The Inaccurate Conception
Geoff Saunders & Richard Ahsem
Genre: Comedy
Cast size: 20
Duration: Two Act
Geoff Saunders & Richard Ahsam | Comedy | Full-length | (min 2m, 4f; max 8m, 12f)
Short synopsis
- Synopsis
- Characters
A raucous and often slightly surreal celebration of everyone’s first brush with the theatre – the school Nativity play.
Celia Whibley is a young teacher directing class 3C of Verruca Street Primary School in a Nativity play and though the children are unprepossessing and uncooperative, they are the least of Celia’s troubles – her real obstacle is the unhelpful staff, who have been encouraged not to help her by two older teachers who always used to be asked to produce the play and are exacting their revenge. Battling against the odds is a ‘learning experience’ for poor Celia. Will the struggle have been worth it?
Among the vivid adult characters in the play are: Octavia, the headmistress, whose keenness to develop Celia as a teacher blinds her to the machinations of the other staff; Miss Belcher and Miss Cusp, the ‘baddies’, and the hapless Celia herself, who narrates the story as she tries to shape the Nativity into a show worth watching.
Among the children we meet Jessica, precocious stage school starlet; Dougal, child genius and walking thesaurus and Shane, would-be ‘bad boy’ with a heart of gold. Seven-year-olds, teachers and parents alike are played by adults in this energetic and warm-hearted comedy.
Applying for and paying royalties
To apply for royalties, please complete the form on our apply for royalties page.
To pay for fixed fee royalties having received your Quotation from us, please go to this payment form.
More information
If you require any additional information regarding this script, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.
Frequently asked questions
Can we try before we buy?
Of course! All our plays and pantomimes have a free Preview Script available for download as an A4 pdf file that contains 60-75% of the full script. If you like what you read then you can buy an inexpensive e-script of the entire play (typically less than half the cost of a traditional printed script) which is licensed to you for your personal use. Purchasing a script copying licence allows you to make just enough copies to support rehearsals and performances.
All our musicals are included in our perusal service. Through this, representatives of producing organisations can request a USB Stick of perusal material which comprise the script/libretto and piano/vocal score as PDF files; a Cast (or Studio) Recording as MP3 files and (where available) an MP4 file video of either the premiere production or of a subsequent production.
Some titles have the facility to read the entire script online on our website.
Do we need a Licence To Perform?
The simple answer is, yes.
Under the international laws of copyright, you must be in possession of a valid, unexpired licence before performing any piece of theatre unless the owner or managers of the copyright has waived their rights.
Why do you insist on providing a formal royalties quotation?
When you request a quotation, it is logged in our system, it forms part of an orderly queue and protects your place in that queue should multiple licensing requests occur for the same show.
Need help?
Contact us
If you need help with our scripts, please contact our customer service team, we would be more than happy to help.
Established for over 25 years
Unearthing future talent
Stagescripts is a trusted licensing company run by theatre professionals with decades of experience on and off stage. Our curated catalogue includes over 1,000 carefully selected plays, musicals, and pantomimes — from fresh, undiscovered writing to well-loved classics.
We’re passionate about helping theatre-makers at every level discover scripts that inspire, challenge, and connect with audiences. Whether you're staging a village hall production or leading a professional company, our team offers expert advice, flexible support, and a responsive, personal service to help your next performance shine.
