After Esme
A comedy about female friendship, loss, and refusing to become invisible.
Pauline, Alice, Jenny and Esme, long-term friends who are ageing disgracefully, meet regularly for coffee, lunches and chat. Pauline spends much of her time looking after her grandchildren, but dreams of the strong, independent woman she once was. Alice is constantly dieting, and constantly failing. Jenny struggles with getting old, losing her looks and possibly losing her mind. And Esme, the best of them; their rock; is the glue that holds them together. But Esme is dead, leaving the remaining three struggling with their relationships and place within the group and in the wider world. When revelations and betrayal break the bonds between the women, it is up to Esme, from beyond the grave, to help them reconcile, heal, and move on without her.
First performed in March 2024 at the Somerset County Drama Festival.
Type
One Act
Genre
Comedy
Duration (minutes) - excluding intervals
45
Style
Simple staging - cafe tables and a park bench. Ensemble piece with good roles for mature women.
Casting
6 women (4 main roles; 2 smaller) (5 women aged 50-65; 1 woman 18-25)
Scripts and Licencing
Licences for performance and scripts are available from Lazy Bee Scripts