ONE ACT PLAYS
The Big Issue
Reviews : “A well constructed and intriguing plot. Very moving. There is depth to the characters and the whole play has a rich and original texture.” Panel of Judges, Geoffrey Whitworth Competition.
“The original script was of real merit. At the heart of the piece, the central relationship was always believable and often moving. A strong entry.” Eastleigh Drama Festival Report.
Productions : Festival Fringe Theatre Company tour during 2003 at the following festivals; Totton Drama; Eastleigh; New Forest; Ferndown; Andover; AET Divisional Final; NDFA Final.
Awards : Commendation in 2003 Geoffrey Whitworth One Act Play Competition.
Gone Fishing
Reviews : "A mature work about an immature young man. Composed with psychological understanding. . . the text is vivid, spontaneous, full-blooded and sharp." Adjudicator, Salford One Act Play Competition.
"Masterly moments. The ending was unexpected and very effective. Full marks to both playwright and director." Bordon Herald.
Productions : the 1992 London New Play Festival, and Bunbury Fringe Youth Company, Hants.
Awards : Certificate of Merit in the 1991 Salford One Act Play Competition.
The Last Picnic
Reviews : "A witty black comedy . . . sparkling script." The Stage.
"Black comedy at its funniest." The Farnham Herald.
“Home Counties gone mad!" The List.
Productions : The Bunbury Theatre Company, Hants; a 3 week run at the 1991 Edinburgh Festival.
Awards : Shortlisted in the 1991 Bognor Regis Playwriting Competition.
Love in the Meadow
Reviews: "A powerful study of turbulent human emotions." The Stage.
"Bears the stamp of real dramatic intensity." The Scotsman.
"Has a richly Russian feel to it." Amateur Stage.
"Another outstanding play from Claire Booker." Festival Times, Edinburgh.
"A thoroughly well-made play, which is a joy to read and has all the elements necessary for effective and enjoyable stage production." The adjudicator, Leicestershire Playwriting Competition.
Productions : Diabolo Theatre Company in a 3 week run; The Tonbridge Theatre & Arts Club, Kent; The Gnosall Players, Staffs. Performed at the 1990 Edinburgh Festival and 1991 Tunbridge Wells Drama Festival.
Awards : Winner of the 1989 Leicestershire Playwriting Competition.
Rainbow Baby
Reviews : "I cannot tell you how much I admire this play. It is full of truth and compassion." Roy Seammen GODA, Adjudicator, 1988 NATHDA Festival.
"Booker is a young, sensitive writer able to focus clearly on an issue and pin it down for what it really is." The Stage.
"A promising new playwright." Time Out.
"Written with remarkable insight and compassion, and never at any moment sentimental or embarrassing." 1988 George Taylor Award panel of judges.
Productions : The Bunbury Theatre Company in a 3 week tour; Mind’s Eye Theatre, Surrey; The Selsdon Players, Croydon; The Tonbridge Theatre & Arts Club, Kent; TheMetro Players, Middlesex; The Riverside Players, Wirral; Bordeaux University Theatre, France (in translation); BATS Theatre Company, Queensland, Australia; AZ Sevicios Culturales, Spain (in translation) on a 14 centre tour. Performed at the 1988 NATHDA Festival, 1990 Edinburgh Festival, 1990 Tunbridge Wells Drama Festival, 1990 Liphook Festival, 1991 Southgate Festival, 1991 Sunshine Coast Drama Festival, Australia, 1992 All-England Theatre Festival, 1992 Bromborough Festival, 1992 Hale & District Arts Festival, 1992 Leverhulme Festival; 1996 Figeac Festival, France; 1999/00Oviedo and BarcelonaFestivals, Spain.
Awards : Winner of Best Original Play Award in the 1990 Tunbridge Wells Festival and 1991 Southgate Festival. Winner of the 1988 Leicestershire Playwriting Competition. Nominated for the 1988 and 1990 George Taylor Award. Runner-up in the 1996 Southampton International Playwriting Festival.
The Romance
Reviews : "Very amusing adult comedy." The Playwrights' Agency.
"A bright comedy . . . played strictly for laughs." The Croydon Advertiser.
Productions : The Hoxton Theatre, London; Adults Only, Lancaster; The South London Theatre. Performed at the 1991 Hornby Drama Festival.
Shattered Peace
Reviews: "Compelling. One of the highlights of the Fringe," The Sunday Times.
"Shattered Peace has all the virtues of a memorable short story," The Scotsman.
"A stark and strong piece of work," The List, Glasgow.
"Cleverly constructed, with strong characters," The Stage.
"A short, sharp and shockingly effective work," Bournemouth Evening Echo.
“In a lifetime in the entertainment industry, I have never been so moved,” Dennis Hall, Director, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton.
Productions : Festival Fringe Theatre Company, Hants, in a 2 week run; 1991 London New Play Festival; Hillman's Ancient and Modern, Northampton; Bordeaux University Theatre, France; Logan City Theatre, Queensland, Australia. Performed at the 1993 Ipswich and Redcliffe Festivals, Australia, the 1994 Totton Festival, 1994 Eastley Festival, the 1994 Edinburgh Festival and the 1996 Cestas Festival , France .
Awards : Third prize in the 1989 Wandsworth All London Literary Competition. Runner up in the 1994 Geoffrey Whitworth One Act Playwriting Competition.
Socks go in the Bottom Drawer
Reviews : "Superb material. That rare gem, a genuinely funny feminist play." Amateur Stage.
"Made its point with wit and irony and provided five good roles for the cast to play." Adjudicator, 1991 Redditch Festival.
"Funny, provocative and occasionally outrageous . . . the dialogue is constantly funny, characterisation good, a genuine comic creation." Panel of Judges, 1991 George Taylor Award.
Productions : The Gnosall Players, Staffs; the Woodside Drama Group, Birmingham; Studio OneTheatre, Stoke; Logan City Theatre Company, Queensland, Australia; Bunbury Fringe Youth Company, Hants; the BATS Theatre Company, Queensland; the Lichfield Players, Staffs; the Tamworth Players, Staffs; The Jersey A.D.C. Performed at the 1990 Wellington Drama Festival, 1991 Redditch Festival,1991 Staffordshire One Act Festival,1991 Sunshine Coast Drama Festival, Australia, 1992 Jersey Eisteddfod, and 1997 Garrick Festival.
Awards : Nominated for the 1991 George Taylor Award. Third prize in the 2006 Wandsworth All London Writers Competition.
Something Borrowed
Reviews : "Sensitively and poignantly written, this play provides three challenging acting roles." The Playwright's Agency.
Productions : The Deeside Players, Scotland; South London Theatre; Out And About Players, Merseyside; Hoxton Theatre, London; Beckenham Theatre Centre, Kent; TheOld Hamptonians A.D.C, Surrey; Pool Theatre Company, Scotland; Hayeswater Amateur Theatre Soc, Manchester; The Rotherfield Players, Kent. Performed at the 1987 Elmbridge Festival, 1990 Tunbridge Wells Drama Festival,1991 S.C.D.A. Festival and 1992 Arran Festival.
Awards : Winner of the 1985 Douglas Clarke Playwriting Award.
FULL LENGTH PLAYS
Blood So Cheap
Reviews : "A fully-rounded drama by highly-regarded writer, Claire Booker. Offers serious, in-depth treatment of a vital subject. Moved most of its audience to tears." The Guardian.
"Powerful scenes. I loved it." Northamptonshire Herald and Post.
"Explicit but never gruesome. This is a play with poignancy as much as pain and degradation of human values." The Stage.
"There are few playwrights with her gift of conveying raw passion in her dialogue." Amateur Stage.
"Strong stuff, but a rattling good play." The Farnham Herald.
"Riveting . . . richly textured. An early revival is surely on the cards." The Wandsworth Borough News.
Productions : TheBunbury Theatre Company, Hants; Hillman's Ancient and Modern, Northants; New Theatre Company, London. Three week run at the 1990 Edinburgh Festival and the Millstream Theatre, Guildford. Performed at the 1990 Liphook Festival.
Building on Sand
Reviews : "Witty tale of five people and a cuckolding on the beach. A clever script full of social worker speak and inventive innuendo." Time Out.
"An unusual but very funny play." The Playwrights Agency.
"A jolly buxom below-the-belt tale, that rips along with great confidence and aplomb." Hampstead Theatre Script Reader.
"Enjoyable farce . . . poking fun at feminism and sexism alike." Camden New Journal.
Productions : The St Leonards Players, Gloucestershire; a 3 week run by the Etcetera Theatre Company, London.
The Devil and Stepashka
Reviews : "Powerful stuff." The Times.
"Finely written. Astutely observed characters." The Independent.
"Compulsive watching." The Scotsman.
"An exciting drama, laced with the most delicate irony." Richmond and Twickenham Times.
"A fascinating study of female sexuality and repression. One awaits Claire Booker's next project with anticipation." The Stage.
"A tightly written and engrossing new play, recommended." Time Out.
"An impressive adaptation." London Theatre Record.
"The verdict is excellent," Bournemouth Evening Echo.
Productions : The Duke's Head Theatre Company in a 3 week run at the 1989 Edinburgh Festival, transferring to the New End Theatre, Hampstead, for a 5 week run; Festival Fringe Theatre, Hants in a 6 theatre tour. Performed at the 1989 Surrey Arts Festival and the 1995 Wellington Drama Festival.
Awards : adaptation for Radio 4 nominated for Best Original Radio Play in the 1991 Writers Guild Macallan Awards.
A Doll's House
Reviews : "Bitingly sharp and savagely humorous. Its revamped social thrust is undeniably on target." What's On, Birmingham.
"Attention to detail in the original is scrupulously observed . . . the final episode is riveting." The Stage.
“Innovative … had the audience gripped throughout.” Bucks Examiner.
Productions : Bunbury Touring Company in a 12-theatre tour, including The Lilian Baylis Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton and The Redgrave Theatre, Bristol. A 29-theatre tour by Mind’s Eye Theatre, including The Riley Theatre, Hull, The Regal Theatre, Minehead, The Trinity Arts Centre, Tunbridge Wells and The Grand Theatre Studio, Blackpool.
Irish Roulette
Reviews : "Impressive. Thunderous. Catch Irish Roulette while the wheel's still in spin." What's On, London.
"The strength of Booker's characterisation . . . the power of her writing . . ." Time Out.
"Powerful and thought-provoking. The play's funny one-liners deftly mixed desperate humour with tragedy." The Lichfield Mercury.
"An extraordinary play of much depth." The Bordon Herald.
"Powerful. A finely written piece." The Pink Paper.
"An extraordinary play about ordinary people." The Richmond & Twickenham Times."
Productions : TheLichfield Players, Staffs; The Bunbury Touring Company with a 4 week run at The Man-in-the-Moon Theatre, London, followed by a Hampshire tour. Performed at the 1991 Staffordshire New Play Festival.
Awards : Shortlisted for The Arts Council of Great Britain's 1990 John Whiting Award.
TELEVISION/RADIO AND COMMISSIONS
The Devil and Stepashka
A 60 minute afternoon play broadcast on BBC Radio 4, August 16th 1990. Nominated for Best Original Radio Play in the 1991 Writers Guild Macallan Awards.
Alleluia
A ten minute radio play. Winner in the LAB/LBC Short Drama Festival 1993 and broadcast on L.B.C. on April 21st 1993.
Rainbow Baby
A 45 minute radio play broadcast on Radio Cracker, Alton, on December 1st, 1991, and Wey Valley Radio, Hants, on 30th November 1992.
Gone Fishing
A 45 minute radio play. Certificate of achievement in the GLA/LBC New London Radio Playrights Festival 1990.
Snap Happy. A Bird in the Hand. Sugar 'n Spice.
Three 30 minute TV plays commissioned and filmed by Mountview Theatre School, London.
Secret Lives
A one hour devised piece linking excerpts from plays in which characters live out a lie. Commissioned and produced by Mind’s Eye Theatre at The Studio, Beckenham, Kent.
Prophesy to the Wind
A commissioned version of the play by Norman Nicholson abridged for performance at the South London Theatre, June 1996.
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