Stealing Me by Bev Clark

In 2008 Bev worked with local theatre company Out The Bag who produced her one-act comedy for The Leverhulme Drama Festival. Bev directed a cast of eleven with some newcomers and some regular members of the New Brighton based group. Darren Caine, who played the lead role of Denny, was nominated for Best Actor.

An excellent cast helped this play obtain five nominations but it was for the sound, lighting and over all presentation that won them the Adjudicator’s Award. Thanks to Andy Taylor and Simon Cole of Backstage Theatre Supplies Ltd for their invaluable contribution.

Hand in Hand was still in the early stages of planning at this stage but Bev always knew that working with other groups would be part of the community ethos and shortly after this collaboration, Hand in Hand Theatre Production went on to produced All Along The River.

Stealing Me © 2007

A play about Identity Theft and finding your true self.

Synopsis

Howard Mortimer is a failed writer. He is a well- educated librarian who lives in the Liverpool suburbs with his aging Mother. He has written, what he believes is, a best-selling novel but has been showered with rejections. He cuts a lonely sad figure alone in his room. One night in a drunken depressed state, he throws his manuscript in the bin.

Denny Raymond is a young, incompetent but likeable shoplifter. Along with two equally incompetent friends – Lincoln (whose real name is Larry Abraham – he is Afro-Caribbean) and Carmen Hardcastle – They are real scouse-scallies and they try to steal identities from household rubbish but all they seem to find is dirty nappies and left over curries - Until Denny comes across the manuscript.

Even though Denny can barely read and write he manages to get through the book and thinks it is very good. He decides to put his name to it, change the title and see if he can get it published. His old schoolteacher, Mr Carlton, who is now working in publishing, is amazed by Denny’s hidden talent and the book becomes a best seller under his pen -name of Ray Dennis.

Month pass and Howard has slipped deeper into depression and loses his job. A chance listening to a radio Merseyside interview between Denny and a young new journalist Rachel Tierney, makes Howard suspicious that his novel has been stolen. Carmen and Lincoln also hear the interview and are determine to get back at Denny for leaving them out of his scam. They all break into his posh apartment and a conflict ensues.

The Police are called, led by DI Patricia Trumpton (a hard-faced woman in a man’s world but with a soft spot for Denny) With her two side-kicks PC Robin and PC Banks she arrests Mortimer but soon realises, with a statement from a publisher that has rejected Mortimer’s work in the past, that Ray is indeed the fraud.

Ray is represented by the glamorous Genevieve Martin who manages to get him off the charge of plagiarism but Denny, overwhelmed by all the women making claims on him – Carmen, Rachel, Pat and Genevieve – begs the Judge to send him to prison for 6 months. There, he begins a course in creative writing, finds his voice and starts to write his own story – which is surprisingly good.

Meanwhile, Howard Mortimer tries to write a sequel but never gets over his writer’s block. He remains a lonely failure.

Rachel is reunited with Denny when he is released and his new book becomes a best seller.

© 2007

For details of how to obtain this script please contact Bev Clark

handinhandtheatre@googlemail.com

Photos from the event