Harold Jolliffe One Act Play Festival
One Act Play Festival >
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites We launched the competition with our partner, The Swindon Advertiser, back in August '05, read all the 30+ entries received by the end of November and put three forward to public voting during Christmas. Now, we can reveal which play is going to be performed, live on stage, February! A reminder of the finalists... Serendipity by Michael Karwowski
Olwyn and Paul, two long lost friends meet in Swindon after 16 years apart. They catch up on her humdrum marriage; his struggling acting career and their past romance. Might this chance meeting provide the answer to their problems? Foxes in the Early Light by Jeannie Palmer
Two British soldiers arrive in a lunatic asylum near Sarajevo. They're part of an occupying force of UN soldiers and meet Rudis and Fata. He's an amputee with wise views of his country's plight, whilst Fata is a pretty young patient, living in fear of Frank, the hospital caretaker. The soldiers are faced with a crisis of conscience about how far they'll have to bend the rules to protect her. Tinderbox by Gillian Palmer
Arthur is a former miner, suffering from a terminal illness his family knows nothing about. His wife, Olwyn, struggles with his bitterness and his anger towards her over a long past affair she had with his best friend. Their daughter is also keeping a secret; the identity of her new boyfriend. Tinderbox is set in the 80's at the height of the miners' strike and centres around a family torn apart. How did the voting go? Serendipity by Michael Karwowski accrued 10% of the vote. Tinderbox by Gillian Ryder got 36% of the vote.
 | | Jeannie Palmer |
Which means the winner is Jeannie Palmer from Guernsey in the Channel Islands, with her entry, "Foxes in the Early Light." "It's very exciting; very exciting indeed and I'm really looking forward to the next stage." And that is for the Old Town Theatre Company to rehearse 'Foxes' and perform it at the Harold Jolliffe One Act Play Festival at the Swindon Arts Centre in February. For Jeannie, this process means saying goodbye to her 'baby'. "You hand over, in many ways to the Director, and the Designer, and take a back seat really but hopefully they'll let me in on what they're doing!" And to listen to an extract of Foxes in the Early Light. Just click to listen! The scene is an abandoned lunatic asylum near Sarajevo during UN intervention in the Yugoslav breakup. Fata, a young and beautiful female patient. Her greatest - and daily - fear is molestation by Frank, the caretaker. She seeks solace in her friendship with Rusid, an old patient in a wheelchair. In another room is Milos, who's madness means his only friend - and means of communication - is his guitar. They are all discovered by two British soldiers, Private Brown and Sergeant Lowe. A wary trust is established before the sinister appearance of Frank.....
Credit: Foxes in the Early Light by Jeannie Palmer
Private Brown was played by Colin Doubleday; Sgt Lowe by Ben Thomas; Rusid was played by Julian Smith
and Fata, by Kirsty Allen. Milos was played by Matt Kelly and Frank, the caretaker, by David Howell. This play contains language which some listeners might find offensive. What happens now? The Old Town Theatre Company, based in Swindon, will begin the process of auditioning the parts, learning lines and rehearsing the action. They'll also need to source props and appropriate costumes to make sure the production is as believable as possible when it comes to its performance. When, and where, can I see it? In February at the Swindon Arts Centre. It'll be performed as part of the Harold Jolliffe One Act Play Festival. The festival runs from Thursday, 23rd February to Saturday, 25th.
OTTC will perform Foxes in the Early Light on the final night.
For times and prices, see the Arts Centre website at http://www.swindon.gov.uk/artsandculture/artscentre/arts-artscentrewhatson.htm | 
