Clever Clogs

One-Act Play

Clever Clogs was the winner of “Best Original Script” and “Best Adult Production” at the Hunstanton One-Act Drama Festival 2019

Characters: 2 male, 4 female

Setting
The action takes place in the dining room of Jackie and Nicholas Snell, somewhere in the UK, present day.

Synopsis
With prizes of book tokens and boxes of Thornton’s chocolates, it’s not just the reputation of the Clever Clogs at stake at the Nut and Squirrel’s ‘Big Friday Bonanza’ pub quiz. In anticipation of this important event, a highlight in the pub quizzer’s annual calendar, Clever Clogs team captain, Nicholas Snell gathers the members of his group at his home for one last cramming session. However, with a new team member running late, his long-suffering wife teetering on breaking point, and constant interruptions from his stubborn mother-in-law, the evening might not prove as fruitful as Nicholas had hoped.

Approximate running time: 40 mins

To purchase this script, please visit my publisher’s page via Silver Birchington Plays.

Character List

Nicholas Snell
Nicholas is a pillar of the local community, chairman of the neighbourhood watch, and secretary of the Parish Council. Self-righteous, officious and opinionated, Nicholas is a stickler for good punctuation and grammar, enjoys routine and structure in his life and prides himself on his punctual time-keeping. He works as a chiropodist in the town centre.

Jacqueline Snell
Long suffering wife of Nicholas. Panders to her husband’s whims for an easy life, but her suppressed frustrations occasionally bubble to the surface, mainly in the form of sarcastic quip. She is house proud, hard-working and enjoys the simpler things in life but is beginning to yearn for more. She works part-time in accounts of a department store.

Martin Lumley
Friend of Nicholas since secondary school. Primary school teacher and married to Heather Lumley although has been secretly in love with Jackie for years. Mild mannered and unassuming, he enjoys chess, making model aeroplanes and watching classic television and films from the sixties, seventies and eighties.

Kirsty Bright
Nicholas’ receptionist. She enjoys socialising and having a good gossip. Her vivacious and enthusiastic attitude to life can sometimes be misinterpreted as brashness or insensitivity.

Ruth Billington
Kirsty’s recently separated neighbour. She is anxious, quiet and socially awkward. Kirsty has insisted Ruth join the quiz team, ignoring all of Ruth’s objections. She works as a healthcare assistant/dispenser in a pharmacy.

Cynthia Fairclough
Jackie’s mother. Hard of hearing and short tempered, Cynthia has become somewhat of a telly addict since her husband’s death and spends most of her time watching soaps, quiz shows and police dramas with the subtitles on. She is a pessimist and a bit of a hypochondriac.

Download a sample script here…

Production Photos

Photos were taken by Callum Thursby from Boston Playgoers’ production of Clever Clogs.

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