COMIC POTENTIAL
PRODUCTION DETAILS
TITLE: Comic Potential
PLAYWRIGHT: Alan Ayckbourn
PERFORMANCE DATES: 3rd - 5th April 2008
DIRECTOR: Barbara Miller
CAST
The Doctor (male android) - David Lane
The Mother (female android) - Kath Wilson
The Young Man (male android) - Arran Carney
Jacie Triplethree (female android) - Nicki Clay
Prim Spring - Norma Nicholson
Chandler Tate - Hugh Dower
Trudi Floote - Jill Pearson
Carla Pepperbloom - Linda Baillie
Adam Trainsmith - Steve Larkin
The Farmer (male android) - Frank Atkinson
The Farmer’s Wife (female android) - Sadie Ashton
Lester Trainsmith - Keith Old
Marmion Cedilla - David Lane
Desk Clerk (in foyer of The Grand Hotel) - David Belbin
Girl (in hotel boutique and restaurant) - MacKenzie Crompton
Man (in hotel boutique and restaurant) - Keith Old
Boutique Assistant - Pam Newsholme
Waiter One (in The Grand Hotel restaurant) - Brian Rowland
Waiter Two (in The Grand Hotel restaurant) - Terry Yates
Prostitute - MacKenzie Crompton
Turkey - Samuel Valentine
Technician - Terry Yates
SYNOPSIS
In the near future, former film-maker Chandler 'Chance' Tate is directing a banal television soap. Actoids have replaced human actors and one, Jacie, appears to have a glitch as she keeps breaking into laughter.Filming is interrupted by high-powered executive Carla Pepperbloom and the TV magnate Lester Trainsmith’s nephew Adam. Adam is a writer, a dying breed, and idolises the work of Chance. When Adam is left in the studio, he runs an old Buster Keaton movie and Jacie begins to laugh. Adam begins to teach her the basics of comedy leading to Jacie doing a double-take when filming on the soap resumes. Initially sceptical, Chance talks to Adam about Jacie and the art of comedy and Jacie demonstrates her talent for the job. Clandestinely, the pair agree to work on a comedy film with Jacie. She is given freedom to improvise and under Chance’s tutelage begins to learn more. The mute Lester Trainsmith arrives with Carla and Jacie's comedy scene is shown; Carla tears it apart and Chance loses his temper. Carla continues to insist on changes and finds herself on the receiving end of a custard pie from Jacie. Lester laughs and approves the film but orders Jacie to be scrapped. Carla returns and orders the studio closed. Jacie initially doesn’t mind being scrapped but after she and Adam dance and kiss, she realises she doesn’t want to ‘die’.Adam and Jacie go on the run and check in at the Grand Hotel, go shopping and have a meal - with unforeseen results. Back in their room, Adam uses a Bible to teach Jacie to read. Unfortunately, Jacie has been tracked and Adam sends her to a cheap ‘hotel’ to hide, although she is becoming increasingly unstable and distressed as she begins to feel real emotions. Adam returns, but is stabbed by a pimp who believes Jacie is a prostitute. Jacie over-powers him, but distraught that Adam has been injured, she returns to the studio.At the studio, Carla is revealed to have leaked Jacie’s story to the press and Lester proves not to be a mute, firing Carla. He offers Jacie Carla's job, but Jacie is still confused and decides to be scrapped. Adam returns from the hospital and is given the bad news by Chance. As he mourns his loss, Jacie reappears and admits she couldn’t go through with being scrapped. The lovers are reunited, but Jacie looks set to be a harder taskmaster than Carla in her new role….