News from SchoolPlay
July 2010


Play of the Month

Which actually comes as a musical No Place For A Girl and as a straight play Sweet F.A.

NO PLACE FOR A GIRL

SWEET F.A.

by
MARK WHEELLER

The true story of Southampton girl Sarah Stanbury and her struggle to gain recognition as a soccer player. Just like her Dad, Sarah, or "Sedge" as she is known to most people, has always liked football . . . her Mother hates it! Despite her talent, the football authorities prevent her from playing for her school. Nevertheless her ambition remains firm and by the age of 16 she has become a regular first team member of a Womens' Football Association adult Super-League Club and an England Womens' Under 21 International.



Mark Wheeller speaking about No Place for a Girl/Sweet FA

"This was the first musical I wrote after having written three successful plays. The script shows my gaining confidence. I wrote this to be my major “hit” and felt sure it had the potential to take over Zigger Zagger with the added advantage of being suitable for a predominantly or completely female cast. I had started to write my own school musicals as it was so hard to find material that fitted the particular problems I encountered when casting ones I wanted to put on. In particular I found that the people who were the best actors were not necessarily the best singers. This meant that main roles would always go to good singers and the best actors may choose not to get involved. In my own Musicals I tailored these needs into the written piece. In No Place For A Girl none of the main characters need to be able to sing and none of the main singers need to be able to act. I also found that the script side of popular school musicals do not offer opportunities to model the style of work and level of creativity I would want my GCSE/Btec students to use. No place for a Girl was written immediately after the success of Too Much Punch For Judy and Hard To Swallow which have now both become standard fare for GCSE candidates. I wanted to craft a musical which offered the Drama teacher as much opportunity for imaginative staging as any of my plays might do. This Musical tells a true story in the words of the people who lived that life (as both the plays above did). I concentrated on developing an imaginative script and handed the task of writing the songs to Brian Price who created a fabulous score (music and lyrics). Sweet FA was adapted from the full length play so that teachers can use it as an exam piece. However I still like it best in its full Musical version. The Bridesmaid scene from the musical was one of the first scenes I selected to appear in my DVD Wheellerplays - The Definitive Authors Collection which comes out in the summer of 2010. This is an scene which models how to use a large chorus imaginatively and effectively. It remains one of my favourite Wheellerscenes. ".
Mark Wheeller


Click on the play title to see full details and read online.

NOW ON FACEBOOK

SchoolPlay Productions now as it's own Facebook page

We hope you will share your experiences, post reviews of your productions and upload photographs

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

The following titles also have their own Facebook pages.
Blackout Operation Pied Piper
No Place For A Girl
Sweet F.A.
The Most Absurd Xmas Musical in the World.......Ever!


A New Play now available


FORTY

by Matt Smith, John Winson & Stephanie Winson

A one act play set during WW1

How a soldier and his family coped

he in the trenches them waiting at home ..... it has an unexpected and interesting twist at the end

Click below to go directly to this show

FORTY


NEW TITLE ADDED TO THIS POPULAR SERIES

Just arrived Julius Caesar

We are pleased to announce that you can now purchase
The Inessential Shakespeare
by John & Leela Hort
The Kabet Press
through SchoolPlay Productions Ltd.

Shakespeare in modern English

Hamlet
Henry V
Macbeth
Twelfth Night
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Romeo & Juliet
Julius Caesar

Ideal for the classroom or the school play, a good choice for amateur theatre groups, EFL students or as preparation for a theatre visit.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PLAYS


WINNING WITH SCHOOLPLAY PRODUCTIONS

Congratulations to The Orpen Players of West Bergholt, Colchester, Essex.

Winners of


BEST YOUTH PRODUCTION
BEST YOUNG ACTRESS
BEST YOUNG ACTOR


with their entry in the
NORTH ESSEX THEATRE GUILD'S
ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL 2010

WE'LL BE HOME TOMORROW
by

Wayne Denfhy


SAME MUSICAL NEW TITLE



BLACKOUT OPERATION PIED PIPER

by Mark Wheeller

Mark Wheeller's wartime musical focusing on the plight of the evacuees in this famous "operation" is being re-launched under this new title (from one of the catchy songs) as part of the 70 years anniversary of the start of World War II.   Previously known simply as BLACKOUT it was Mark's most performed musical in 2008. 

" The evocation of the period was so good that I spent the first act waiting for Vera Lynne's entrance."  Hugh David: Times Educational Supplement.

Click below to go directly to this show

BLACKOUT OPERATION PIED PIPER





We are pleased to announce that you can now purchase a

LICENCE TO COPY

for some of our plays & musical

This Licence entitles you to make as many copies of the script as you require for a one off payment.

This service is only available online
Once payment has been received an attachment of the script will be emailed to you

Our web site is currently being updated & eventually all our titles will be available.