Lola's Stage Directions

Darling Lola,

So pleased to hear you are interested in putting on my play next year. I know being on tour is just ghastly but I think you can really do something wonderful with this one woman show. Below I’ve sketched out the three main roles, but there’s also plenty of scope for ad-libbing and you’ll see that the roles interact somewhat. I am convinced you’ll take my little script and just sparkle.

First Role

Beautiful but deadly, you play a police officer trying to convince her colleagues and superiors that she has what it takes in a mans world.

She is keen on Physical Training and carried a Machete and gun to defend herself. Having to prove her worth to other Beat Cops has meant she has developed True Grit.

She knows that fighting the bad guys isn’t enough for her stuffy bosses and that she'll also need to put them away with Evidence!

Don't forget your fight scene training for this role and keep your props to hand.

Second Role

You remember that tiresome little comedy Quentin wrote for the Innsmouth Review? “Fish out of Water”? Well this role is a bit like the scholar you played in that. Always has an answer for a problem, always looking to find out about others.

Bookish and introverted, this young student hides a keen intellect. Her professor (Dr. Milan Christopher) has some kind of infatuation with her and rewards her study with resources.

She practically lives to study and research. A real know-it-all whether that’s analysing a Strange Solution or using her Hyperawareness to aid in the Deduction of some maths problem.

Always on campus, she knows all the Shortcuts to get around quickly.

Third Role

Take some rough with the glamour dear - for the last role you’re a widow down on her luck. Without no real income she has to rely on A Chance Encounter or two to meet strangers who can help. She’s Resourceful though and has an odd relationship with a local college boy Peter Sylvestre.

She's pretty evasive long nights without hubby means she's never far away from her Baseball Bat or Fire Axe.

When playing her you might well find yourself Scavenging elements of the other 2 roles dear. You may even find some element of their character helpful for later.

Improv!!

Sweetie, you know what you’re doing and I absolutely give you permission to go off script. I know what these provincial audiences can be like and so do use some of those dull, neutral classes we did at Drama camp. You have such a versatile base to start from and I’m sure you’ll have Unexpected Courage which will help you whatever is thrown at you. In case you need to do a bit of campy Horror (Flashlight under the chin stuff) I’ve included some of the Macbeth props “Is this a dagger I see before me?!” (it’s a Knife lovey, but they won’t know the difference).

Character development

It can be difficult with the same old routine later on the tour, so have a view on how you can develop your characters. Does the Police Woman become a Keen Eye? Will your student finish Higher Education and perhaps discover the secret of her Strange Solution. I'll leave you to decide.