The Holy Terror

by  Simon Gray

Full Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  4m, 3f

"Filled with such wit, irony and wonderful lines that, although the play is a frightening tale of sexual obsession and madness, the audience will find itself laughing its way through hell." - Arizona Republic

Read more +

The Holy Terror

by  Simon Gray

Get the script
License Estimator

Use this tool for cost estimates based on your specific needs.

Request license

The Holy Terror

  • Cast Size

    Cast Size

    4m, 3f
  • SubGenre

    Subgenre

    Fantasy
  • Audience

    Target Audience

    • Adult
    • Senior

Additional Info

This work by a pre-eminent dramatist begins as a lecture being delivered by Mark Melon to an English women's club wherein he recounts how he took over a respected but financially shaky publishing house and ruthlessly streamlined by firing everyone in sight. The events described then come to life. Melon, who appears at first to be just another ruthless businessman, is actually insane. He has a breakdown and is committed to an institution where he undergoes shock and other therapies. He loses his stature in publishing and his wife and family, but he may have found some shred of his soul.
Read more +

Reviews

REVIEWS

"A humorous and harrowing depiction of an emotional breakdown." - Arizona Daily Star

"Filled with such wit, irony and wonderful lines that, although the play is a frightening tale of sexual obsession and madness, the audience will find itself laughing its way through hell." - Arizona Republic

Keywords

Betrayal, Illness/Health, Marriage, Parenting/Family

Considerations

Performing Groups

  • College Theatre / Student
  • Community Theatre
  • Dinner Theatre
  • Reader's Theatre
  • Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups

Cautions

  • Caution Mild Adult Mild Adult Themes

License details

  • Minimum Fee: $100 per performance

Production

Details

  • Time Period: Present Day, 1990s
  • Setting: The action moves between the present and the last 15 years. The Cheltenham Women's Institute and The Memory.
  • Features / Contains: Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes

Casting

4m, 3f
MARK MELON
GLADSTONE
SAMANTHA
MICHAEL
JACOB
RUPERT
GRAEME
JOSH MELON
GLADYS POWERS
KATE MELON
See all +

Cast Attributes

  • Expandable casting
  • Flexible casting

Casting Notes

Michael, Jacob, Rupert, and Graeme can be played by the same actor.

More

Authors

Simon Gray

Simon Gray

The world premiere of The Holy Terror was produced at the Arizona Theatre Company in 1991. It was directed by Simon Gray.

Now Playing

Community Experiences