GRN

Guy Newsham's site


there are TWENTY-THREE plays to choose from, two full-length, TWO one-actS, NINEteen 10-minute plays, AND, in addition, TWO SHORT MONOLOGUEs



Below you can see summaries, production histories, and download samples. If you wish to inquire about producing any of these plays, and obtaining the full scripts, please contact the author (guy.newsham@cantab.net).

Many of these plays were developed with the valuable dramaturgy assistance of Chelsey Fawcett.



RED, INK. (FULL LENGTH)





A play about work-life balance, about what a person thinks they want changes over time, about moving on, and about an escort as the only honest capitalist in the room.

A drama.

4 characters.



View Sample

green cheese (FULL LENGTH)





Middle-class problems are just so Trivial! Olive is the founder of her own company, but times are tough and she has to cut staff. Both her husband and her former college boyfriend (and current lover) work for her, and one of them has to go, but how does she decide which one? Via a game of Trivial Pursuit, of course! Which of the senses is the most sensitive?

A drama.

4 characters.



View Sample

making friends (one act)





David is divorced, middle-aged, and in danger of becoming a reclusive alcoholic. In a desperate act of self-preservation, his psyche summons back his childhood imaginary friend, Michael. Michael has taken a different path to maturity, and has an agenda of his own.

A comedy.

5 characters (3 actors).


Winner of the Frostburg One-Act Playwriting Competition, 2019. Performed in Frostburg, MD, USA in November, 2019


​photo: Stephen Gumtz as Michael, and Phillip Schroeder as David, Frostburg, 2019. Directed by Jordan D. Kline.​


View Sample

LAST RITES (one act)





What would you admit to if you only had a few minutes left to live, or if you had an eternity?

A priest visits a prisoner on Death Row, 30 minutes before the prisoner's scheduled execution. The prisoner is searching for a purpose in his life, and is ready to confess his sins, but only if the priest goes first.

A drama.

2 characters.

I am indebted to Father Geoffrey Steel for his help in the development of this script.


Winner of the 80th Canadian National One-Act Playwriting Competition, 2021


Selected for the Enter Stage Left One-Act Play Festival, 2021. Performed at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, MA, USA in August, 2021


A winner of the Frostburg One-Act Playwriting Competition, 2020. Performed in Frostburg, MD, USA in November, 2020


Selected for the short list in the Gaslight-Baker Theatre One-Act Play Competition, 2020 (Lockhart, TX, USA)


Selected for the long list in the British Theatre Challenge, 2021 (London, UK)


View Sample

the other side (10 mins)





After seeing reports on the Syrian refugee crisis I wanted to write a play about immigration policy. In what scenario might a middle-class white couple face harsh barriers in escaping persecution and getting to a better place? Running from Hell and getting into Heaven, of course. The pearly gates are a well-worn backdrop for plays (and films and TV) but I hope I've given it a new twist.

A comedy.

4 characters.


A winning entry to the Newmarket National Play Festival, 2018. Performed in Newmarket, ON, Canada in July, 2018


Performed at the Weekend of Pop Up Theatre, Perth, ON, Canada, August, 2021


A winning entry to the LITE Festival. To be performed in Cary, NC, USA in March 2022


photo: Bonnie Ings as the Border Guard, Marianne McIsaac as Janet, and Dan Karpenchuk as Mike, Newmarket, 2018. Directed by Pascale Behrman. Photography: Jason Wighton.


View Sample

SECRET santa (10 mins)





It's December, and four friends meet to draw names and decide fates.

Since assisted dying laws do not cover patients with dementia four nurses decide to take matters into their own hands should their grandparents become ravaged with this disease. To avoid suspicion they will not relieve the suffering of their own grandparents, but draw lots to select the grandparents of one of the others in the group, who would be relative strangers. However, things do not go smoothly.

A dark comedy.

4 characters.


A winning entry to the Newmarket National Play Festival, 2019. Performed in Newmarket, ON, Canada in July, 2019


Selected for the short list in B3 Theater's Festival of Shorts, June, 2021 (Phoenix, USA)


photo: Meredith Busteed as Cass, and Julia Hussey as Abby,

Newmarket, 2019. Directed by Brandon Nicoletti. Scenic design, Ellen Brooker. Costume Design, Madeline Ius. Lighting Design, Christopher Pattenden. Photography: Jason Wighton.


View Sample

alexa the liar (10 mins)





A man wants answers, Alexa has other ideas.

A single man engages his smart speaker to help him find love and gain a promotion. However, after a few unkind words, he discovers that Alexa is smarter than he thought. A play about intelligence, both artificial and emotional.

A comedy.

3 characters (2 actors).


A winning entry in the Left Edge Theatre Hindsight 2021 Festival. Performed in Santa Rosa, CA, USA in January, 2021


A winning entry in Lab Laughs. Performed in Tampa, FL, USA in January, 2021


A winning entry in the South Simcoe Theatre Four Play Showcase. Performed in Cookstown, ON, Canada in March, 2021


Performed at the Merrickville Festival of the Arts, Merrickville, ON, Canada, August, 2021


A winning entry in the Shaker Bridge Theater Ten Minute Play Contest. To be performed in Enfield, NH, USA date TBD


A winning entry in the First Company One-Act Play Contest. To be performed in Colorado Springs, CO, USA date TBD


Selected for the short list in the Clocktower Players AMAZE short play competition, 2020 (Irvington, NY, USA)


photo: (upper) Mark Bradbury as Adam (with Julianne Bradbury as the voice of Alexa), Left Edge Theatre, 2021. Directed by Argo Thompson. Photography: Argo Thompson.

(lower) Christopher Rushing as Adam (with Emma Hurlburt as the voice of Alexa), Lab Laughs, 2021. Directed by Caroline Jett. Photography Owen Robertson.



View Sample

it starts with a bang
(10 mins)





A consensual, intergenerational office romance, and then the power dynamic flips.

Nathan and his assistant Amber have been secretly dating happily for several months. Amber wants to make it official with HR and go public, but is shocked when Nathan simply assumes that it is she who will have to find another job.

A drama.

2 characters.​


Selected for the short list in the Short+Sweet Dubai Festival, Jan-Mar, 2021 (Dubai, UAE), the Short+Sweet Perth Festival, the Short+Sweet Queensland Festival, Jun-Jul, 2021 (Brisbane, Australia), and the Short+Sweet Sydney Festival, May-Aug, 2021 (Sydney, Australia)


View Sample

on the sidelines (10 mins)





A soccer Mom and a soccer Dad tackle their sons, their spouses, and each other.

A comedy.

4 characters (2 actors).​


A winning entry in the Thank You, 10! Ten-Minute Play Festival. Performed by Anacortes Community Theatre, WA, USA in August 2020


A semi-finalist in the Stage It! Ten-Minute Play Festival. Performed at the Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, FL, USA in September 2020


photo: Tim McLaughlin as Jeff, and Willow McLaughlin as Steph, Anacortes Community Theatre, 2020.


View Sample

the OTHER GUY (10 mins)





What's in a name?

A comedy.

3 characters.​


A winning entry in the Orange County International Ten-Minute Play Festival (NY, USA). Performed in August 2020


A winning entry in the Crafton Hills College New Works Festival (CA, USA). Performed in May 2021


Selected for the long list in the Pint-sized Plays 2020 Competition (UK)


View Sample

waiting for hello (10 mins)





A conference call that never quite connects.

A tragicomedy.

3 characters.​


A winning entry for the LIGHTS UP! Season 2 podcast series, Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga. Performed in Chattanooga, TN, USA in May, 2021


A winning entry in the Twisted Tales Festival, Rainy Day Artistic Collective. To be performed in Seattle, WA, USA in December, 2021


View Sample

HIS & HERS (10 mins)





The course of true love can often be choppy, Here's the story of two folks you won't want to copy.

A drama, in rhyming couplets.

2 characters.​



View Sample

DERBY LINE (10 mins)





Two nations separated by a common library.
Set in the reading room of a (real) library that straddles the US-Canada border, the character interactions provide a metaphor for relationships between the two countries.

A drama.

4 characters.​



View Sample`

CHIN UP (10 mins)





In the future pandemics are frequent, so how much do you reveal on a first date? It's 2051, and now everyone wears face masks all the time, and it's only sensible to date people you're sure you can trust. Can Alice and Ben find a connection?

A drama/romance.

2 characters.​


A winning entry in Shepparton Theatre Arts Group’s 10 in Ten play festival. To be performed in Shepparton, Australia, date TBD


Performed at the Merrickville Festival of the Arts, Merrickville, ON, Canada, August, 2021


View Sample

skiP (10 mins)





Two strangers meet on a beach, will their brief encounter be spun into a lasting connection, or will they throw it all away? Sometimes you do get a second chance to make a first impression.

A drama/romance.

2 characters.​



View Sample

10...9...8... (10 mins)





Three astronauts are on the launch pad, two are highly-trained NASA professionals, and the third won their seat in a reality show. It's just seconds to blast off, and Cupid, we have a problem.

A comedy.

4 characters.​



View Sample

the beautiful boats
(10 mins)





It’s the worst book club turnout ever, and has anyone read the book?

A comedy.

2 characters.​


Selected for the Rule of 7x7 series (New York, NY, USA). Performed in March 2021


View Sample

photo finish
(10 mins)





Two sisters sort through their mother’s things following her funeral, and discover more than they expected.

A comedy/drama.

2 characters.​


View Sample

first data
(10 mins)





Meeting an alien for the first time is awkward, right? What do you say? How do you figure out if there’s a meaningful connection?

A comedy.

2 characters.​


A winning entry in The Playwrights' Round Table Summer Shorts festival. To be performed in Orlando, FL, USA, July, 2022


View Sample

a perfect two
(10 mins)





There are some questions you just shouldn’t ask. How would you rate your partner, on a scale
​of 1-10?

A comedy.

2 characters.​


View Sample

IT'S TIME TO COME OUT NOW
(10 mins)





Sam hasn’t left the house in thirty years, and it’s Robbie’s job to convince Sam to come out.

A drama.

2 characters.​


View Sample

CHANGING ROOM
(10 mins)





A husband and wife go shopping, but which habit fits her best?

A comedy.

4 characters.​


View Sample

SNOW CLUE
(10 mins)





There’s a killer in the ski lodge, but is the motive lust for power, lust for money, or lust for love?

A melodramatic murder mystery (with an unapologetic tip of the hat to Agatha Christie).

4 characters.​


View Sample

REWILDING (MONOLOGUE)





Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, a bus driver is viewed as a health risk by his family, and seeks escape.​


A winning entry in Raze The Space's 2020 International Play Festival (Los Angeles, CA, USA). Performed in March 2021


View Sample

CHOICE (MONOLOGUE)





A student attempts to answer a crucial question on a college entrance exam, as time runs out. Focus seems impossible, whereas sneaking a peak at the answer sheet of the student one row over is very doable.
(This piece was prompted by the phrase “From Point A to Point B.”)


Performed by Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga (podcast), Chattanooga, TN, USA in August, 2021


View Sample

guy.newsham@cantab.net