New Works (Theatre Wakefield)New Works is a dramatic reading directed by Peter James Haworth and presented by the Wakefield Players. The New Works program, which supports and nurtures emerging regional talent, saw 13 playwrights submit romantic comedies, an old-time radio show, political history, chiller theatre and a personal dance piece.
..... and the decision which play will be presented has JUST been made:
"Jack King, Ace Detective", by Keith Davidson
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The Play:
“It’s 1955, and the glory days of radio drama are fading fast, muscled aside by the upstart medium of television. This madcap comedy focuses on an oddball radio troupe suddenly forced to take desperate measures in an attempt to save their jobs.
The troupe’s flagship show, “Jack King, Ace Detective,” stars the flamboyant Laurence Peabody. Once the toast of the London stage, a series of flops sent him into hiding as a radio character actor. And now he’s headed for his biggest disaster yet, for just minutes before this week’s episode is to go live, his co-star, bitter ex-movie star Mitch Mitchum, is too drunk to go on.
The troupe’s caustic, egomaniacal director, Corwin Speer, swings into action, pre-empting “Jack King” with their sponsor’s favourite radio play. After a lightning-fast editing job, and Laurence playing multiple rolls, they’re on the air.
About a minute in, the show predictably goes off the rails... though in unpredictable ways. But with the quick-thinking Corwin rewriting as they go, and his eager assistant Katie working Foley for the first time, they somehow manage to turn disaster into... an even bigger disaster. It’s not your typical crash and burn – this disaster ranks up there with the Hindenburg. It’s like watching a train wreck, if train wrecks were funny.
But why are we surprised? After all, this is the alcohol and caffeine-fueled mania that was live radio.”
Keith Davidson’s life-long addiction to old time radio is finally paying off. Not only has he written a pilot for a TV series set in the exciting world of radio in the 1940s, he has also written a comedy play about disaster befalling a radio troupe in the 1950s.
The troupe’s flagship show, “Jack King, Ace Detective,” stars the flamboyant Laurence Peabody. Once the toast of the London stage, a series of flops sent him into hiding as a radio character actor. And now he’s headed for his biggest disaster yet, for just minutes before this week’s episode is to go live, his co-star, bitter ex-movie star Mitch Mitchum, is too drunk to go on.
The troupe’s caustic, egomaniacal director, Corwin Speer, swings into action, pre-empting “Jack King” with their sponsor’s favourite radio play. After a lightning-fast editing job, and Laurence playing multiple rolls, they’re on the air.
About a minute in, the show predictably goes off the rails... though in unpredictable ways. But with the quick-thinking Corwin rewriting as they go, and his eager assistant Katie working Foley for the first time, they somehow manage to turn disaster into... an even bigger disaster. It’s not your typical crash and burn – this disaster ranks up there with the Hindenburg. It’s like watching a train wreck, if train wrecks were funny.
But why are we surprised? After all, this is the alcohol and caffeine-fueled mania that was live radio.”
Keith Davidson’s life-long addiction to old time radio is finally paying off. Not only has he written a pilot for a TV series set in the exciting world of radio in the 1940s, he has also written a comedy play about disaster befalling a radio troupe in the 1950s.
The Playwright: |
The Dramaturge & Director |
A former theatre manager and screenwriting instructor, Keith’s writing career took off after winning some major screenwriting contests, including the prestigious Disney Fellowship that brought him to Hollywood. He’s since sold or optioned six feature scripts, and is now trying to transition into television. He has also made three award-winning short films. So far he has had two 10-minute plays produced. He has also written a graphic novel called “Toby’s War” that is in development.
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Peter James Haworth has performed for over thirty years throughout Canada. Most recently in Ottawa, Peter played Berlioz for Seventeen Voyces in Ottawa. Last year he played Dominique Villepin among other roles in Stuff Happens at the NAC, and Ian Brown in The Boy in the Moon at GCTC. In Toronto, he played Christopher in the Actors Repertory Company's production of Martin Crimp's The City.
Peter has been working with Theatre Wakefield for a while now: he directed "Twelfth Night" last summer, he dramaturged last year's New Works - resulting in this fall's main stage production of "What's Eating You?" by JohnHardie. He performed "Confessions" about Tolstoy as a fundraiser of New Works. |
More about Keith on his Website |
Theatre Wakefield's Website |
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