comedy for 7 actors Archives - Off The Wall Plays

one act comedy

THE SAFETY OFFICER – ONE ACT COMEDY FOR SEVEN ACTORS

In this one act comedy, a fire has occurred backstage of a theatre just before a play is about to be presented – actually, the fire has already been put out (They think.) The theatre management’s unsuccessful efforts in trying to conceal the incident results in one of the company’s actor’s (Rex) being sent onstage in an effort to quell any possible unrest amongst the audience (he pretends he is the Theatre’s Fire Officer). But instead he uses the opportunity to lambaste the play’s producer (Gerald) and another actor (Rodney). … In an effort to get him offstage, an actress (Carol) is sent on in order to try to persuade him to get off. Rex is in love with Carol, but she does not reciprocate his feelings – she in fact loves Rodney. Happenings onstage result in Rodney dashing on in an effort to assault Rex. … Another actress (Monica) later gets involved, as does Gerald. … The play ends with the cast about to dash offstage after hearing the sirens of fire engines pulling-up outside the front of the theatre.

Production History

Builth Wells Community Arts Society, UK – 2016

Author: Thomas Baines

Genre: Comedy

Type: One act comedy

Cast: 7 5m 2f. The two male fireman can also be played by women.

Ages of the actors: Twenties to middle aged

Suitable for: All ages

Length: 25 minutes

Set: A BACKDROP: The bottom centre part of which is black over an appreciable area where it appears to have been scorched by a fire. This and surrounding areas of the stage floor are damp and there are small pools of water on the floor in the vicinity. A fire has obviously been recently dampened down.

THE STAGE CURTAINS are called for in the plot.

TWO FAIRLY LARGE FIRE HOSES – being rolled up (the flat fire services type – not garden hose).

Level of difficulty: 8/10 – there is a lot of physical comedy and there are many sound effects in the script

Read a Sample of the Script

Cost is $6.50 for the digital play script

Contact Off The Wall Plays with any queries about The Safety Officer

Copyright ©December 2014 Thomas Baines and Off The Wall Play Publishers

Like this play? Other one acts with a cast of seven:

ESPN, B.C. – teen action comedy script
Joined at the hip – South African comedy script
Missing the Mark – when you’re the con artist – and you get conned
What’s on your mind – comedy of the absurd

comedy of the absurd

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND – a comedy of the absurd

Seven zany characters converge on the living room of an ordinary middle class house. All the characters are written as humorous over the top caricatures of normal people. Throughout the play, the fact that many of the characters have been “at” the local Sanitorium, “Sidcup” is mentioned.

The play begins when a young man, Joseph, brings a rumpled middle aged man, Ethelbert to his home, where both his parents and wife, Lanny, a professional wrestler live. Both Joseph and Ethelbert have been “at” Sidcup. From the start, it is obvious that Ethelbert does not want to be there. All Ethelbert wants to do is to go back to Sidcup to find his missing shoes. Ethelbert is then thoroughly alarmed to find that Joseph’s wife, thinks that Ethelbert is her previous husband, “Bertie. ” Joseph’s parents, Maxine and Elmer also appear to be completely mad and alarm Ethelbert further.

When a young couple, Theo and Ruthie arrive at the house, it adds confusion to the mayhem. Theo grew up in the house and wants to show it to Ruthie. Little does he know that his mother, Maxine still lives there with her new husband, Elmer.

This play won the Eastern Illinois University New Play Competition last year (under the former title ‘THE ROAD TO SIDCUP’) and was subsequently performed as a staged reading at Eastern.

Author: George Freek

Type: One Act Play in Two Scenes

Genre : Comedy of the Absurd

Length: 50 minutes approximately

Number of Actors: Seven (7 actors) 4M, 3F, four men and three women

Ages of actors: Three, young (20s-30s), three middle aged (40s) and one older gentleman(60s)

Suitable for: All ages

Set: A living room: a door in the rear, beside it is a small stand with a plant on it. On the left is a small dining table and to the left a sofa and a couple of chair. There are doorways right and left. A trashcan is center stage down.

Level of Difficulty: 7/10. This comedy is both physical and verbal – both equally important.