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Dead Man's Hand

  • Seymour Matthews
  • Full Length Play, Drama, Mystery/Thriller, Contemporary
  • 3M, 3F
  • ISBN: 9780573016189

This captivating thriller employs a play within a play theme in a singularly exciting manner. At first, it seems to be the usual "Agatha Christie" type play; two couples lured to a remote Italian villa to be murdered one by one.

More information

Description

  • Full Length Play
  • Drama, Mystery/Thriller
  • 120 minutes

  • Time Period: Contemporary
  • Target Audience: Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18), Senior, Adult
  • Cautions: No Special Cautions

  • Performance Group:
  • Church/Religious Groups, Dinner Theatre, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, Shoestring Budget, Reader's Theatre, Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups, College Theatre / Student, Senior Theatre
This captivating thriller employs a play within a play theme in a singularly exciting manner. At first, it seems to be the usual "Agatha Christie" type play; two couples lured to a remote Italian villa to be murdered one by one.

It is only when this play is well advanced that we learn we are watching actors rehearsing their own murder mystery. It is shortly after this, when two of these actors have been murdered in the same manner as the characters in their own play, that the twists and turns begin to tease the audience. Who is the murderer and what do those about to be murdered have in common? Yet even this ploy is not what it at first seems! An intriguing final twist unravels the real reason for the whole charade. All in all, an enticingly clever piece of work! 
REVIEWS:

"A teasing, very theatrical play which dares to laugh at itself and its genre until the Dead Man shows his hand."

 East Essex Gazette

"The play is well written and exceptionally well constructed...from first to last the attention is firmly held."

 Essex County Standard

Premiere Production: First performed in 1984 at Frinton Summer Theatre, Frinton, Essex by Jack Watling Productions Ltd.

Characters

  • Casting: 3M, 3F

Available Material

Name Price
Dead Man's Hand Script This is optional. Order Now

This captivating thriller employs a play within a play theme in a singularly exciting manner. At first, it seems to be the usual "Agatha Christie" type play; two couples lured to a remote Italian villa to be murdered one by one.

It is only when this play is well advanced that we learn we are watching actors rehearsing their own murder mystery. It is shortly after this, when two of these actors have been murdered in the same manner as the characters in their own play, that the twists and turns begin to tease the audience. Who is the murderer and what do those about to be murdered have in common? Yet even this ploy is not what it at first seems! An intriguing final twist unravels the real reason for the whole charade. All in all, an enticingly clever piece of work! 

$24.95

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