Summer Shorts (2024)

Ten pieces of new writing, curated by Cal Beckett, Anna Callender and Guy Jones

Performances: Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 August 2024, Old Fire Station

Our celebration of new writing has become an annual event at SLT. This year, we asked writers to focus on the theme of 'Storm' to create a 10-minute play.

A mix of new comedy, drama and monologue, our evening of Shorts has something for everyone with its programme of 10 short plays.

Storm In A GPT Cup

by Will Howells

Directed by Steve Grist

Aidan – Nick Bateman
Aisling – Nicola Foxwell
Wordsworth - Cal Beckett

Moving Furniture

by Natalie Gregorian

Directed by Natalie Gregorian

Melanie – Flora Blissett

Storm The Gates

by Tom Boxall

Directed by Tom Boxall

Dictator – Dean Moore
Servant - Ben Farren

Thursday

by Rob Tavernier

Directed by Rob Tavernier

Malcolm – Stevie Cox
Patsy – Olivette Cole Wilson
Clayton - Rob Tavernier

A Very Gallant Gentleman

by Matthew Davies

Directed by Alex Redmond

Scott - Randy Brown
Wilson - Eugene Duffy (Tuesday - Friday); Chris Gipson (Saturday)
Bowers - Craig Norman
Oates - Chris Gipson (Tuesday - Friday); Tom Mathias (Saturday)

Storm Hunters: Stormdate 28/7/05

by Tom Watts

Directed by Saffy Andrews

Charlie - Will Howells
Connor - Tristan White
Caitlin - Amy Evans

Making Waves

by Julia Collier

Directed by Charlotte Benstead

Nancy - Jacqui Cassidy
Meryl - Shilpa Varma
April - Ellie Masterman
Jake - Seb Keenan

Super Troopers

by Guy Jones

Directed by Guy Jones

Mike - Joe Hawkins
Steve - Lewi Chapman
John - Ben Dustin

The Blind Man Plays

by James Taverner

Directed by Cal Beckett

Lee - James Taverner

Grace And A Codpiece

by David Lydon

Directed by James Jackson

Edmund - Joe Dominic
Grace - Aria Baker
Clive - Steve Grist
Fool - Celia Delaney

Crew

Stage Manager - Mark Ireson
Assistant Stage Managers - Madeline Helmstadter, Tom Mathias (Saturday)
Lighting and Sound Operator - Noah Wright
Lighting and Sound Design - Anna Callender with input from play directors
Show photography - Phil Gammon, Charlotte Benstead
Rigging and Set Construction - Mark Ireson, Sean Thomas, Dennis Fenton, Phoebe Price, Hound and Shorts casts and crews

Special thanks to: All the writers who submitted their work, all our directors, the actors who auditioned, our table-read play readers, Phil Ross, and the wonderful SLT volunteers behind the scenes, front of house and on the bar who make our shows possible.

New writing prize

In 2023 SLT benefitted from a kind bequest, which specifically provided the funds for a cash prize for an annual play-writing competition. The Summer Shorts immediately suggested themselves as the best platform for this competition. Each night audiences were asked to vote for the best writing they had seen.

The 2024 winner was Rob Tavernier for Thursday.

Winners of this annual competition are listed on the New Writing Competition page.