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Though designated as 'Youth' plays, most of these scripts can be - and have been - performed not only by young people but by groups containing a mix of adults and youth performers, or even by adults alone. Several of these plays are multiple Festival Award Winners, five plays have reached Divisional Finals and three have reached the Scottish Youth Final - in 2003, 2005 and 2006 (see below) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASSIPATTLE AND THE STOORWORM Orcadian Folk Tale Comedy : 7m 4f - Assipattle, Fingal, Freya, Mother, Father, Magnus, Gemdelovely, Beitris, Bailie, Minister, Murdo + optional non-speaking servants “…parts the actors can really get their teeth into…” (Literary Director, Traverse Theatre) "thoroughly enjoyable (Newton Stewart Players) When a ferocious sea-monster threatens the kingdom, evil Queen Beitris and Murdo the Sorceror plot to have Princess Gemdelovely sacrificed to the creature. Timid Assipattle determines to rescue her - and to the amazement of his family, he succeeds. Spotlight Publications ISBN : 1 904930 46 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEWARE THE JABBERWOCK Fantasy : 1m 3f 12m/f - variable - Emma, Lucy, 3 Toves, Jubjub Bird, Queen, 2 Borogroves, 2 Raths, Prince Percy, Tumtum Tree, Jabberwock, 2 Bandersnatches. For children to perform, or for adults to perform to a young audience Shortlisted in the Youth Play sections of the 2006 Scottish Community Drama Association Play on Words and the Drama Association of Wales playwriting competitions
Emma and Lucy are lost in mysterious Tulgey Wood, which is full of weird and wonderful creatures. Trying to find their way home, they encounter boisterous Toves and frightened Raths, receive warnings from the aristocratic Borogroves about the frightful Jubjub Bird, and are tracked wherever they go by the frumious Bandersnatch. Joined by intrepid but hapless knight Percy, they come face to face with the fearsome Jabberwock - and then Lucy is bandersnatched! Eventually the Jabberwock's terrible secret is revealed, and the children find out what frumious really means. Baker's Plays (U.S.A.) ISBN : 978 0 87440 215 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE EDGE Drama : 1m 1f - Young Man, Young Woman *Writing Award Winner* - winner of the Youth Section of the Scottish Community Drama Association Play On Words playwriting competition 2006 "a cleverly controlled situation, with grimly comic moments, about the saving of a would-be suicide - by a genuine suicide ... a deeply serious, ultimately tragic tale of teenage angst versus genuine anguish." (Alastair Cording, judge of Play on Words 2006) "...a fine play. Ron Nicol is not only one of our most prolific playwrights, but a highly respected one, who is a fine wordsmith. This is surely one of the finest challenges to the talents of two teenage actors that I have read for some time." (Charles Vance, Amateur Stage) "Our thanks to you for such a wonderful piece of theatre that had the audience totally gripped..." (Young Oxted Players) "emotionally charged" (Evolve Theatre) "tense and powerful" (Edinburgh Spotlight) "thought provoking theatre (LoveFringe) "handles the difficult subject matter very well ... reflects some of the many issues that face young people today" (NSPCC) *13 Festival Awards* Dingwall Academy Drama Group:- 2007 Moray Firth District Youth Festival Winners & Highest Marks in Acting. Abbey Youth Drama Group:- 2007 Ayrshire District Festival Second Place & Highest Marks in Acting. Young Oxted Players:- 2008 Southern Counties Drama Festival Runners Up, Best Junior Entry, Best Young Actress (Jo Cox), Best Young Actor (Adam Farrell), Best Stage Presentation; 2008 AETF Southern Division Festival Best Technical Presentation. Blairgowrie Junior Players: - 2010 SCDA Perthshire District Festival Youth Winners; 2010 SCDA Northern Division Second Place. Aberdour Players Youth:- 2010 SCDA Fife District Youth Final Best Moment of Theatre.
Spotlight Publications ISBN : 1 904930 83 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS Drama : 3m 2f - Fraser, Bugs, Lexy, Rab, Delia, non-speaking victims *Writing Award Winner* - third in the Youth Section of the 2004 Scottish Community Drama Association Play On Words playwriting competition "...an exceptional play. This is indeed powerful drama, and particularly cogent at this time of the rapidly developing gun culture amongst the younger generation." (Amateur Stage) "an excellent play ... a strong message ... a terrifying ending ..." (Scene) *4 Festival Awards* Young Portonian Theatre Company:- 2005 Falkirk District Festival Second Place; 2005 Eastern Divisional Final Best Portrayal of a play depicting Scottish Life and Character; 2005 Eastern Division Youth Final Winners; 2005 Scottish Youth Finalist. Set against a background of racial tension and violence in a Scottish city. Fraser is the ultimate bully, leading his teenage gang in racial attacks and hounding anyone who dares to challenge him. Then Rab meets Delia, an English girl who encourages him to challenge Fraser's racist views. Bugs and Lexy, Rab's ex-girlfriend, are forced to examine thir own beliefs when Fraser stabs an immigrant. Thinking Rab has betrayed him to the police, Fraser wants revenge, and rushes headlong towards confrontation and tragedy. Spotlight Publications ISBN : 1 904930 47 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- GULEESH Irish Folk Tale : 5m 3f 2 m/f - Priest, Guleesh, Gruach, Mogerach, Marie, Queen, King, Mother, Father, Fairy King Short-listed in the Youth Section of the 2000 Scottish Community Drama Association Play On Words playwriting competition “…an enchanting tale … rollicks along … lots of fun…” (Scene) Guleesh goes with the Fairy Folk to help steal the King of France’s daughter, but falls in love with the Princess and rescues her from the kidnappers. The furious Fairy King plans his revenge, and sends Mogerach and Gruach to track Guleesh down. Spotlight Publications ISBN : 1 904930 48 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOLLY WHUPPIE AND THE DOUBLE-FACED OGRE Folk Tale Comedy : 4m 3f - Molly, Olga, Ogre's Wife, Ogre, Wilfrid, King Walter, Balderdash *Writing Award Winner* - runner-up in the Youth Section of the 2002 Scottish Community Drama Association Play On Words playwriting competition "funny, lively...went down a treat with the audience..." (Scene) *6 Festival Awards* - Young Portonian Theatre Company:- 2003 Falkirk District Festival Adjudicator's Award & Audience Award; 2003 Eastern Divisional Final; 2003 Scottish Youth Final. Dingwall Academy Drama Group:- 2003 Moray Firth District Festival Third Place & Highest Marks in Acting. 'Molly Whuppie and the Double-faced Ogre' at the Fourth Annual Scottish National One Act Youth Final 2003 - "...a light-hearted fairy tale with a modern slant, it is delightful and charming - a modern day pantomime. Mocking convention it is hugely enjoyable to watch... The audience were so reluctant to say goodbye to Molly and her gang. What a start to the festival..." (Scene - October 2003) When Prince Wilfrid falls in love with bold and clever Molly Whuppie, King Walter challenges her to steal the Ogre's sword, purse and ring. Molly succeeds, and marries the Prince on her own terms. There is a full-length pantomime version of this play - see 'Molly Whuppie' on the Pantomimes page Spotlight Publications ISBN : 1 904930 45 X ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIG TALE Traditional Tale Comedy : Narrator, Prompter, First, Second and Third Little Pigs, Mummy Pig, Sheep, Big Bad Wolf, Man or Woman With Straw, Man or Woman With Sticks, Man or Woman With Bricks, Police Officer
An updated re-telling of the tale of the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs. Mummy Pig throws the Three Little Pigs out into the big wide world to seek their fortunes. They have to cope with the demands of relating to others, gathering materials, building houses, and keeping the Wolf from the door. The Narrator also has problems to deal with in the shape of an insufferable Prompter and a wily and wilful Sheep. Spotlight Publications - ISBN : 97809560 209 05 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SPIRITING OF BURD ELLEN Folk Tale Comedy : large mixed cast - doubling and trebling - Stage Manager, Stage Crew, Merlin, Rowland, Burd Ellen, Guinevere, Elf, Elfin King, Shadow, Herdsman, Cowherd, Henwife, Horses, Cows, Hens, Cockerel, Knights, Courtiers, Elves. Despite the apparently large cast the play can be performed by groups of all sizes as many characters make only one appearance. *Writing Award Winner* - runner-up in the Youth Section of the 2004 Scottish Community Drama Association Play On Words playwriting competition "...a lovely play ... a wonderful asset to children's theatre..." (Scene) "lively, inventive and often hilarious" (Amateur Stage) "full of fun and good humour" (Ross-shire Journal) *11 Festival Awards* Largs Junior Players:- 2005 Ayrshire District Festival Ayrshire Youth Trophy & Highest Marks in Acting; 2005 Western Division Youth Final. Auchtertyre Primary School:- 2005 Highland Division Youth Festival Junior Section Winners. Dingwall Academy Drama Group:- 2006 Moray Firth District Youth Festival Winners & Highest Marks in Acting; 2006 Highland Division Senior Section Winners; 2006 Highland Divisional Final; 2006 Scottish Youth Final. Ravenshead Youth Theatre Group:- 2008 NANDA Youth Theatre Festival Best U12 Actress (Ellie Thomas as Childe Rowland) Best U12 Actor (Gethin Williams as Herdsman) Highly Commended (Marisha Milek as Merlin & Saachi Oza as the Elfin King) When Burd Ellen mysteriously disappears, her brother Childe Rowland consults the wizard Merlin, who suspects that Ellen has been spirited away by the Elves. Rowland sets out on a journey to the Dark Tower in the Land of Faery, where he comes face to face with the King of Elfland. Spotlight Publications ISBN : 1 904930 62 X There is a full-length pantomime version of this play - see 'Childe Rowland' on the Pantomimes page ------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE WISE VILLAGERS Folk Tale Comedy : 4m 4f 9m/f variable - doubling possible - Squire Squibley, Gwendolyne, Farmer Gumble, Mistress Gumble, Grandmama, Old Woman, Cow, man with Breeches, Five Villagers, The Wise Man (or Woman), non-speaking villagers and sheep Squire Squibley searches for sillier sillies than the woman he's to marry. He travels to the village of Gotham, where he finds sillies and silliness a-plenty - and realises his fiancee is no sillier than anybody else! Spotlight Publications ISBN : 1 904930 49 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TWO TALL TALES - NEARLY UP THE POLE & NEARLY ALL AT SEA Nearly Up The Pole : 2m 3f 3m/f. Narrator, Henry, Mortimer, Henrietta, Aurora, Goudeau, Rowff, Voice Off Nearly All At Sea : 3m 3f 2m/f. Narrator, Henry, Mortimer, Henrietta, Aurora, Cap'n Codfish, Barnacle, Voice Off 'Two Tall Tales' concern the nonsensical and hilarious adventures of Victorian explorer Sir Henry Nearly. ‘Nearly Up the Pole’ sees the intrepid adventurer and his sidekick Mortimer Leeveme set out on a expedition to find the Pole – any Pole. Led by expedition expediter Jules Goudeau (aka as Jessie Boggs) and hampered by husky Rowff, they merely encounter Henry’s indomitable wife Henrietta and his irritating daughter Aurora. ‘Nearly All At Sea’ accompanies the hapless pair on a voyage of discovery with Cap’n Codfish and Barnacle the Mate. Unluckily for them, the fabulous island they discover is simply the Isle of Wight, now inhabited by the vindictive Henrietta and irksome Aurora. The plays can be performed together or separately, and are suitable not only for young players of all ages but for more ‘mature’ performers. Spotlight Publications - available in September ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
"It has the same delightfully confusing dialogue of Carroll's work and brings back fond memories of reading these stories as a child. Wonderfully cryptic nonsensical moments and moments of philosophical clarity made me smile and wonder. This play will go down a treat with children and adults alike." (Angharad Elen, judge, D.A.W. Youth playwriting competition 2006) "Full of nonsensical language, confusion and bewilderment, the play is a delight from start to finish. Ron Nicol has created a piece of theatre that will have adults and children laughing along to the same thing, and family entertainment doesn't get better than that." (Amateur Stage) 
A young man is on the roof of a high building, contemplating throwing himself over the edge. A young woman finds him there and initiates a conversation, but her readiness to slip into fantasies sounds a warning note. The young man eventually leaves the roof - but the girl is fixated with death and has a dark secret. Picture by Evolve Theatre 
Shortlisted in the Youth section of the Drama Association of Wales One Act playwriting competition 2008, being described by the judge Angharad Elen as "by far the funniest play in the competition. The only play that made me laugh out loud, not once but several times. Ron Nicol has a wonderful and quirky sense of humour."
