New revised 2020 version
It's Christmas. Tammy and Chris, cousins and best mates, are both thrilled to get cool new bikes. Give or take the odd unworn cycle helmet everything is great... that is until one morning when Chris has a puncture and Tammy agrees to walk with him. They're late and in a hurry. They decide to race. Chris runs out across a busy main road and then flips open his smart phone to dare Tammy to do the same in front of a fast-approaching car...
Chicken! has been performed 5,876 times, averaging nearly one performance a day since the original version was written in 1992.
This new 2020 version includes many updated references, a brand-new foreword by Adrian New, of StopWatch Theatre Company, more funny lines and a new decision for the actor to make at the end!
Suitable for: Key Stage 2 audience. Key Stage 3, 4, 5 performance, BTEC course as part of the TiE unit (a companion DVD/download showing the complete professional TiE programme is also available)
Duration: 45 minutes approximately
Cast: The play has 9 main characters: 4 male, 3 females and 2+ of either sex.
It can be doubled by 2m 2f
"A powerful play with a surprising twist."
Charles Vance, Amateur Stage
"[The] performance was lively, skilful, well-paced and enjoyable. Excellent participation, explored lots of issues pertinent to Year 7, including bullying and peer pressure as well as road safety."
Mrs S Scantlebury, Head of Year 7, Chipping Norton School, Oxfordshire
About the Author: Mark Wheeller's most recent plays, Can You Hear Me Major Tom (Verbatim Bowie fan tribute play) and This Is For You (Immersive, Ronson inspired fictional, unplanned teenage pregnancy story) are now available.
Hard to Swallow and Missing Dan Nolan are set texts on Eduqas & OCR GCSE 9-1 Drama. In 2015 his final (and best) verbatim Road Safety play was released. Chequered Flags to Chequered Futures. In 2019 Game Over was released telling the dreadful true story of the murder of fourteen-year-old Breck Bednar.
The Story Behind Too Much Punch For Judy and Hard to Swallow - Easy to Digest offer the incredible stories behind his most well-known plays and also offer ideas for study/rehearsing.
Mark has been commissioned by (amongst others) The Birmingham Rep, (Kill Jill) the Haymarket Theatre Basingstoke (The Gate Escape) The DSM Foundation (I Love You Mum - I Promise I Won't Die).
Together with Rachel, his wife, Mark wrote the stories for Tufty's Adventures and the twelve editions of the Tufty Tales comic (RoSPA 1994).
Mark offers workshops to schools here and abroad.
Mark's plays are increasingly being released on DVD including his award-winning OYT productions of Too Much Punch For Judy, Missing Dan Nolan & I Love You Mum - I Promise I Won't Die. The professional production of CHICKEN! is now available.
