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THEY CAME BY NIGHT

PLAYS by KEITH JOHNSTONE

“Many people find my adult plays disturbing but isn’t the whole universe disturbing? Anyway, be warned. And I apologise for not being about to write more comfortable plays. Here are extracts from a few of the ones I like.”

~ Keith Johnstone

 

CHILDREN’S PLAYS

Frog Wife

 

FULL-LENGTH PLAYS

Crusoe

Moby Dick

The Last Bird
The Cord 

They Came by Night

SHORT (TILT) PLAYS

Geronimo
I Want to Get Into You
Marg

The Invitation

Additional plays and other writings are available through Keith Johnstone Workshops Inc. and/or in the Keith Johnstone Papers at Stanford University Archives. If you are interested in acquiring and/or producing a Keith Johnstone play or publishing literary content (including artwork) created by Keith, please contact Keith's literary executor.

An excerpt from the play by Keith Johnstone.

(Sir and Perkins defeat the Vampires)

2 hours long and at least eight characters

 

PERKINS BRINGS SIR HIS EARLY MORNING CUP OF TEA

 

Sir (STILL ASLEEP) Ah lovely child, your breasts like seductive

fruit, your thighs like celestial marrows….

 

Perkins It’s me, Sir! It’s Perkins, Sir!

 

Sir (STILL ASLEEP) Sensual creature! Where did you learn such

delicious obscenities?

 

Perkins It’s your tea and biscuits, Sir! No…Augh!

 

TEA SPILLS OVER SIR, WAKING HIM.

 

Sir What! Help! Augh! Why…..(ASTONISHED AND ELATED – HE LEAPS UP?)

 

Why Perkins, you’ve given me a wet dream!

 

Perkins No Sir.

 

Sir (ECSTATIC) I’ve regained my potency! I’m cured! I’m cured!

 

ECSTATIC MUSIC? SIR RUNS AROUND SHOUTING? MIMES OPENING SHUTTERS

(BIRD-SONG?) AND ANNOUNCES HIS GOOD NEWS TO THE WORLD?

 

Perkins I’m afraid not, Sir.

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