ALEX Lawler was one of the mainstays of theatrical productions in Gable Hall. Alex is now at Palmer’s where he is studying Drama. In between all that he has written a play for the Thurrock Youth Theatre that will be performed at the Thameside this week.
We dropped in at rehearsals to speak to Alex about how he wrote the script and his plans for the future.
Director, Vic Gray gave us an outline of the two plays being performed.
The Dating Game
Alex Lawler has been with the group for a couple of years and has always been brimming with ideas for plays. He wrote this play for us during the summer holidays and the members liked it straight away. It is set in a restaurant where Joe has a series of meals with girls who have been introduced to him by a dating agency. It is not only very amusing, but also gives Alex the opportunity to discuss some quite serious issues which concern young people today. He uses characters to express some controversial views but ensures that the innate goodness that shines through the character of Joe creates a positive role model. The final scene transfers to the office of the dating agency where he finds his “princess”.
Erica And Me
We have been using an online company called Lazybee Scripts for a lot of our plays recently. Pride And Prejudice, our recent festival entry, came from their catalogue. They have a huge range of plays by literally hundreds of lesser known authors whose quality of writing often matches those whose fame goes before them. This play is a gem of a farce.
Simon wants to impress his boss. He is a good cook and so decides to invite his boss and his wife to dinner. He believes the couple would be more impressed if he were seen to be in a steady relationship and decides to hire Erica from an escort agency. Lies are told and pretences made and, as happens in all the best farces, this leads to misunderstanding, confusion and further attempts at a cover up. The cast (particularly Alex ) have had great fun rehearsing the play and have learned a lot about comic timing.
