Peter directing

You can follow Peter on Facebook Peter John Cooper – Playwright or on his blog spyway.blogspot.com

What’s He Up To?

I’m currently working on a number of projects that will see the light of day soon.  Life, Death and Everything in Between is being developed for studio recording . The aim is to produce it as a podcast or series of podcasts by the end of 2019. I’m not forgetting the stage version, though, and that’s developing along the same lines. My play about the pioneer of birth control Marie Stopes called Escaping the Storm will continue touring during the first half of the year. Eve of War is pencilled in for a limited number of dates in the autumn in commemoration of the eightieth anniversary of the outbreak of World War ll when it’s set.   I’m also doing some preliminary work in collaboration with a poet friend of mine Paul Canon Harris. Watch this space. Meanwhile I’m continuing to convert my back catalogue into a format for publishing on line.

Some comments about Productions by Peter John Cooper

“…a play that is certain to become a theatrical treasure in the future”

‘She Opened the Door’ for AsOne Theatre Co. (Dorset Echo)

“ A genuine masterstroke of theatre”
‘ Don Quixote’ for Oxfordshire Touring Theatre (Oxford Mail)

“The unshowy positiveness of Peter Cooper’s direction”
‘Toeing the Line’ for Oxfordshire Touring Theatre (Oxford Mail)

“Peter Cooper directs with the utmost clarity and economy”
Frankenstein’ for Oxfordshire Touring Theatre (Oxford Mail)

“It was a wonderful event. I am so pleased I went and found it incredibly moving. Brilliant writing, acting, production.” 
Christine Aziz, novelist

Peter John Cooper Plays Written 1972 – 2019

For Peter’s plays available from Lazy Bee Scripts click here or on the links in the table below

Escaping the Storm — 2018 — AsOne Theatre Co –Southern UK Tour– Not Available for other productions

  • Life and Death and Everything in Between — 2018 –Spyway Projects –BEAF –Not Available
  • Anning’s Fossil Depot (Two hander version) — 2018 — AsOne Theatre Co — South West Schools — Not Available
  • On Farley Mount — 2017 — Spyway Projects — Available from Spyway
  • Jess’s Odyssey — 2016 — AsOne Theatre Co — South West Schools — Available
  • The Fisherman’s Daughter — 2016 — AsOne Theatre Co — South West Schools — Available
  • Bones of the Land — 2015 — Spyway Projects — Available
  • Rancid — 2015 — Written for Simon Jay
  • He’s Dead — 2013 — Spyway Projects — Published by Lazybee Scripts
  • A Brief Encounter with MURDER — 2012 — Spyway Projects — Lazybee Scripts
  • Pig Unit — 2012 — Spyway Projects — Available
  • What Would Jane Say? — 2012 — Trisha Lewis Company — Southern England Tour — Available
  • Anning’s Fossil Depot (solo version) — 2011 — AsOne Theatre Co — Schools and Libraries — Not available
  • The Cabinet Maker’s Daughter — 2011 — AsOne Theatre Co — South West UK Tour — Available
Rebecca Legrand, Jane McKell — AsOne Theatre Co — The Cabinet Makers’ Daughter
  • Everyone Wants to be Somewhere Else — 2011 — Cake Productions (Cornwall) — Fal River Festival — Available
  • Mrs Adapta Iago’s Knitting Circle — 2011 — Spyway Projects — Lighthouse Poole — Lazybee Scripts
  • She Opened the Door — 2011 — AsOne Theatre Co — World Premiere at the 19th International Thomas Hardy Festival, The Corn Exchange, Dorchester. And South West Tour — Published in Paperback by Roving Press
  • Eve of War — 2009 — Spyway Projects — Reworking of “Little Arthur” for Radio and then Artsreach tour of Dorset — Not Available
  • Welcome to the Future — 2007 — Hope FM Radio
  • Chelsea and Baz (with Tara Dominic) — 2007 — Hope FM Radio
  • The Lady of Shallott — 2007 — Hope FM Radio
  • Conversations at the Sorrento — 2007 — Hope FM Radio
  • The Townhall Fish — 2007 — Hope FM Radio
  • Dead Air — 2007 — Hope FM Radio
  • The Time Machine — 2002 — Spyway Projects
  • We Call it Home — 1999 — Commissioned for 50th Anniversary of Langton Matravers Scout and Guide HQ
  • Dick Whittington and his Crazee Cat — 1994 — Ici D’Arte Theatre Co
  • Captain Pugwash and the Monster of Green Island — 1992 — Spyway Projects — South Coast summer seasons and UK tour.   Officially sanctioned by John Ryan.
  • Sharazad (with the company) — 1988 — Oxfordshire Touring Theatre —
  • The Trumpet Major — 1987 — Oxfordshire Touring Theatre — Available from Lazybee Scripts
  • Hiawatha — 1986 — Oxfordshire Touring Theatre
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Vanishing Author — 1986 — Oxfordshire Touring Theatre —  Available from Lazybee Scripts
  • The Runaway Train (With Jem Barnes) — 1985 — Oxfordshire Touring Theatre — Commissioned for the Oxford Playhouse
The Runaway Train itself stars on the stage of the Oxford Playhouse
  • Little Arthur’s History of England – 1984 — Oxfordshire Touring Theatre — Commissioned for the Oxford Festival (Later rewritten as “Eve of War”)
  • The Mayor of Casterbridge — 1983 — Oxfordshire Touring Theatre
  • Jane Eyre (with Helen Palmer) — 1982 — Oxfordshire Touring Theatre
  • Painting the Clouds with Sunshine — 1981 — Theatr Clwyd Touring — North Wales Tour
  • Robinson Crusoe — 1980 — Horseshoe Theatre Touring
  • Little Red Riding Hood — 1979 — Horseshoe Theatre Touring
  • I Want to Fly — 1979 — Horseshoe Theatre Touring
  • Krondos (with Jem Barnes) — 1978 — Horseshoe Theatre Touring
  • The Jolly Farmer — 1976 — Horseshoe Theatre Touring
  • A Grave Matter (with Jem Barnes) — 1975 — Horseshoe Theatre Touring
  • Mummers’ Play — 1974 — Attic Theatre
  • A Christmas Carol (with Jem Barnes) — 1974 — Horseshoe Theatre Co
  • Whistling — 1972 — The oldest extant script I have.

For play published in paperback by Roving Press click here or below

Writing for Musical Performance

Life, Death and Everything in Between  Extended performance with Powerpoint visuals and music by Roderick Skeaping.

Field of Fantasy Performance poetic discourse.  With music by Matt Wilkinson 2008

Flexigesis Extended performance poetry with soundscape artist Si Walters 2007

The Purbeck Wheel a song cycle for a parish choir (lyrics) with Roderick Skeaping. First performance 26th October 2003 at St. George’s Church, Langton Matravers Dorset

Two Songs for Elizabeth (lyrics) with Roderick Skeaping. Performed by James Bowman and the English Consort of Viols at the Banqueting Hall of Whitehall Palace. June 2003

Our World of Shopping (libretto ) with Roderick Skeaping for 2002 Brighton Festival

The Elements (Lyric writer) choral work by Roderick Skeaping. World Premiere at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London 1995

Commercial scripting projects for the RAC, Unipart, Home Office Fire Services Training College

Plus many children’s and schools’ educational plays

Poetry and Printed Work

Flexigesis Extended live performance recorded and published on cd

The Elements Published on the Web 2001

A Bunch of Fives Collection. Published 2002

Castaways A novel in short story form which shows how individuals react to life in a limited community in the days of global networking.

The Death of the Hurdy Gurdy Boy a detective whodunnit about a murdered hurdy gurdy player in Victorian London. With Elinor Rose Cooper. Available in all eBook formats.

The Hurdy Gurdy Boy and the New York Kidnap  The second in the Ghost detective series

Feer of the Future Classic Science Fiction short story collection.

Fog Tiger A children’s novel of Chinese boxes dealing with world travel and alienation

Lying, Stealing and Cheating A manual on presentation technique based on twenty years in presentation coaching for commercial Organisations

Theatre Director

Directing What Would Jane Say? for Trisha Lewis 2013

Directing production of She Opened the Door for AsOne Theatre Co. -2010

Directing Production of Hey Baby by Nell Denton for AsOne Theatre Company – 2009

Visiting Director for A Chorus of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn at the Arts Institute Bournemouth – 2007

Co-ordinator Sparkle Drama Project – 2005-2007   An ESF funded project working with adults with learning difficulties throughout Dorset. As well as achieving set learning targets, groups from 7 centres produce 18 small performances and one major theatre Piece (The Tempest).

Oxfordshire Touring Theatre, Oxford, –  Artistic Director 1982-1988

Took moribund company with significant deficit and turned it into an active and viable organisation. Six years of expanding venues in communities throughout the region. Established new writing policy and was successful in achieving Arts Council funding for this Instigated new forms of community involvement. Directed over twenty productions for theatres and non-theatre venues

Director of Outreach Productions, Theatr Clwyd 1981-1982

Associate Director, Horseshoe Theatre Company, Basingstoke 1976-1979

Assistant Director, Lyceum Theatre, Crewe 1974

Over fifty productions directed altogether including Mid scale, National Touring, Local Touring, Community, and TIE.

Including: The Promise by Aleksi Arbuzov

All’s Well That End Well by William Shakespeare

Slag by David Hare

Intimate Exchanges (All 8 plays)Alan Ayckbourn

Review of She Opened the Door

The Purbeck Press   Autumn 2012

 More About Peter

Peter is also known now as an award winning performance poet.   He can be seen in small clubs and dives throuhgout Dorset and beyond with his beat poetry and jazz ranting.  One reviewer said: “… a brilliant poet delivering his poems with tremendous energy.”

You can also follow him on Facebook and Twitter

You can follow Peter’s writing on his blog Peter John Cooper and his Arts observations on The View from the Westcliff

In 1996 he undertook a business management course at Bournemouth University and has been a very successful  in developing creative ideas in the commercial world. Among his clients have been BP Exploration where he reworked their Health and Safety Induction Training Programme.