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Don't Get Your Vicars In A Twist

Ann Gawthorpe & Lesley Bown

Genre: Comedy

Cast size: 10 or 11

Duration: 110 mins approx

Ann Gawthorpe & Lesley Bown | Comedy | Full-length | 5 or 6m, 5f

Short synopsis

A fast-moving and hilarious farce about Church Warden George Williams who has rented out a temporarily empty vicarage to a travelling drama company for a Murder Mystery weekend to pay for his daughter’s wedding. Unfortunately, Bishop Herbert appoints the Rev Caroline Timberlake before the weekend can take place. But when Caroline goes away for the weekend George is determined that the Murder Mystery still goes ahead. As the chaos mounts he finds himself kidnapping a bishop and pretending to be Caroline. Simple to stage with only one set, but it provides plenty of scope for the actors to hone their comedy skills, both verbal and physical.

Synopsis

'Don’t Get Your Vicars in a Twist' is set in 1991 when the first female vicar was ordained - it's a fast-moving farce full of fun, frolics and lots of doors!

Desperate to find the funds to pay for his daughter’s wedding, Church Warden George Williams seizes the opportunity to rent out the vicarage while waiting for a new vicar to be appointed. The booking is to a touring Theatre Company, who are to stage a Murder Mystery weekend in which a female Vicar and a Bishop are among the cast.

Unfortunately for George, a new female Vicar is appointed to the vicarage before the Murder Mystery weekend can take place. George thinks he is still in luck when the new Vicar, Caroline Timberlake announces that she is to visit friends at a college reunion over the weekend. However, events take a turn for the worse when Bishop Herbert rings the vicarage to announce that he is to visit to meet his new vicar.

Chaos ensues as the actor playing the Bishop in the Murder Mystery weekend is mistaken by George and fellow Churchwarden Alan, for the real Bishop Herbert and the Bishop himself mistakes the actor playing the Vicar for Caroline.

Matters get worse as half of the Theatre Company fails to make an appearance and the remainder spend most of their time either fighting with each other or getting drunk, or both. This is even before we meet the guests!

(5 or 6m, 5f)

  •   George - 50s, Church Warden
  •   Caroline - late 20s, Vicar, attractive
  •   Dickie - 40s/50s, proprietor of a theatrical company specialising in Murder Mystery Weekends
  •   Alan - early 30s, Church Warden
  •   Ronald - 50s, actor *
  •   Marigold - 40s, actress
  •   Maddie - 40s, weekend guest
  •   Charles - 30s, actor
  •   Freda - 50s, weekend guest
  •   Angela - 50s, weekend guest
  •   Herbert - 50s, Bishop*

* The same actor can play both Ronald and Herbert.

WINNER: Derek Lomas Playwriting Competition 2005

"This is one of the more comprehensive farce scripts I’ve seen, with some of the funniest one-liners". RAODS, The Plaza, Romsey

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Don't Get Your Vicars In A Twist

Free
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