Best Friends by Daryl Marks is the story of two lost souls whose lives are inexplicably brought together by the loss of their beautiful four-legged companions. Still fighting back the tears three days after the passing of his wonderful dog Dickens, Turner finds himself in a very strange pub whose only clientele is that of customers who all have one common bond… they’re all mourning the loss of their best friends. Turner meets Alice in the pub, and together (with the guiding hand of Sheppard, the bartender) help each other mend their broken hearts and regain the courage and confidence to face life head-on.
Best Friends is a romantic comedy that takes its audience on a beautiful and engaging journey filled with laughter, tears and triumph!
Keywords: Comedy, romance, dogs, relationships.
Best Friends was first produced by Dancyn Productions at The Dnipro Centre in Oshawa, Ontario, on February 25th, 2016
Genre: Comedy
Acts: 2
Suitable for students 14+
Content notes: Contains a few swear words
Cast size: 7 actors
Male roles: 4
Female roles: 3
Casting note: Best Friends works best if specific roles are doubled. The roles are all listed at the beginning of the play and show which characters are doubled. If a production company wishes to have all roles played by individual actors (with the exception of Manager/Turner), they are more than welcome to do so.
Casting breakdown:
Manager: Male. Late 40s to early 50s. The manager is a very slimy individual who only cares about himself.
Turner: Male.
Late 40s to early 50s. Turner is a caring, friendly, and hilarious character who would give you the shirt off his back. He is struggling emotionally due to the passing of his dog.
Guest: Male.
The guest is in his 50s to 60s. He is fully open to interpretation but works best as a strong-willed, angry individual.
Director: Female.
The director is a woman of about forty years of age. She is all business but extraordinarily approachable and understanding.
Ned: Male
Ned can be played anywhere from 30 to 60. He has very little to say about himself. Ned is constantly running to the washroom and should be able to steal many scenes but should not try to upstage the other cast members. Have fun with the character, but play him for real rather than over the top.
Sheppard: Male. 30 - 60. A very caring individual with a mysterious demeanor.
Alice: Female.
Alice is in her late 40s to early 50s. She is an attractive yet fragile young woman who has seen her fair share of tragedy. She is strong-willed and caring, with a beautiful personality, but she is also quite cautious and terrified of getting hurt.
Jill: Female.
Jill is in her early forties and is Alice's sister. She is a no-nonsense type of gal with a quick wit. She is very understanding towards Alice and only wants the best for her.
Mrs. Jackson: Female. Mrs. Jackson is in her late seventies and is a fun-loving lady still holding on to her youth.
Dick: Male. Dick is in his forties and is the butt of everyone's jokes. He has no personality and goes through life without realizing what is happening around him. The character works well if wearing a bad but obvious wig. Make his sweater as loud as possible!
Mom: Female.
Mom is over 80 years old. She is a character who thinks she is right about everything. She won't take no for an answer and can be highly annoying and demanding.
Mervin: Male.
Mervin is in his fifties and is an absolute gem of a guy. He cares deeply for his mother even though she drives him crazy.
"FUNNY, SWEET, FRESH! Super dialogue, warm and "act-able" character roles. Loved it. BRAVO!"
-- Theresa Sears & David Switzer
"The story is sweet and engaging, and it wraps up nicely with a lovely ending."
-- Norm Foster