Tag Archives: large cast comedy plays

The Great Bank Robbery Hostage Crisis – comedy about bank robbery

comedy about bank robbery

 

THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY HOSTAGE CRISIS – COMEDY ABOUT BANK ROBBERY

When a gang of notorious bank robbers hold up the local bank in a small town in North Carolina, they don’t realise that, being a small town, the only person with a key to the vault is the manager and it’s his day off. Things go even more wrong when they find they’re surrounded by the police, with no manager and no money and a woman inside the bank who is about to go into labour. Not to mention the old age pensioner who’s day has been completely ruined because she’s going to miss her hair appointment. Or the undercover cop.

Other comedies (The Mayhem motel – two act American farce) by Landen Swain.

A short two-act comedy about bank robbery for a large cast.

Production History

Englewood Church, SC, USA – 2017
Wisconsin Heights Players – WI, USA – 2018
The Cheshire Dramatic Arts Academy, Guernsey, UK – 2019
Holy Rosary School, Johannesburg, South Africa – 2021

Author: Landen Swain

Type: Two act comedy

Genre: Situational comedy about bank robbery

Cast: 8-9M, 6F

Ages of the actors: Adult to old age pensioner

Suitable for: All ages

Length: 45-50 minutes

Set: A bank in fictional Orvell, North Carolina, nine in the morning. The bank door is found S.L. Opposite the door on S.R. is the bank teller’s booth, back wall has three doors, from S.R. to S.L., Vault, backroom, bathroom.

Level of difficulty: 7/10 – situational comedy and characterization

Read a Sample of the Script

pay now shakespeare

Cost is $10.00 for this  digital play script. Just Click Shakespeare!

Contact Off The Wall Plays with any queries about The Great Bank Robbery Hostage Crisis

Copyright © July 2016 Landen Swain and Off The Wall Play Publishers

Like this play? Other two act comedies for large casts:

Anniversaries – two act comedy about rescuing a failing hotel
Fishwrap – comedy about a small town newspaper
Heir to a misfortune – short two act farce

 

Sassafras Cannon – Civil-war black comedy play

civil-war black comedy play

SASSAFRAS CANNON – CIVIL-WAR  BLACK COMEDY PLAY

Sassafras Cannon is a civil-war black comedy play highlighting and satirizing the follies of human nature, at its base. Featuring a set of characters ranging from the offbeat Bloodworth family, holding the reigns to a chocolate manufacturing corporation like the world has never seen, a lampooning version of President Jefferson Davis, a butler who seems a bit, well, evil, and even down to investors from overseas, all whom make their appearances, the show exaggerates America’s time-tested fascination with all characters wild and strange, all while twisting history into it’s own new version, all in a style reminiscing to the days of vaudeville shows and the Ziegfeld Follies.

Did you know that cocaine, now considered a drug, was in the original mix of Coca-Cola?
Did you know that Jefferson Davis is rumored to have been fleeing from the Union at the time of his capture in his wife’s clothing?

These are all facts and rumors that the play uses to perpetuate it’s story and satire, combined with intentional historical inaccuracies and rumors. Attendance at the production is recommended for those with both a sense of humor and a grasp of history.

Review from The Charlotte Observer:

The play, like many of my other script ideas, simply came to me one day out of the blue,” Starnes said. “I wanted to do a comedy on some sort of Willy Wonka-esque character and his especially eclectic family set during the Civil War, which would appeal to young adults and adults.

“Many of the details in the show were inspired by real-life facts found during my prewriting research. However, the play is not a documentary or historically accurate, following my motto that people – when attending an event such as a play – are seeking to be entertained rather than taught.”

Audiences are advised to bring a sense of humor, and parental guidance is suggested.

In Starnes’ play, there is no “fourth wall” between the audience and the storyline. The playwright said attendees “become part of the storyline” in the Museum of the Waxhaws’ auditorium.

Read about playwright Timothy Starnes.  Other plays (Tune in – TV comedy) by Timothy. 

Author: Timothy Starnes

Genre: Civil-war black comedy play

Type: Two-act play

Cast: Cast of 10-12 M 1-4F  (Housestaff can be played by either sex)

Ages of the actors: Adult

Suitable for: Parental guidance advised

Length: One and a half hours long

Set: A desk in the middle of the performance
space is necessary, desk chair included. Other
furniture is entirely optional.

Level of difficulty: 7/10 – dark comedic characters 

Read a Sample of the Script





Cost is $6 for this well staged digital stage play

Contact Off The Wall Plays with any queries about Sassafras Cannon

Copyright © September 2015 Timothy Starnes and Off The Wall Play Publishers

Like this play? Other historical plays and dark comedies:

A house divided – four act civil war drama
Lies you can’t make up – drama script about JFK
Wilson – one act dulogue – a dark comedy
Death’s no laughing matter – two act black comedy

DEDICATIONS:

For Ryan Fay, who is going on to do the great things everyone was expecting. If it wasn’t for him, this script would have been complete 6 versions ago.

For Beth Killion, whose amount of effort put into the costumes must have bailed out the entire craft industry. Homeschoolers and old ladies rejoice.

For Anna Claire, who listened to my weekly arguments with Ryan Fay in the car, citing that we sounded like an old married couple. Accurate.

For Hoke Pittman, who has been keeping my leading male characters rightfully sassy since 2013.

For Jasper Boykin, the original black butler.

For Lucas King, who made sure that the houseboy humor couldn’t be any bawdy or funnier.

For Katherine Pierce, whose realistic onstage wine-drinking couldn’t have come from no previous real life experience.

For Noah Tepper, the original Victorian emo. His hair color changes were part of those script versions.

For Carlos Vargas, whose constant mention of his male Cinderella adaptation never ceases to silence a room.

For Kevin Brennan, who has flashed more people than even the biggest career flashers, wearing his Jefferson Davis dress.

For Jessica Boyles, who died more times than anyone can count, in the show.

For Shawn Jones, the scariest investor in the ensemble.

For Camarin Chargualaf, who said “inherited chocolate empire” correctly on both running nights.

For Savannah Jillani, who maintains to look better in my clothes than I do.

For Tommie Wall and Sandra Glenn, who supported the project all the way to the stage, hiding some of it from the arts council along the way.