PRODUCTION DETAILS

 

TITLE: Comic Potential

PLAYWRIGHT: Alan Ayckbourn

PERFORMANCE DATES: 3rd - 5th April 2008

DIRECTOR: Barbara Miller

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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

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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….