The Letter of Last Resort a new play by Kennedy Goodkey

Presented by Aftershock Theatre in collaboration with Curious Cats Theatre Collective

Directed by Matthew Bissett

Rehearsals: Jan 5th through Feb 9th

Performances: 12 shows from Feb10 to 21st, 2027 at the PAL Theatre, 581 Cardero Street, Vancouver

All roles are non-equity and are volunteer based with a co-op model in place

Auditions: Saturday, Sept 19th, 1-4pm, 5-8pm, by appointment.  Sides will be supplied for perusal.  Please email curiouscatstheatre@gmail.com for information and appointment time.

Show synopsis:
Martin Seymour, a newly elected Prime Minister, faces moral and political dilemmas as he is tasked with writing a letter containing instructions for the captains of Britain's nuclear submarines on how to respond if the government is destroyed in a nuclear attack.  He is introduced to the concept of the Letter of Last Resort by two advisors with an adversarial relationship: Convier, a retired British Navy officer, and Gladstone, a historical expert who has advised previous Prime Ministers on the matter.
The three debate the details and implications through the history of past Prime Ministers, theories on Nuclear deterrence, and Seymour's additional complications of adjusting to the personal and national obligations of his new role.

CHARACTERS:

Seymour:  M 40s-50s (Role will not be doubled with other parts - part of the core trio)

Former Olympian, trained as an economist before becoming a perennial back bencher - who was suddenly pushed to leadership when his ideas seemed novel in the face of a collapsing economy. Led the Labour Party to victory significantly on his (relative) “everyman” personality. Uses bravado and humour to cover up his insecure feelings that he has only got where he is in life through great luck.

Convier: F 30s-40s (Role will not be doubled with other parts - part of the core trio)

Retired naval officer - first woman to be an officer on one of HM’s nuclear submarines. A military scholar and theorist and firm believer that women have the obligation to fight for an equal place with men in the world’s hierarchies.

Gladstone: M Age: Special - he is seen through his late 40s or early 50s through to his 90s (Role will not be doubled with other parts - part of the core trio)

Retired civil servant - a policy specialist in foreign affairs. He is one of the architects of the nuclear age concepts of deterrence - by now the oldest living expert on the matter. Though once a hawk, he has privately become a dove.

Dr. Seymour: F 40s-50s “Britain’s Most Famous Doctor” - is a bit of a joke. While she is the wife of the New Prime Minister, she really is the foremost pediatrician in the country. In her field she was already the most famous Doctor in Britain - now the rest of the world knows it. She is accustomed to being the smartest person in the room. She knows her husband better than he knows himself. 

Mrs. Mayerthorpe: F 40s Career civil servant. She loves her job. She is very good at it. It entertains her greatly to understand the inner workings of Downing Street better than the most powerful people who work there and to subtly tease them about her superiority with an absolutely stone face.

Hunt: M/F 30s-50s A trusted member of Seymour’s staff. Supportive, bordering on being a “yes-man.”

Patterson: M/F 30s-50s A trusted member of Seymour’s staff. A key idea generator and devil’s advocate.

Cooper: M 40s-60s the outgoing Conservative Prime Minister. Had been deputy PM until the untimely death of his party leader. A world in chaos handed him a bad deal - he was always going to be short term.

(Prime Minister Margaret) Thatcher: F 50s (53) Historical figure - in the earliest days of her time at Downing Street.

(Prime Minister Harold) Wilson: M 50s (57) Historical figure - coming into power for the second time.

(Prime Minister Tony) Blair: M 40s (48) Historical figure - facing a rapidly changing world in the hours after 9/11.

(Prime Minister Baron James) Callaghan: M 70s (74) Historical figure - years after his time as Prime Minister reflecting in a TV interview.

Daughter: F 30s Gladstone’s grown daughter - trying desperately to emotionally support her father in the wake of her Mother’s death.

Hennessy: M 30s (32) Interviewer. (NOTE: Historically this is renowned British journalist Peter Hennessy - though this is never actually identified on stage)

(Prime Minister Winston) Churchill: M 70s (May be recording of actual Churchill - V.O. only)