Brian Coyle - Playwright & Scriptwriter
OTHER PLAYS (all are available for production)
SHADOW LIVES - How would your life look if you could change the choices you made? SHADOW LIVES is a two-hander (70mins) that presents several concurrent stories of how two people's lives, both intricately linked, would have turned out depending on the choices they made earlier in their life. Could it be that regardless of the decisions they made they are still able to forgive the choices the made?
MOONFLOWER - A family party doesn’t go to plan, and in its aftermath a mother and daughter are finally able to face up to the dark secrets that have blighted their lives for years. There was a reading of this 70min play to invited guests of this play at The Park Theatre, London with Michelle Collins and Maya Collins reading and direction from Charlotte Peters.
THIS COLD NIGHT - Henry is estranged from his daughter, he has lost his health, he has lost his status, and he now seems to be losing his mind. He can't live on his own anymore and his daughter plans to move him into a care home. But he's not going to go quietly. This piece is about a cantankerous old man nearing the end of his life and seemingly losing everything, but has he? This 90min play had a rehearsed reading at The Hope Theatre, London (Dir by Dave Spencer).
THE SPARE ROOM - Infertility is a harrowing experience for those involved. And going down the treatment route can be a rollercoaster ride. For some couples it's worth it and a happy ending is achieved, but what happens to those couples where it doesn’t work? There was a rehearsed reading of this 90 min play at the Rosemary Branch Theatre, London (Dir Maddy Moore). And later it was adapted as a two-part audio drama BABYWALL by Tempest Productions.
PURE - Set in the near future, as yet another potentially deadly virus spreads around the world, a young woman is one of a small number who seem to be immune to infection. So why have the authorities locked her up in a secure medical facility? Is she really a danger to the public or could she and others like her be our last hope? A 90min play, you can see a filmed extract of a monologue here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMqu-mMZhC8
SUMMERLAND - In this 60min one-act play twenty-somethings Stacey and Ben have their own little rental flat and they have each other. Surely that's all they need to be happy? The problem is life doesn't work like that. When Ben loses his job, they can't pay the rent and are facing eviction. Stacey has a plan that will allow them to stay, but Ben thinks her plan is crazy. Will it work or is the adult world with all its responsibilities and unfairness about to destroy their life together?
THE MAGIC APPLE TREE - The Magic Apple Tree is an urban fairy tale. Nadia's brother has gone missing in the huge city that is London and can't speak a word of English. He appears to be a lost soul, but who are the real lost souls of the city and who are the found? This is a 45 min one-act play; a slightly shorter version was performed at The Rondo Theatre, Bath (Dir Shane Morgan).
THE MATHEMATICS OF LOVE - The Mathematics of Love is not so much a romcom, as an anti-romcom. Rob is a Maths teacher at a run-down comprehensive school. He’s single and can’t understand why anyone would want to be in a relationship – especially as that may involve his massive vinyl collection being messed about with. Out of a perverse interest in the subject he decides to develop a mathematical theory for falling in love - based on romcoms! However, this turns out to be the worst (or possibly the best) thing he’s ever done when he falls for his fellow teacher Joanne. The play is a 90min four-hander and was Brian's first full-length play.
Brian has also had numerous short plays performed over the years, including:
Mimosa, Performed at Theatre Royal Bath (Dir Julia Head) as part of a 24hrs plays project.
The Proposition, winner of the British Theatre Challenge. Performed at Lost Theatre, London (Dir John Mitton) and in California, USA.
Whisper. A "silent" play for the Pensive Federation, Etcetera Theatre, London (Dir Laura Attridge).
The Red Panties, a winner of Pint Sized Plays and performed in London and Wales.
Rachel Says, a runner up in Pint Sized plays and performed in Bath and Wales.
An Independent Woman, performed at Zion Community Space in Bristol.
Janet and John Go Shopping, performed at Waterloo East Theatre in London.