| death_of_a_comedian.zip |
Death of a Comedian – Programme Information
Death of a Comedian is a one act play by acclaimed Belfast playwright Owen McCafferty. It’s directed by Steve Marmion and is a collaboration between The Lyric Theatre, Belfast, The Abbey Theatre in Dublin and Soho Theatre, London.
Characters:
The comedian, Steve Johnston, is played by Brian Doherty. He is a stocky man, in his late 30’s, quite tall, with a fleshy, jowly face and a slight double chin. He has short, dark hair in a widow’s peak on his forehead. At first he wears blue jeans and a casual tee shirt with a check shirt worn open over the top. Later he wears black jeans and a black tee shirt with a burgundy blazer.
The girlfriend, Maggie Fairbrother, is played by Katie McGuinness. She is a slim, attractive woman in her mid 30’s with long, brown hair worn loose and pinned back off her face. She wears tight black jeans, and a loose grey top with the sleeves rolled up. She has silver necklaces round her neck and wears camel coloured boots.
The agent, Doug Wright, is played by Shaun Dingwall. He is in his late 30’s, medium height and medium build. He has short, sandy blonde hair. When he first appears he is wearing a white shirt, dark coloured suit trousers and has shiny tan shoes. He wears a light brown coat open over the top. Later, in his office, he wears a suit jacket to match the trousers.
Set:
The set for Death of a Comedian consists of four panels, suspended so they hang behind the actors on the stage. Each panel can slide silently away to reveal the next panel behind, therefore changing the location of the scene.
When the play opens, the first panel is a tiled wall, dirty and marked. There is a No Smoking sign stuck to it and an arrow pointing left. When that panel slides away a slightly bigger one is revealed. This time it is thick black wallpaper, again a bit worn and dingy. The third panel is larger again. This is panel is painted grey with three posters advertising different comedians in frames on the wall. The fourth panel is the biggest. This consists of heavy red velveteen curtains, hanging in thick drapes. When this one slides away the back wall of the stage is used with different lighting effects for different locations.
Sound Effects:
Throughout the play sound effects are used. These include “canned laughter” – the sound of an audience laughing at a joke, along with cheering and clapping. The sound of a telephone answering machine is also used.
Death of a Comedian is a one act play by acclaimed Belfast playwright Owen McCafferty. It’s directed by Steve Marmion and is a collaboration between The Lyric Theatre, Belfast, The Abbey Theatre in Dublin and Soho Theatre, London.
Characters:
The comedian, Steve Johnston, is played by Brian Doherty. He is a stocky man, in his late 30’s, quite tall, with a fleshy, jowly face and a slight double chin. He has short, dark hair in a widow’s peak on his forehead. At first he wears blue jeans and a casual tee shirt with a check shirt worn open over the top. Later he wears black jeans and a black tee shirt with a burgundy blazer.
The girlfriend, Maggie Fairbrother, is played by Katie McGuinness. She is a slim, attractive woman in her mid 30’s with long, brown hair worn loose and pinned back off her face. She wears tight black jeans, and a loose grey top with the sleeves rolled up. She has silver necklaces round her neck and wears camel coloured boots.
The agent, Doug Wright, is played by Shaun Dingwall. He is in his late 30’s, medium height and medium build. He has short, sandy blonde hair. When he first appears he is wearing a white shirt, dark coloured suit trousers and has shiny tan shoes. He wears a light brown coat open over the top. Later, in his office, he wears a suit jacket to match the trousers.
Set:
The set for Death of a Comedian consists of four panels, suspended so they hang behind the actors on the stage. Each panel can slide silently away to reveal the next panel behind, therefore changing the location of the scene.
When the play opens, the first panel is a tiled wall, dirty and marked. There is a No Smoking sign stuck to it and an arrow pointing left. When that panel slides away a slightly bigger one is revealed. This time it is thick black wallpaper, again a bit worn and dingy. The third panel is larger again. This is panel is painted grey with three posters advertising different comedians in frames on the wall. The fourth panel is the biggest. This consists of heavy red velveteen curtains, hanging in thick drapes. When this one slides away the back wall of the stage is used with different lighting effects for different locations.
Sound Effects:
Throughout the play sound effects are used. These include “canned laughter” – the sound of an audience laughing at a joke, along with cheering and clapping. The sound of a telephone answering machine is also used.
