Summer Shorts (2023)
Ten pieces of new writing, curated by Peter Stevens, Guy Jones and Mark Vinson
Match referee - Celia Delaney
Performances: Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 August 2023, Old Fire Station
South London Theatre is again running an evening of 10 varied short plays (each running up to 10 minutes) as a chance for new and experienced writers to see their original work on stage. Due to popular demand, the run this year has been extended to five nights!
Every year we give writers the chance to have a piece of new writing performed. This year we chose the theme, 'Sporty Shorts' for our playwrights to grapple with, and set the brief that the pieces could be no longer than 10 minutes and have no more than 5 actors. We will perform 10 texts, which span monologue and small company, drama and comedy, and contemporary and period. There truly will be something for everyone.
Contents
A Short Interview
by Jacob Smith
Directed by Mark Vinson
- Chris – Jason Rosenthal
- Jim – Ben Oakes
Strength and How to Obtain It
by Lisa Thomas
Directed by Lisa Thomas
- Eugen Sandow – Tom Watts
- Arthur Conan Doyle – Matthew Davies (Tuesday - Thursday); Peter Stevens (Friday - Saturday)
Sweet Science
Directed by Lorraine Spenceley
- Belinda – Caroline Doyle
The Transition
Directed by Sarah Pearcey
- Alex – Barry Heselden
- Chris – Cheyenne Eugene
Mr Tuesday
Directed by Charlotte Benstead
- Michelle - Victoria Waddington
Rain Stopped Play
by David Lydon
Directed by Lucy Robinson
- Vikram - Yousaf Sharif
- Grant - Jack Harding
- Gavin - Dennis Fenton
- Rita - Charlotte Benstead
A Subaltern’s Love, Set, Match
Directed by Cal Beckett
- Young John Betjeman - Stephen Grist
- Old John Betjeman - Richard Shead
- Joan Hunter-Dunn - Roisin Deady
- Carol - Roisin Deady
The Goat
by Henry Burt
Directed by Roisin Deady
- Travis - Emmanuel Oduja
- Lucy - Imogen Buxton
- Susie - Susan Cunningham
- Tyler - Jacob Loftus
Sport
Directed by Peter Stevens
- A - Eugene Duffy
- B - Saskia van 't Hoff
Three Lions
by Guy Jones
Directed by Guy Jones
- Mason - Jacob Loftus
- Sima - Oneikeh Campbell
- Leah - Ditta Demeter
- Joanne - Susan Cunningham
Crew
- Stage Manager - Tiffany Manning
- Assistant Stage Manager - Celia Delaney
- Lighting & Sound Operator - Peter Stevens and Charlotte Benstead
- Show photography - Matthew Partridge
With particular thanks to Sean Thomas, Tom Mathias, those members of the Shorts company who assisted with the build, the cast and crew of The Railway Children, all the volunteers in Wardrobe, Front of House, Box Office and the Bar.
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 2023 winner was Charlotte Benstead for Mr. Tuesday.
Winners of this annual competition are listed on the New Writing Competition page.
Gallery
- Photos by Phil Gammon
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