Introduction

After playing the part of La Hire in a pro-am production of The Lark (Jean Anouilh), in 1968, Peter rewrote parts of the play, putting the producer on trial. He wasn't burnt at the stake because of Fire Regulations. L'escapade was performed by a group of amateurs and it led to Peter's first commission, to write a pantomime, Aladdin, for the RAF Rheindahlen Theatre. The band of the RAF - well, a bit of it - was in the pit and as it was so successful, he got the writing bug.

He had written and performed in several Military Hospital pantomimes before then; subsequently, the hospitals closed, the army withdrew and the countries in which they were performed demanded independence!

As well as writing pantomimes, comedies, dramas and a couple of Nativity plays for the amateur theatre, he adapted David McKee's book Elmer and the Lost Teddy for Blunderbus Theatre Company and has written two community plays, having first honed his skills with Major Road Theatre Company, Bradford (Graham Devlin), Remould Theatre, Hull (Averill Coult) and The Open Theatre, Worcester (Richard Heyhow).

His current work in progress is a musical, the working title of which is The Seven Ages of Man and his Appendage.

He is a member of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain.

Click below for details of a small selection.

Pantomimes (published)
One act plays
Communtiy plays
Other full length traditional pantomimes
A full list of Peter's plays can be found at doollee.com

Pantomimes:

Richard Wellington And His Cat With No Boots
Pub: New Playwrights Network/Cressrelles/amazon.co.uk
Cast/sets: 6 M 6F 6 either plus chorus / 6 fairly simple sets
Running time: 2 hours approx.
Synopsis: Richard Wellington is seeking footwear for his feline friend and meets with adventure and magic. Traditional characters include the Dame and a Good Fairy; among the villains is the wicked Jack Boot. Three ne'er-do-wells, Freeman, Hardy and Willis accompany Richard, who falls in love with Stiletto, daughter of Professor Galoshes. The humour has its fair share of groan-worthy puns; it appeals to audiences of all ages and is ideal for PTA productions, for which it was originally written. Score and cassette available from the author, with advice on magic bits.

The Astonishing Adventures Of Sago The Clown
Pub: Music Sales Ltd, Newmarket Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3YB www.musicsales.co.uk, e-mail: music@musicsales.co.uk
Cast/sets: 7M 4F plus extras and chorus / 4 sets
Running time: 2 hours approx.
Synopsis: Sago saves the circus by rescuing the magic whip from the Land of Blue Cheese. With the help of clowns Semolina and Tapioca, some performing animals and an invisible hairy-nosed wombat, he outwits Musca Domestica, the evil fly and the singing garden gnomes, and wins the hand of Farina, daughter of circus owner Vermicelli. Silly songs and soppy songs; all available on cassette with script and score.

The Astonishing Adventures Of BoBo Peep
Pub: Youngsong Music, 53 Thornleigh Road, Bristol BS7 8PQ email: musicadam@aol.com
Cast/sets: 5F 6 M plus extras and chorus / 5 sets
Running time: 2 hours approx.
Synopsis: Written with the late Mary Howarth, this is the story of BoBo Peep, an orphan brought up by Dame Trot, on whose farm she works. Grundy, an evil Crooked Man, aided and abetted by Mog, a nasty Cat, is trying to buy the farm because under the field is the only known source of Rhubarbium Custardii, a vital material needed to fuel the Galactic Zoomer from which he plans to rule the world. There's an aristocratic tramp, a tenderhearted wolf plus some nursery rhyme characters and BBP turns out to be a princess! Gosh! Score and cassette of the 14 songs are available with the script.

One act plays:

Sauce For The Goose (comedy)
Cast/sets: 1M 6 F / Composite set (restaurant and kitchen with dividing wall)
Running time: 30 minutes
Synopsis: Joe and Ada run a small exclusive restaurant. Ada has arranged for a Cord’n Blue evening with just four guests. To Joe’s amazement, the four ladies who turn up are all mistresses that Joe has had over the years. The shock is even greater when Ada reveals that she has in turn seduced their husbands.

Tom's Magic Flippers (Comedy for children or mixed cast)
Cast/sets: 5M 8F and a musician / minimalist set but a real bath is desirable!
Synopsis: When 11-year old Tom buys a pair of flippers at the school coffee morning, they lead him into all sorts of magical situations…and one or two scrapes.
Notes: A chance for children to depict grown-ups as they might see them – in the nicest possible way, of course.

Cash On Deliverance (farce)
Cast/sets: 1M 5F / Composite set (living room and bedroom)
Running time: 30 minutes
Synopsis: Ada receives an official computer letter saying that Joe has died and she is entitled to draw a burial allowance. Despite the mistake and to Joe’s amazement, she decides to take the money. Her attempts to convince friends, neighbours and the undertaker that this is genuine leads to a nightmare situation for Joe, Ada and the director!

Two-Sided Triangle (drama)
Cast/sets: 2F / Simple set: 1 room
Running times: 30 minutes
Synopsis: Mrs Kimberley is recently widowed, her late husband having been a famous musician. For the last three years he has been living with a younger woman, Miss Verwood. Mrs K is penniless and is about to go into sheltered accommodation. She has invited Miss V over to see what she is like. As they talk, we become aware of the depth of hatred on Mrs K’s part. They drink wine and Miss V rapidly becomes drunk and decides to go home. She returns within a short time, however, and collapses. Vengeance has been wrought…but at what price?
Notes: Some recorded solo music can be provided.

Elmer And The Lost Teddy
Stage adaptation for one adult and 10 or more young performers of one of David McKee's popular books. Can be a mixture of people and puppets.

Community plays:

The Greatest Fair In The Kingdom - Weyhill Fair
The rise and fall of a famous sheep fair. Commissioned by Test Valley Borough Council and performed in the field behind the Weyhill Fair pub. A reduced version, in French, was later performed in Redon for the Town Twinning Association.

A Sheltered Grazing Ground
Commissioned for the millennium, 1000 years of history of Ludgershall, Wiltshire; performed in the grounds of the Castle.

Other full length traditional pantomimes:

Beauty And The Beast
Sinbad
Hansel Und Gretel (a Europantomime!)
The Tinder Box by Hans Christian Andersen - a musical adaptation