants

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Y Touring, Schools Tour And The House Of Commons     1998

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:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Shorewatchers' Horse, The

Shorewatchers' Horse, The
the Shorewatchers' House is a violent and passionate love story set by the sea. A nuclear power station looms on the horizon. Three lovers obsessed by fear of destruction play out their fantasies of breaking free.

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:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Sliding With Suzanne

Sliding With Suzanne
Thirty Five and on the slide, Suzanne does a runner back home to Brighton in search of a new start. But home is a place where big breaks are scarce. And kids grow up - fast. So how do you find what you want in a place like this? And who do you find it with? In financial and emotional despair, Suzanne returns to live with her mother. Instead of finding peace of mind however, her already complicated life becomes even more chaotic. A rocky relationship with her foster son Luka, a one-night stand and having to handle her mother''s boyfriend doesn''t help.

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:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Stealing Souls

Stealing Souls
Twilight in Rio. Vince has raging toothache. the dentist arrives, a beautiful woman with huge white teeth. . . Stealing Souls is a story of lost love and sanguine revenge

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:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Sunspots

Sunspots
Pola lives in a disused amusement arcade and gets her kicks tagging railways and stealing soap bars from one-night stands. Aimee, who always did the right thing, plans to settle down with Sam in Cyprus. But Sam has collapsed and the ambulance is strangely absent. . .

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Finborough Theatre London >>>     21 May 1996

Organisations:
Red Room

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:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
Theatre Record 1966 Page 661 &1198

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Team Spirit

Synopsis:
A lone yachtswoman must win a race between Plymouth and Halifax, Nova Scotia to continue to afford to pursue her dreams, but every moment of her journey is relayed by video and internet to the media and the public. Can she weather the publicity storm as well as the worst the weather can throw at her?

Notes:
part of InterNational Connections At the National theatre

1st Produced:

Organisations:
the Young Company (Plymouth)

1st Published:
in International Connections: New Plays for Young People, Faber and Faber, London, 2002   

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:  8            Female:  5            Other:  chorus

Further Reference:
-

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Temple

Synopsis:
Temple thinks there are a lot of things wrong with his family - except his beloved sister. But she's mysteriously disappeared leaving him to step into her shoes. And to take care of her teenage daughter, Kelly.

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:  2            Female:  2            Other:  2 dancers

Further Reference:
-

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ThatcherWrite

Synopsis:
Loved. Loathed. Lastingly influential. She gave us the right to buy, whilst taking our children's milk; marched some proudly to war, whilst driving others to riot; was honoured by the pomp and regalia of a ceremonial funeral whilst mocked as a burning effigy on the pyre. the Iron Lady who wasn't for turning continues to divide the nation's hearts and minds like no other figure in living memory.

Notes:
part of A Festival of Plays Inspired by Margaret Thatcher. In response to the national conversation surrounding Thatcher's death, theatre503 has invited a broad spectrum of writers to write a series of short plays looking back at Margaret Thatcher - the woman, the politics and her legacy.

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:
short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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To Blusher With Love

Synopsis:
A pop singer disappears in mysterious circumstances. the police have only one clue - a blood stained T-shirt belonging to a 15 year old girl fan. the interrogation of the fan, Abbie, is intercut with flashback scenes from her one-sided affair with her idol. More of a who-done-what than a whodunit ?

Notes:
Man in the Moon theatre, London 10 Sep 1997

1st Produced:
Connaught Theatre, Worthing     05 Apr 1997

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:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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True Grit

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
part of Lead Us: Write Now 6 shorts

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:
short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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