FARCE. ABSURDITY. EXISTENTIALISM. GUARANTEED.
Shakespeare untitled
by Braddon Mendelson
The Artichoke, England’s oldest bookstore, faces foreclosure and a family curse that dooms its workers if it closes. When book clerk Sebastian and his crush, Miranda, discover a handwritten manuscript tucked inside a centuries‑old volume, they suspect it may be a lost Shakespeare play — and the solution to The Artichoke’s financial woes.
Their find attracts Miranda’s pompous fiancé Oliver; King Harry, who insists on starring; and Dr. Penrose of the British Library, whose meddling fuels confusion.
As the manuscript vanishes and reappears, the trouble compounds. Opening night erupts into disaster, but the manuscript is recovered, royal intervention saves the shop, and Miranda chooses Sebastian.
Comedy Farce
A cursed bookshop on the brink of collapse uncovers a mysterious manuscript that might be Shakespeare’s. Suddenly a pompous fiancé, a meddling scholar, and a narcoleptic king all want a piece of the action. Manuscript mischief, romantic chaos, and royal rescue drive this fast, witty comedy of literary mayhem.
Small Cast
5m, 3w, 2 m/f (optional)
Sebastian (M) (mid-20s): A romantic bookshop clerk, hopelessly in love with Miranda.
Beatrice (F) (60s): The eccentric owner of The Artichoke bookshop.
Miranda (F) (mid-20s): A sharp PhD literature student, trapped in a relationship with a narcissist.
Oliver (M) (35-40): A pompous actor and academic obsessed with fame and a knighthood.
King Harry (M) (65-75): An easily confused monarch prone to severe bouts of narcolepsy.
The Stage Manager / Courier (F) (30-45): An exhausted, underappreciated production lead. (Actor doubles as the courier for a
costume supplier.)
Detective Anders (M) (40-50): A deadpan Scotland Yard investigator doing his best in a world of absurdity.
Dr. Penrose (M) (60-65): The ever-harried Scottish Curator of Special Collections at the British Library.
Ensemble Players (M and F) (Non-speaking): At least two ensemble players are utilized to populate the backstage area and facilitate scene transitions. (The size of the ensemble may be increased, depending on the scale and resources of the production.)
The Artichoke, a centuries-old bookshop in Brindle Green, a small historic village on the outskirts of London. Present Day.
Contemporary Costumes, Period Costumes
Intrermission
110 Minutes
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