KeywordsWritten by Dan Finch
A story of a relationship, asking whether attraction is straightforward in the modern age. Can you sum up a person in just a few words?
| Adam | Robert McGough |
| Jenny | Frances Peters |
| David | Adam Smart |
| Director | Janice Halsey |
Author's Notes
Dan is a member of Bench Theatre and lives in Havant. He works in academic publishing, but in his spare time he dabbles in lots of creative endeavours including drawing, photography, acting, painting and writing. 'Keywords' is the first script he's written and he's very excited that it was chosen to be performed.
A Dangerous WomanWritten by Paul King
Kitty Marion was an actress and suffragette who worked tirelessly for women's rights. This is her story.
| Kitty | Sarah Ash |
| Smith | Neil Kendall |
| Director | Stuart Reilly |
Author's Notes
Paul King taught Drama in Hampshire schools for 40 years and was also a writer and performer. He wrote for professional stage, BBC radio and amateur theatre. Paul wrote extensively for schools, young people and community groups and his work is published by Pearsons, Cambridge University Press and Samuel French.
This play was selected to go to Totton in March 2019 for the All England Theatre Festival Competition. Best Original Script was awarded to Paul King, Neil Kendall received the cup for Best Adult Actor, Sarah Ash received the cup for Best Adult Actress, Stuart Reilly received the cup for Best Direction and the play received the cup for Runner Up.
The Cramples Are AttackingWritten by Hugh Allison
None of us know what this play is about....
| Clive | Chris Vanstone |
| Roy | Alan Welton |
| Amber | Sue Dawes |
| Melanie | Janice Halsey |
| Paul | Chris Vanstone |
| Liam | Chris Vanstone |
| Elijah | Paul Millington |
| Sally | Ciara Ayre |
| Director | Megan Green |
Author's Notes
Hugh is a writer whose first full-length play Taj had a two-week run Upstairs at the Gatehouse in 2003. Other plays Hugh has written include The Crib of Destiny (The Ten Bells), Call on Me (The Dogstar), Alice's Adventures in Bishopsgate (White Horse), The Discovery (Stoke Newington International Airport), Staying In (The Hideaway) and Worship (The Etcetera).
Hugh has also written five short films, two published short stories, and assorted radio plays and poems. Hugh is also a director and occasional actor.
The Invasion of the Body SnatchersWritten by Paul King
Ray is very angry, and Simon is on the receiving end of his anger ... but what has he done?
| Ray | David Booth |
| Simon | Jeff Bone |
| Director | Daisy Dawes |
Author's Notes
Paul King taught Drama in Hampshire schools for 40 years and was also a writer and performer. He wrote for professional stage, BBC radio and amateur theatre. Paul wrote extensively for schools, young people and community groups and his work is published by Pearsons, Cambridge University Press and Samuel French.
Flat Pack ResolutionWritten by John Hill
It's Christmas Eve and the in-laws will arrive at any minute, but the living room floor is littered with a failed DIY project ....
| Sebastian | Paul Millington |
| Fran | Liz Donnelly |
| Director | Sue Dawes |
Author's Notes
John is a journalist and writer who has written numerous plays, sitcoms, animation shorts and screenplays. He was short-listed for a Channel 4 comedy drama award, long-listed for a BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum, and twice long-listed for the Kenneth Branagh New Drama Writing Award.
His first feature came second in the annual Reddit Screenwriting Contest and he was a finalist in Cascade Pictures' Writers' Couch script development initiative. He has TV credits for two episodes of a sitcom, his Edinburgh and Camden Fringe debuts received several 4 and 5-star reviews, and he is a two-time winner of the annual Player Playwrights Best Comedy Award.
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RiskWritten by Lucy Flannery
Risk is a poignant, yet comedic, reminder of how the legalities and 'what if's' of contemporary life affect the traditional values of marriage. As a battle of the head and the heart unfolds, which one will ultimately prevail?
| Eva | Suzy Gains |
| James | Thomas Hall |
| Director | Craig Parker |
Author's Notes
Lucy Flannery is a member of Bench Theatre and lives in Havant. She has credits in radio, TV and film in addition to theatre. She teaches the Get Playwriting! course at Chichester Festival Theatre and is a Consultant Fellow with the RLF.
Her play, Poisoned Beds, co-written with Greg Mosse, returns to The Spring after a south coast tour on 13 September.
This play was selected to go to Totton in March 2019 for the All England Theatre Festival Competition. Thomas Hall received a nomination for Best Adult Actor.
AftermathWritten by Caitlin Devlin
Lucas and Kenzie reluctantly find themselves in the same room while they wait for their son.
| Lucas | Andrew Caple |
| Kenzie | Angie McKeown |
| Director | Jacquie Penrose |
Author's Notes
Caitlin Devlin is Cheltenham-based writer who currently studies English and Creative Writing at The University of Warwick. She debuted her original musical, Lawless, in 2016 with a cast of young performers, and is currently working on new writing with the Gloucestershire Youth Players, who have performed at venues such as the Tobacco Factory, the Bristol Old Vic and the RSC Dell. Additionally, during the Bristol Old Vic's most recent open submission season, they selected her play Alex is Here as one of their top fifteen submissions. Outside of playwriting, her work has also been recognised by the Iggy Litro Prize, the Flash500 Short Story Competition, and the Exeter Writer's Prize.
The OneWritten by Lindsey Post
Riley can't seem to make connections with people. Luckily, there's a company that provides services for people like him ... but is he brave enough to try it?
| Riley | Archie McKeown |
| Anna | Mae Elliott |
| Jean | Phillippa Thorne |
| Director | Joan Horton |
Author's Notes
Lindsey is a new writer based in London. Originally from the US (Minneapolis, Minnesota), she received her MA in English Literature from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She spent several years teaching English as a Foreign Language in Prague before moving to the UK. She is currently working as a freelance script reader for film and TV production companies in London, and writes as much as she can in her spare time. She also occasionally works shifts at the box office of a local fringe theatre so she doesn't forget how to talk to people.
In 2018, several of Lindsey's short plays were selected for various new writing nights in London, including a rehearsed reading at The Hope Theatre, Rapid Write Response at Theatre503, and Dispatches at the OSO Arts Centre. Her first full-length play was longlisted for Theatre503's 2018 Playwriting Award. Lindsey is incredibly excited to have her work performed in Supernova 8!
The ButtonWritten by Tony Pipes
Would you push the button?
| Benny | Howard Alston |
| Sarah | Ingrid Corrigan |
| Director | Roger Wallsgrove |
Author's Notes
Tony started his creative career in the music industry, being signed to Manchester's infamous Factory Records with his band the Space Monkeys in the 1990's. After this, he has pursued a career in Broadcast Marketing, creating award winning advertising campaigns for the BBC and ITV and titles such as Doctor Who, Luther, Downton Abbey and Broadchurch. He is currently Executive Creative Director of ITV's in house advertising agency ITV Creative. He writes short films, screen plays and more recently for the stage.
This is his first play to be produced.
BumpWritten by Mark Wakeman
Jennifer might be pregnant, but what does that mean for her and her partner Phil?
| Jennifer | Jo Langfield |
| Phil | Brian O'Connor |
| Director | Alan Welton |
Author's Notes
Mark Wakeman is a Bench member and the only writer to have had his work featured in all eight Supernova festivals, with Bump being the 18th to be included. Bench have also performed three of his full length pantomimes and a week of his work under the banner 'Mark My Words'.
Mark's plays have won awards and have been picked up and performed by various groups, both amateur and professional, across the country. Two of them, 'Grotto' and 'Choices' are published by Roister Doister.
He is very grateful to the readers who select the plays, the company who perform them, and the audience who watches them.
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