Very Short Plays
Plays at about the ten to fifteen minute mark. Put eight to ten of these together for a fabulous evening's entertainment and a great opportunity to include many actors and directors in the production.
Very Short
Drama
A Sort of Low-Key Epiphany
An aspiring journalist finds her voice
Daisy, in her 30s, Kathryn, in her 50s, Teddy, in his 30s
Very Short
Drama
The Birthday Bench
A harmless annual ritual hides the darker side of wilful ignorance.
1 man (60+), 2 women (60+ and 40)
Very Short
Drama
A Different Life
A stranger at a funeral reveals a secret. Inspired by Jane Austen's 'Persuasion'.
1m, 1f
Very Short
Drama
Here Comes the Sun
The outcome of a pregnancy test determines the play's conclusion
2 women (aged approx 35 to 45 and 60+)
Very Short
Drama
Frost on the Glass
Charles would like to meet the daughter he's never seen. Debbie has ideas of her own.
1 man (early 60s), 1 woman (early 40s)
Very Short
Drama
Towels on the Bathroom Floor
Home is important - even after you've left it. A winner at the "From Scratch III" competition.
1 mature man, 1 young woman, 1 mature woman - non-speaking
Very Short
Drama
The Song Thrush
“‘The Song Thrush' is a beautiful exploration of memory, family and the power
of birdsong.” MO&NA Theatre Company, a winner at the "From Scratch II" festival.
4 characters or 3 with doubling, male or female.
Very Short
Comedy
Merseyside Mash-Up
The school band discovers the Mersey sound. A winner in the Woolton Drama Group (Liverpool) Taste of Funny Festival 2025.
2 men, 3 women (though there is some flexibility).
Very Short
Comedy
The Morning After
Brian and Eliza meet on a dating app for seniors. But next morning brings a confrontation with reality. A winner in the Woolton Drama Group (Liverpool) Taste of Funny Festival 2025.
1M, 2F
Very Short
Comedy
Unfinished Business
A quirky short play, inspired by Jane Austen's unfinished novel, 'Sanditon'
2M, 3F, 1M/F (very small part).
Very Short
Drama
You Saw Me Standing Alone
A chance meeting leads to an unlikely friendship in this poignant story of the enduring power of love. A winner at the 2022 Ilkley Playhouse 8x8x8 festival.
2 women (aged approx 50+), 1 teenager
Very Short
Drama
Hummanequins
All is not what it seems in the Howard Department Store window in this slightly spooky drama.
5 parts – all parts are not gender specific.
Very Short
Comedy
Stuck in the Middle
John and Stella are enjoying eternity together, but their peace is shattered when Mary arrives. A winner in the Chesil Theatre TakeTen Festival 2026
1M, 2F
Very Short
Comedy
A Summer School Story
When Tom and Fiona meet in the cafeteria at Summer School there's more than just spicy noodles on the menu.
1 man, 1 woman
Very Short
Drama
Bucket List
Two old acquaintances meet again and discuss old times. Except - there's a twist.
2 women (aged approx 35 to 50 and 60+)
Very Short
Drama
Happily Ever After
A reflection on the role of marriage in society in 1916 and 2024
3 young women
Very Short
Comedy
Tied
When two dog-loving strangers meet. A winner at the 2025 Ink Festival.
1 man (approx. 55) 1 woman (approx. 59). No dogs required.
Very Short
Comedy
Departure Lounge
An influencer meets her nemesis at a very inconvenient moment.
2 women (one aged 18 to 40 and one younger), 1 adult (any age and gender)
Very Short
Drama
Nous and Nonsense
A short play loosely inspired by Sense and Sensibility
3F (2 younger, 1 mature), 1M
Very Short
Comedy
The Playwright
A prize-winning play about entering playwriting competitions - and J B Priestley
1 man, 1 woman of similar age; or 2 women (mother/daughter)
Very Short
Drama
A Lady... In Red!
Jane Austen's Lady Susan in ten minutes
1M, 3F (including one 16-year-old)
Very Short
Drama
In Devotion and Hope
Be careful what you wish for
2 females early to mid 20’s 1 male in 40’s
Very Short
Drama
Zoology on a Triple
When snakes and ladders isn't a game.
1 mature man, 1 older woman, 1 gender neutral adult.
Very Short
Drama
A Carnival of Clever Animals
A book takes a group of children on an unexpected adventure
10 – 25 actors aged 7 – 11 years
Very Short
Drama
The Goldilocks Zone
A short science fiction play set in deep space en route to exoplanet Kepler 452b.
1M, 1F, 1M/F
Very Short
Comedy
Snakes and Ladders
Can Malcolm and Karen escape from a locked cupboard? Winner at the Hebden Bridge Festival.
1 man, 1 woman. Middle-aged
Very Short
Comedy
Firing Blanks
A curious game of snakes and ladders. A winner in the Chesil Theatre Take Ten festival 2024.
1 man, 1 woman, 1 either
Very Short
Comedy
BARF
Prize-winning dark comedy. Why is Pauline so pleased that the appliance repairman is single?
1 woman, 1 man
Very Short
Comedy
Tuesday Afternoons with Angel Cake
Victoria is a pillar of the community, an angel it could be said, but it appears at an event that Victoria has organised, there is another angel in their midst, one of the more avenging kind.
4 females
Very Short
Comedy
Just One Wish
Jane gets more than she bargained for when she opens her new book.
1 M, 1 F, 1 either
Very Short
Comedy
The Unblocking of a Bladder
Is it hope that causes all our problems? A winner at the 2026 TakeTen festival on the theme of Angels.
2 people. Gender non-specific.
Very Short
Drama
The Next Train to Arrive
Why is Paul waiting for a train that isn't going to stop? A winner at the 2025 Ilkley Playhouse 8x8x8 festival
1 man, 1 woman
Very Short
Comedy
The Small Print
In his jovial holiday mood, George just cannot help himself and is unable to resist temptation. If only he had read the small print.
2 male, 1 female, 1 male or female
Very Short
Drama
Palette of the Mind
An exciting opportunity for two female-presenting actors to portray compelling historical figures from vastly different worlds - united by a shared mission.
2 female
