| mistletoe_and_crime_programme_notes_1.rtf |
Mistletoe and Crime Programme Notes
Mistletoe and Crime was written by Marie Jones and directed by Dan Gordon.
T’was the night before Christmas the city is heavin’
There’s shoppin’ and gurnin’ and drinkin’ and thievin’…
It’s a new time, a new place, a new police service. Two WPC’s try to keep order amongst the mayhem that is a Belfast Christmas – it doesn’t help that it’s the last night on the beat for one of them – the first night for the other.
The role of Ryan Crossey is played by Ciaran Nolan. Ryan is in his early twenties, wears a grey tracksuit and bright white trainers and a red Santa hat. Ciaran Nolan also plays the parts of the Christmas fairy, Keiran McNamara , Haribo and Rosco the busker.the Christmas fairy wear a white tutu and a blonde wig, and bright pink high heels. Keiran wears a grey puffa jacket with a fur trim, a black baseball cap with gold lettering, large green and white trainers and jeans. Haribo wears a long high visibility jacket covering a blanket, has a straggly long beard and a scruffy hat. Rosco has long dark dreadlocks, and wears a very small elf hat perched on the top of them, along with a pair of elf boots and a long dark coat.
The role of Eamon Maguire, duty solicitor is played by Matthew McElhinney. Eamon is a serious young man of around 30, tall and slender with dark hair and glasses. He wears a brown suit and a messanger bag across his body. Matthew McElhinney also plays the roles of Seymour the first aider from the SOS bus Kevin, Sue’s ex-boyfriend and the bouncer outside the nightclub. Seymour wears a bright yellow fleece, a black bum bag and a black woolly cap. Kevin wears jeans and a coat, and the bouncer wears black trousers and a bomber jacket.
Louise Parker plays the parts of Katriona, Keira Quinn and Carley. Katriona is a slim young women of around thirty who has long red hair pulled back into a French plait. Katriona wears a long maroon cardigan over jeans and a pair of flat black boots. Keira is a teenager, with a shiny brunette bob and wears a black short leather jacket and a very short purple dress revealing very long slender legs. Carley is also a teenager, with long blonde hair , and wearing a pale pink top, shiny bright pink leggings and high heels. She wears a pair of red antlers.
Christina Nelson plays the parts of Meta Moorehead, Amanda, Mrs Crossey – Ryan’s mother, Freda Henderson and Georgia. Meta Moorehead is a woman of nearly eighty, who wears a beige knee length dress and maroon cardigan, and wears a gold and brown headscarf knotted under her chin. She carries a pair of binoculars and shuffles about quickly in her slippers. Amanda is Katriona’s ex-partner, and wears a black leather jacket over a plaid shirt and jeans. Mrs Crossey, Ryan’s mother, wears a pink towelling dressing gown over a pair of pyjama bottoms and has short blonde hair. Freda Henderson has a short red bob, and wears and beige coat over black trousers, and a pair of beige heeled boots. Georgia is a teenage girl, and wears a pink dress with high heels. Georgia has a very long blonde ponytail and wears a pair of red antlers on her head.
Within this setting, at the beginning of the play the stage shows 3 sections of the interior of a police station. To the far left are two lockers one of which is covered in good luck cards and an enlarged picture of Columbo, the TV detective. To the far right is a segment of an office showing a white desk on which sits a box wrapped in gift paper, and a framed photo. At the back of the stage in the centre is the booking area which is raised and encased in a wooden rectangular frame. In it there is a largish white desk with a chair at the back looking out at the audience. There is an assortment of office equipment lying on the table such as a computer, a phone, and a writing pad. Mounted on the wall behind the table is plasma CCT screen and above it a small round blue light flashes continuously. A large sign is fixed to the front of the desk .
The booking area revolves and disappears, the lockers and the other desk are removed, and a gable wall descends on the right. This is the brick house where Amanda lives in an upstairs flat. The space outside is the street.
The gable wall ascends and the SOS BUS slides on from the left creating another outdoor setting. Like the houses it is one dimensional. It looks like the one downtown in Belfast. On a background of black and yellow the words “Here To Help” are emblazoned on the bus. There is a life size door in the middle of it.
Yet another location is created when the grey brick wall of the gable of Meta’s house is lowered on to the stage at the right. There is a door in the middle of the wall.
Ryan’s Mother’s house, or rather it’s gable wall is lowered on to the left providing another setting in a street. It is brightly lit with Christmas lights in the shape of a tree and a coloured sign saying HO HO HO on the wall.
In Cranmore Park on the Lisburn Road there is a green wooden park bench on top of the steps at the back.
A large sketch of an off licence window featuring bottles of liquor creates a street scene on the Lisburn road
A tall Christmas tree, beautifully lit and decorated and placed at the back takes us to a city centre venue.
Glass double doors of a nightclub at The Odyssey slide in from the right establishing yet another outdoor venue.
The play starts at the Police Station, in the custody suite.
Mistletoe and Crime was written by Marie Jones and directed by Dan Gordon.
T’was the night before Christmas the city is heavin’
There’s shoppin’ and gurnin’ and drinkin’ and thievin’…
It’s a new time, a new place, a new police service. Two WPC’s try to keep order amongst the mayhem that is a Belfast Christmas – it doesn’t help that it’s the last night on the beat for one of them – the first night for the other.
- The Characters
- The role of Constable Sue Patterson is played by Tara-Lynne O'Neill. Sue is of medium height and slim with blond hair worn back in a ponytail. Sue is in her early forties.
- The role of Constable Aileen Quinn is played by Katie Tumelty. Aileen is small with long dark hair worn back in a ponytail. Aileen is around the age of forty.
- Both Sue and Aileen wear the PSNI uniform of dark trousers, white shirt, and black safety vest. When the constables are outside they wear a reflective high visibility yellow jacket over their uniform. Both always carried attached police radios on their shoulders.
- Gerard Jordan plays the role of Constable Malcolm Commings referred to as Mal. Mal is… Gerard Jordan also plays the roles of Basil Moorhead and Aileen’s husband. Mal wears dark trousers and a police shirt and jumper. Basil wears a long grey wool coat and has a scarf knotted around his neck. Aileen’s husband wears a brown coat, jeans and a brown knitted beanie hat.
The role of Ryan Crossey is played by Ciaran Nolan. Ryan is in his early twenties, wears a grey tracksuit and bright white trainers and a red Santa hat. Ciaran Nolan also plays the parts of the Christmas fairy, Keiran McNamara , Haribo and Rosco the busker.the Christmas fairy wear a white tutu and a blonde wig, and bright pink high heels. Keiran wears a grey puffa jacket with a fur trim, a black baseball cap with gold lettering, large green and white trainers and jeans. Haribo wears a long high visibility jacket covering a blanket, has a straggly long beard and a scruffy hat. Rosco has long dark dreadlocks, and wears a very small elf hat perched on the top of them, along with a pair of elf boots and a long dark coat.
The role of Eamon Maguire, duty solicitor is played by Matthew McElhinney. Eamon is a serious young man of around 30, tall and slender with dark hair and glasses. He wears a brown suit and a messanger bag across his body. Matthew McElhinney also plays the roles of Seymour the first aider from the SOS bus Kevin, Sue’s ex-boyfriend and the bouncer outside the nightclub. Seymour wears a bright yellow fleece, a black bum bag and a black woolly cap. Kevin wears jeans and a coat, and the bouncer wears black trousers and a bomber jacket.
Louise Parker plays the parts of Katriona, Keira Quinn and Carley. Katriona is a slim young women of around thirty who has long red hair pulled back into a French plait. Katriona wears a long maroon cardigan over jeans and a pair of flat black boots. Keira is a teenager, with a shiny brunette bob and wears a black short leather jacket and a very short purple dress revealing very long slender legs. Carley is also a teenager, with long blonde hair , and wearing a pale pink top, shiny bright pink leggings and high heels. She wears a pair of red antlers.
Christina Nelson plays the parts of Meta Moorehead, Amanda, Mrs Crossey – Ryan’s mother, Freda Henderson and Georgia. Meta Moorehead is a woman of nearly eighty, who wears a beige knee length dress and maroon cardigan, and wears a gold and brown headscarf knotted under her chin. She carries a pair of binoculars and shuffles about quickly in her slippers. Amanda is Katriona’s ex-partner, and wears a black leather jacket over a plaid shirt and jeans. Mrs Crossey, Ryan’s mother, wears a pink towelling dressing gown over a pair of pyjama bottoms and has short blonde hair. Freda Henderson has a short red bob, and wears and beige coat over black trousers, and a pair of beige heeled boots. Georgia is a teenage girl, and wears a pink dress with high heels. Georgia has a very long blonde ponytail and wears a pair of red antlers on her head.
- The set
Within this setting, at the beginning of the play the stage shows 3 sections of the interior of a police station. To the far left are two lockers one of which is covered in good luck cards and an enlarged picture of Columbo, the TV detective. To the far right is a segment of an office showing a white desk on which sits a box wrapped in gift paper, and a framed photo. At the back of the stage in the centre is the booking area which is raised and encased in a wooden rectangular frame. In it there is a largish white desk with a chair at the back looking out at the audience. There is an assortment of office equipment lying on the table such as a computer, a phone, and a writing pad. Mounted on the wall behind the table is plasma CCT screen and above it a small round blue light flashes continuously. A large sign is fixed to the front of the desk .
The booking area revolves and disappears, the lockers and the other desk are removed, and a gable wall descends on the right. This is the brick house where Amanda lives in an upstairs flat. The space outside is the street.
The gable wall ascends and the SOS BUS slides on from the left creating another outdoor setting. Like the houses it is one dimensional. It looks like the one downtown in Belfast. On a background of black and yellow the words “Here To Help” are emblazoned on the bus. There is a life size door in the middle of it.
Yet another location is created when the grey brick wall of the gable of Meta’s house is lowered on to the stage at the right. There is a door in the middle of the wall.
Ryan’s Mother’s house, or rather it’s gable wall is lowered on to the left providing another setting in a street. It is brightly lit with Christmas lights in the shape of a tree and a coloured sign saying HO HO HO on the wall.
In Cranmore Park on the Lisburn Road there is a green wooden park bench on top of the steps at the back.
A large sketch of an off licence window featuring bottles of liquor creates a street scene on the Lisburn road
A tall Christmas tree, beautifully lit and decorated and placed at the back takes us to a city centre venue.
Glass double doors of a nightclub at The Odyssey slide in from the right establishing yet another outdoor venue.
The play starts at the Police Station, in the custody suite.
