To celebrate the arrival of a vaccine I am offering my plays for free to stage in 2021. I'm the winner of the Steyning Festival with my script ‘Barabbas’ judged by Sir Arnold Wesker. And I am also a published playwright, having had my plays performed around the UK. Dm for the script you choose or just email me johncollings50@hotmail.complays with songs: ‘PENNIES FROM HEAVEN REVISITED’ set during the Second World War. It tells of a young couple who ‘fall’ in love, and the obstacles they have to overcome during the stressful period. M3 (2 young, 1 old). F2 (1 young, 1 old). 60 pages.‘OLD FLAMES’ is a short play with songs about two people who meet in a pub and rekindle their relationship. M1 (young-ish) F1 (young-ish). 15 pages. ‘MOLLY’ is about, how a woman copes with the death of her husband, and how the ghost of her husband comes back to encourages her to get on with her life and start a new relationship, which she eventually does, by falling in love again. Author’s note: I wrote ‘Molly’ while I was studying & training to be a bereavement counsellor, and working with bereaved people. The musical is based on the grieving process. M4 F5. (adult to retired). 62 pages. ‘REAL LOVE’ is a light romantic play with songs comedy. It tells of a young girls dream to find real love, and break away from her dominate mother, and the obstacles she has to overcome to reach her goal. M3 (1 old-ish, 2 young-ish.) F3 (1 old-ish, 2 young-ish). 45 pages. PENNY BLACK follows a woman’s life with her dominating husband and show’s how, despite her circumstances, she manages to re-discover her own hidden talent for singing and goes onto find true love. Authors note: I used to be a counsellor and I became aware in my work, that although there are lots of happy marriages, there are some marriages that are not working and in some cases the wife is being oppressed by the husband. So I wrote ’Penny Black’ to try to give a voice to these women who are suffering in our community. I am a big campaigner for women rights, and feel deep concern about all oppressed people all over the world. Cast: F6-M5 (adult to mature) Pages ? ROMEO & JULIET (PLEASE NOTE R&J COMES AS A PLAY WITH-OUT SONGS) I have adapted “Romeo & Juliet” into modern day English and added some beautiful songs and set the play with songs amongst the youth gangs of the inner-city. It’s very easy to stage, as I have used minimal props. It comes with guide vocals & backing tracks & sheet music. Out of respect for Shakespeare, I translated the original book, word for word, into modern day English, not changing the plot, well only slightly editing the story, to keep it simple, helping it flow for modern day audiences. My reason for doing this was I wanted, even the most uneducated person to understand and draw pleasure from the story. 32 pages. Plays without songs:‘ LOVE’ is a light romantic comedy. It tells of a young girls dream to find real love, and break away from her dominate mother, and the obstacles she has to overcome to reach her goal. M3 (1 old-ish, 2 young-ish.) F3 (1 old-ish, 2 young-ish). 38 pages. ‘A WAR TIME-ROMANCE’ is set during the Second World War. It tells of a young couple who ‘fall’ in love, and the obstacles they have to overcome during the stressful period. M3 (2 young, 1 old). F2 (1 young, 1 old). 60 pages. A play for children with songs ideal for schools touches on bullying. Can be staged as a Pantomine. *MR & MRS POORFAMILY (VERY FUNNY). A very poor family win the lottery (with the help of a Genie), and act out their fantasies. Mum wants to be a Pirate. Dad wants to go on a Teddy Bears picnic. One of the children wants to be Elvis & wrestle a crocodile. Another wants to be Madonna. One wants to be an astronaut and walk on the moon. One ones to be James Bond. Eventually all their money is lost on the stock market by a corrupt Lottery official. But realize family is more important than money. 32 pages. FRIENDS two people meet and fall in love.10 pages. Ex’s Anonymous is a very funny comedy about 5 women attending a meeting, in an empty hall, led by a cynical facilitator, to talk about their ex boyfriends. f5 (various ages). 10 pages. KIDNAP is a short black comedy about a petty criminal & his stupid girlfriend who have to guard a hostage, delivered by Mr Big. M1 (18 – 30) F2 (1 18-20, 1 30-40) 8 pages. WASTE is a play that follows a man’s’ decline into drug addiction. The play starts dramatically with what looks like a rape scene. But, is in affect a couple trying to consummate their relationship, unsuccessfully. This leads to the man having sex with various glamour models, in a seedy studio. In a dream he is visited by an old teacher who encourages him to go to college and become a writer. But, his dreams, of reaching his full potential, are destroyed. One of the models he encounters is a drug addict, which quickly leads the man to become addicted to Heroin. Eventually, he reveals his mixed feelings about his own sexuality (cross-dressing), as he overdoses and dies. M1 (20-40) F3 (adult). 10 pages. ‘INCY WINCY SPIDER’. A BLACK COMEDY. About 2 mentally ill people who share a bed-sit. Length 30-40 mins. Cast 2m (1 16-20 years but with a lower mental age. 1 as old as possible). Or can be played by 2 fm’s. Authors note: I wrote this when I was counselling clients with mental health problems and feared they may be left with-out support, to fend for themselves. This play I am sure is what happens, sometimes. 15 pages. LOOKING FOR MR RIGHT is about a mature prostitute who works out of a flat owed by her pimp. Turns out the pimp is her son. The pimp wants his mother out of the flat so he can get a younger girl in. But family secrets from their past stops the eviction plan. Eventually the mature prostitute meets Mr Right, and starts a new life. But things turn bad, the new man in her live is an East End Gangster, called Barabbas is abusive and the mature prostitute has a mental breakdown when her husband is arrested for murder and released. During her breakdown she is visited by Jesus, asking her why BARABBAS got away with murder, when he was nailed to the cross. It’s Pinter-ish, and has a surreal ending. M3 (2 young-ish, 1 mature). F1 (mature). 17 pages. THE WRITER is about a writer who lives with his nagging mother, and tries to write a romance novel. Only to have the characters in his novel come alive. Cast: adult to retired. M2 F2 8 pages. ‘BOUNCER’ is about a couple’s romance that turns very ugly in deed. Cast 20- 40 years THREE LOSSES is a short play about 3 losses in a man’s life.M3 (adults). F1 (adult). 8 pages. BOB & TERRY ‘Bob & Terry’ is a short play about two men in a cancer ward. It is a black comedy. M2 F1 (all adults). 7 pages. BUDDHISM is a short play about a chauvinist male who is sent by his wife to learn about Buddhism to a Buddhist Monk.M2 (1 20-50, 1 18-30). 4 pages. THE LOVERS is a short play about 3 sections of a couple’s life together. M1 F1 (both young-ish). 6 pages. ‘Ex’s anonymous’ is a COMEDY about 5 women attending a meeting, led by a cynical facilitator, to talk about their ex boyfriends. f5 (various ages). 10 pages. ELOPE is about a young girl waiting for her boyfriend so they can elope. F2 (1 16-18, 1 30 -40) 3 pages. TWO IRISH MOTHERS short comedy F3 8 pages. BARABBAS is about a mature woman who has a mental breakdown when her husband, an East End Gangster is arrested for murder and released. During her breakdown she is visited by Jesus, asking her why BARABBAS (the nickname for her husband) got away with murder, when he was nailed to the cross. It’s Pinter-ish, a surreal ending. M1 (30ish) fm (40-60ish). 3 pages. ‘Who’s Baby’ a short comedy for 3 women.10 pages. TWO PREGNANT WOMEN a short comedy. 8 pages. ‘The Girl Who Collects Clouds’ by john collings. Synopsis: Anne’s father dies. On his death bed Anne’s father convinces his daughter that he will be in the clouds to watch over her. This prompts Anne to record the names of clouds she sees, in a book. Anne’s mother gets a boyfriend, who is introduced to Anne. Mother’s new boyfriend is a paedophile. After the paedophile has groomed Anne, he attempts to abuse her. But is killed by Anne’s new boyfriend. A tense drama. About a sensitive subject. With a twist ending. Pm me for your free script. 12 pages .Monologues. MOTHER TALKING is about a woman reminiscing about her mental illness. Fm. 2 pages. THE HAWAIIAN SHIRT. Comedy. A women talks about her ex-boyfriend. 5 pages.MY 4 EX BOYFRIENDS. A women talks about her 4 ex boyfriends. 6 pages.'2 MEN' (Talking Heads). Two men stand back to back on and deliver prose about their past relationships. Ideal to be filmed or to be staged. 4 pages. Dm me or email me for the script:johncollings50@hotmail.com