This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

With great sadness we bring you the devastating news of the passing of our dear friend, founder, mentor and colleague. David Waters you were incredible and will be hugely missed

New customers save 10% with code GET10

It has become uneconomic to ship printed scripts to customers outside of the UK. Choose our pdf E-Scripts and Copying Licences instead.

Thank you for purchasing with Stagescripts

Shopping basket 0

Sorry, looks like we don't have enough of this product.

Products

Need help? Contact our team here

Pair with
Subtotal Free
Shipping, taxes, and discount codes are calculated at checkout
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Diners Club
  • Discover
  • Google Pay
  • Maestro
  • Mastercard
  • Shop Pay
  • Union Pay
  • Visa

Billy Joel Holds The Key To The Afterlife

Tess Light

Genre: Drama

Cast size: 4

Duration: Full Length

Tess Light | Drama | Full-length | 1m, 2f, 1m/f

Short synopsis

Warring parents Frances and Leo die and find themselves trapped together in Limbo, where their daughter Carmen must piece together their fractured family history through their shared passion for Billy Joel. With their Hindu Deity, Ganesha, guiding the way, this play explores how love, conflict, and music can lead to unexpected acceptance.

Frances and Leo met, loved, married, hated, and divorced before their daughter Carmen was ever born, and then spent decades after locked in a battle for control — with Carmen as the battleground. So fierce is their competition that they even die almost simultaneously, leaving Carmen to weave together a family history using the only thread she’s got: their mutual love of Billy Joel. And while the Hindu deity Ganesha orchestrates the paths this family must take towards acceptance, Frances and Leo are stuck -- together -- in Limbo.

Characters 1m, 2f, 1m/f

  • Carmen, f, 30-40-ish, an educated, professional, mother/daughter/wife with some grit, and a nice singing voice. (f)
  • Frances, f, 50-65-ish, Carmen's mother; a novelist. Irresponsible, charming, selfish, and loving, she is a woman of contradictions. (f)
  • Leo, m, 50-65-ish, Carmen's father; middle-class, working-class. He likes a good time but has a violent temper. (m)
  • Ganesha, any age, gender, race or ethnicity; the Hindu god of literacy; placer and remover of obstacles (m/f)

Winner, Julie Harris Playwriting Award
Competition, 2017 (Beverly Hills Theatre Guild)

Finalist: Stanley Drama Award, 2017 (Wagner College) Campfire Theatre Festival, 2017

Type
Free

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.

[{"variant_id":"56460522946946" , "metafield_value":""}]

Billy Joel Holds The Key To The Afterlife

Free
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.