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Country Dances

Ann Gawthorpe & Lesley Bown

Genre: Comedy

Cast size: 11

Duration: 110 mins approx

Ann Gawthorpe & Lesley Bown | Comedy | Full-length | 4m, 2f

Short synopsis

A townie's plans for village culture go hilariously awry when a neighbour's cattle herd destroys her prized new kitchen. As Emily scrambles to repair the chaos before her husband returns with important business guests, she finds herself entangled in increasingly absurd situations—from police involvement to insurance fraud accusations. A farcical 1970s comedy about clashing town and country sensibilities.

It’s the early 1970s and townie Emily Hetherington plans to bring a breath of fresh air to the country village she has just moved to. The house has been decorated from top to bottom, the garden has been landscaped and above all she has a top of the range Hygena kitchen with the latest in worktops – Formica.

Next she turns her attention to the locals, all, she is sure, starved of culture. Unfortunately for her, not only do they have culture by the bucketful, they also have Thomas. He has always brought his cattle down the lane at the side of Emily’s house, and he has no way of knowing that her landscapers have removed the hedge that separated the lane from the garden.

So on the morning that Emily starts to reveal her plans she finds that the locals have some plans of their own. Meanwhile Thomas and his frisky herd of cattle are causing chaos in the garden and wrecking the kitchen – her husband’s pride and joy.

Emily’s desperate attempts to repair the damage, before her husband brings a French couple home to sign up a business deal, ends up with her being arrested by the police for attempted murder, planning to defraud the insurance company and all the while trying to keep Thomas from doing further damage.

Characters (4m, 7f)

  • Angie Elmers : in her 30s, a Londoner (f)
  • Marge Brownlow : in her 30s, a Londoner (f)
  • Emily Hetherington : in her 40s, a posh Londoner, (Needs to wear a skirt or dress). (f)
  • Thomas Rudgeway : between 30 and 60, a countryman (m)
  • Gertie Dalrymple : middle aged, a countrywoman, related to Thomas (f)
  • Ethel Hollowfield : middle aged, countrywoman, related to Thomas (Needs to wear a scarf). (f)
  • The Vicar : middle-aged, posh (m)
  • David Hetherington : Emily’s husband, 40s, a businessman (m)
  • Etienne : a French businessman (m)
  • Chantelle : Etienne’s girlfriend, doesn’t speak
    English (Needs to wear a scarf, and a skirt or dress). (f)
  • Brenda : in her 20s, a policewoman, related to Thomas (f)
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Country Dances

Free
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