A Witness for the Deceased
Cast: 3M, 4F (with doubling)
Run time: 90 minutes
A tense courtroom thriller, based on a contemporary re-imagining of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
When Henry Dashwood is found in his car at the bottom of a river, was it suicide - or murder?
When the senior partner of Dashwood & Co Solicitors, Henry Dashwood, is found in a car at the bottom of a river, the police are unsure whether this was self inflicted, or murder. Convinced he would never take his own life, his daughters, Elinor and Marianne, investigate and uncover Henry’s dark secrets and a tangled web of lies woven around the firm by the Ferrars Syndicate. Elinor begins to suspect that their entire lives have been supported by illegal funds, fighting for the wrong side of justice.
Risking everything, can they ultimately survive against the network of the Ferrars criminal syndicate?
CHARACTERS:
Elinor Dashwood - 30s (Ellie)
Marianne Dashwood - late 20s (Mimi)
Belle Dashwood - late 50s - Their mother. Partner to John Dashwood
John Dashwood - 40s - Their step-brother
Edward Ferrars - 30s. - Youngest son of the Ferrars family - brain of the syndicate.
Robert Ferrars late - 30s - Oldest son of the Ferrars family - the muscle.
Simon Willoughby late - 30s - Barrister for the Ferrars
Colin Brandon late - 30s - Private investigator. Former police inspector.
Lucy Steele - late 20s - Legal executive at Dashwood and Associates.
3M, 4F with doubling as follows:
Simon Willoughby / John Dashwood
Robert Ferrars / Colin Brandon
Edward Ferrars / Judge
Belle Dashwood / Prosecution Barrister
Not seen:
Henry Dashwood (voice only) Belle’s partner, Elinor/Marianne’s father, John’s father.
Lady Middleton, Belle’s cousin.
Sir John Middleton, Lady Middleton’s husband.
Felicity Dashwood, John’s wife.
SET:
A black box space, with a large desk piled with files, and 4 chairs which may be moved to create the various locations which are indicated by changes in lighting and background effects.
TIME:
The present.
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