Player King
Ryan Stevens
Genre: Comedy
Cast size: 13
Duration: 100 mins approx
Ryan Stevens | Comedy | Full-length | 5m, 7f, 1m/f)
Short synopsis
- Synopsis
- Characters
When a modest community theatre begins a production of Hamlet, Weldon, a self-absorbed and pompous young actor, aspires to overcome the slight he receives in being cast as Horatio. He conspires with Olive, an amateur actor who was cast as understudy to Ophelia, to try and persuade their director, an over-the-top, eccentric, and blustery artiste, named Logan Messina, to promote them. Orsonio, the favourite son of the theatre and the actor cast as Hamlet, wonders if he's up to the challenge of playing Shakespeare's most famous part. Lorraine, cast to play Ophelia, finds herself unfulfilled in yet another Shakespearian female lead role.
At the same time, Edisto the assistant director and Charlotte the assistant stage manager try to balance their budding romance with work responsibilities, Stratdorf and Walder, the two set designers try to avoid work responsibilities at all turns, and Lorraine's sister, the modern prose-speaking Valencia, enters to try and audition.
Amid these myriad personal agendas, Orsonio pranks Olive by faking his death, and is persuaded by Weldon to keep the prank up and disguises himself, driving Olive into a frenzy. Messina gets fired by the theatre's investors for his outlandish ideas, leaving Edisto and Charlotte in charge of the production, to their chagrin. Stratdorf and Walder discover Weldon's scheme and try to persuade humourless Lorraine to help them, even including Valencia in the plot. They conspire to make Lorraine seem murderous and insane, in the hopes of terrifying Weldon into confessing. At the conclusion, everyone but Weldon hides in the stage and swarm Weldon, acting like ghosts, frightening a confession out of the villain.
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.
