One-Act Plays by Tom Casling

This award winning play was the winner of the 2nd Durham and Sunderland One Act festival in 2019. It also won the Best Writing category in the same year. The play concerns what appears to be two disparate people who are brought together by chance and whose lives become entangled?  This is a play for three characters: a female aged around 30, a man…

Richard is in his mid to late 50s.  He has recently had a break down thought to be due to the pressure of working in a local secondary school and has sought counselling. We meet Richard as he attends for his introductory session with Katharine a therapist of 5 years.  Katharine is in her early thirties.  She has been in training as a psychologis…

A one act play, with dance. It was written as a festival piece for 2020.  Swan Song tells the story of Siegfried an older dancer who through ill health, can no longer dance.  Siegfried lives with his housekeeper.  He wishes no more that to employ people to dance for him and to paint them in order that he can consider technique.  Through one of …

The action takes place over a one month period.  Danielle comes home to find an older man, outside her house sitting on her doorstep.  He appears to be quite distressed because his key won’t work and he can’t get it in the lock.  Danielle calls the police to alert them to the situation.  As time passes the two become friends and become inte…

This is a lovely little pay of about 20-25 minutes for children  Two problematic young girls are given an ‘End of Year Project’ by their teacher.  The project title is the Debutante.  They are asked to research and produce a small piece of work with their class mates.  We join them on that joinery as they put together a script and various d…

Set in the latter stages of the Pandemic this is the story of Hugh who is desperate to speak to his GP.  As many people know it was and still can be difficult to obtain a GP appointment.  Many people practice stoicism and work through their illness, some reluctantly accept the situation but are unhappy with the lack of care and support and some c…

This is a play for primary school children which tackles the difficult subject of bereavement and is designed to be used as an educational piece looking at bereavement whilst tackling the subject of road safety.  The piece had been performed with a youth group at an awards evening and was well received.

This is a short tragic play written in partnership with a local community within County Durham.  It contains strong themes, strong language and violence.  It is partly based on a true story.  The play centres on Michelle a retired police officer who has left the force after a breakdown following a tragic incident and a local family who have issu…

Peter and Sarah have been married for a couple of years.  They met later in life than the average couple and neither of them have had a great deal of experience of relationships prior to their marriage. Suddenly something has changed. They both believe that fault lies with the other person.  Sarah reluctantly confides in her mum whilst Peter choo…

David Clark has reached a crisis in his life. He can see no way out of it and no point in going on, so he has now decided to end it all. He has made his plan and decided how to take his life  – he is going to jump off the Tyne Bridge. As he climbs out onto the edge of the bridge he decides to leave one final voice message  for his wife. Then the …

Neil and his wife have always been lovers of the great outdoors: walking, cycling and camping. As they have become older they are not able to enjoy it to the same degree as they once did.  However when the couple encounter a crisis in their lives Neil suggests that they get away from it all and try to recapture their youth and their special times …

Sanctuary This play deals with the issue of sanctuary – a place of safety. It does this by creating a situation based partly on fact and partly on fiction. A man is about to be deported. He has exhausted all the possible legal options to remain in the country and when these fail he seeks refuge in his local church claiming sanctuary. The play consi…