THEATRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEATRE-IN-EDUCATION

Scripts By Neil Duffield

LILFORD MILL
Commissioned Pit Prop Theatre, Wigan. For audiences 16+. Cast size 5. See press reviews.

THE MINOTAUR
'Beyond the realms of place and time, exists a land where dreams are truth and truth is dreams, where the world of the flesh meets the world of the spirit. The name of this land is Myth.' The Minotaur is a story for all time and all people, a tale of adventure and intrigue, of love and betrayal, of fear of the unknown, and of two cultures each bent on revenge. Minimum cast 4. Suitable for audiences aged 8-14 and families. Commissioned and first produced by The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. READ REVIEWS

NANNA’S NIGHTINGALE
For 3 – 8 year olds. Original songs. Cast size 4. Commissioned and first produced by Action Transport Theatre at the Haymarket Theatre Studio, Leicester. ‘When Sally and her dog, Che, move to their new home they soon make friends with their next door neighbour, Nanna Sidhu, who tells stories to make a young girl’s hair curl. But making friends with Lloyd, who lives in the house on the other side, is not as easy. That is until Nanna Sidhu starts to tell them about the nightingale.’

PICKIN’ PICKIN’
For 8-12 year olds. Cast size 3 or 4. Commissioned and first produced by Cleveland Theatre Company. ‘Dog and Rat live on the city tip. They survive by picking through the rubbish other people through away. Dog is tough. Top of the pile. No-one messes with her. Rat is sharp and quick. Never misses a trick. Knows all the scams. There’s no love lost and no rules. Amongst the rubbish it’s every creature for himself. That is, until Rabbit arrives. Fresh from the sticks. Never set foot in the city. She behaves differently, talks differently, and she doesn’t know the first thing about rubbish.’ Pickin’ Pickin’ is a fantasy which takes place anywhere anytime. Animals are people and people animals. They pick sides, pick fights, pick friends, and pick out an existence in a world of rubbish.

THE SECRET GARDEN
Straight non-musical adaptation of the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel. Minimum cast size 6. Previous productions include Nottingham Playhouse and Polka Theatre for Children, London. READ REVIEWS

DANCING IN MY DREAMS
Tells the story of a young wartime evacuee from London, who is placed with an unwilling foster family in Cheshire. She copes with the hostility and prejudice by escaping into a world of dancing and the music of the 1930’s. Commissioned and first produced by Action Transport Theatre. Minimum cast 5. READ REVIEWS

THE UGLY DUCKLING
Originally commissioned by Tiebreak Theatre, Norwich. For 5-8 year olds. Productions include Northampton Theatres, Sheffield Crucible, Nottingham Playhouse, National Youth Music Theatre. Cast 4. Based on the Hans Andersen story.

TALKING WITH ANGELS
Based on the story of Joan of Arc. For 8-13 year olds. Premiere production by Quicksilver Theatre, London.

SMALL FRY
Commissioned by York Theatre Royal for the Playhouse Project (2008), a joint initiative between York Theatre Royal, Dundee Rep, Plymouth Theatre Royal and Polka Theatre, London. A 35 minute play suitable for performance by a large cast of junior school children or youth theatre group (actual cast size flexible). First performed at Dundee Rep, York Theatre Royal, Plymouth Theatre Royal and Polka in the summer of 2008.               'Neil Duffield has created a play that pits dragons, predators, scavengers and small fry all against each other in a battle for power, ownership and belonging. This play is an excellent example of how drama can encourage and support team work, and also explores the intricate nature of how the different types of people living in the world interact with each other. Small Fry is an excellent example of ensemble theatre and makes us remember that not all of the big bullies have the power.'

LEOPARD
Commissioned and first performed by The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. For 5-9 year olds. 'In a time before there was time, in a land before there was land, the Earth had no trees, no plants, no animals, no people. Only rocks and sand. In this desert only one creature lived...'. East African myths combine with music and dance. This is the story of how the world of three friends, Leopard, Rat and Jackal gets turned upside down when one decides to cheat and steal and the fate of all the creatures and plants lies in balance. It is a tale of friendship, of trust and of learning to cooperate to protect the world we live in.

©2002 Neil Duffield, All Rights Reserved.