The Wolf of Badenoch

by Barry Wallace

The Wolf of Badenoch explores the life and death of Alexander Stewart, a medieval warlord whose fundamental choices affected all of Scotland. Death has come to visit Alexander on the last day of his life and challenges him to a game of chess. But Death has some vital lessons for Alexander about those choices, as his immortal soul hangs in the balance...
v4.2

The Wolf of Badenoch explores the life and death of Alexander Stewart, a medieval warlord whose fundamental choices affected all of Scotland. Death has come to visit Alexander on the last day of his life and challenges him to a game of chess. But Death has some vital lessons for Alexander about those choices, as his immortal soul hangs in the balance...
v4.2

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The Wolf of Badenoch

Recommended by

  • Harrison Young: The Wolf of Badenoch by Barry Wallace
    “

    My playwright-mentorship program Next Rung Productions was pleased to work with Barry in 2023 as he developed THE WOLF OF BADENOCH. This historical fantasy is rich in theatricality as it explores the ups and many downs of a Scottish warlord's life. Any theatre willing to take on its presentational needs for staging will have a memorable production for their audiences. It's arguably most fascinating in how its main character weaves back and forth between flashbacks and the present to capture both past feelings and present reflections. Don't miss it!

    My playwright-mentorship program Next Rung Productions was pleased to work with Barry in 2023 as he developed THE WOLF OF BADENOCH. This historical fantasy is rich in theatricality as it explores the ups and many downs of a Scottish warlord's life. Any theatre willing to take on its presentational needs for staging will have a memorable production for their audiences. It's arguably most fascinating in how its main character weaves back and forth between flashbacks and the present to capture both past feelings and present reflections. Don't miss it!

    ”

Character Information

Doubling breakdown (Male/Female/Either):

Tour Guide/Man in Black (M)
Tourist #1/Hendry/Earl of Fife (E)
Tourist #2/Robert II/Robert III (M)
Tourist #3/Euphemia (F)
Tourist #4/Bishop Bur (M)
Tourist #5/Alexander (M)
Malcolm (E)
  • King Robert III (John)
    King Robert II of Scotland's oldest son and later, King Robert III.
    50's
    Caucasian/Scottish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Earl of Fife (Robbie)
    King Robert II's second oldest son.
    50's
    Caucasian/Scottish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Alexander Stewart
    The Wolf of Badenoch, third son of King Robert II. Also doubles as Tourist #5 at the end of the play. Should be able to roughly play Alexander as a young man roughly in his teens through to an older adult in his 60's, through the haze of memory.

    Alexander is the core of the play, and the emotional heart around which the play revolves. It is his choices that define his life and the course of the narrative, and ultimately prove his undoing. Or do they?
    40's-60's
    Caucasian/Scottish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Man in Black
    The Man in Black is ageless, and can be any age, any description. The only requirement is a gravitas that belies the fact that they are ageless and eternal. The character is, basically, Death, and accompanies all people who die as they depart this life.

    The actor also doubles as the Tour Guide.
    Any Age
    Any race/ethnic identity
    Male
  • Malcolm
    Alexander's servant, the son of an older servant, Hendry. Malcolm is a surrogate son figure to Alexander.
    20's
    Caucasian/Scottish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
  • King Robert II
    Alexander's father, and the King of Scotland.
    30's-60's
    Caucasian/Scottish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Bishop Bur
    The Bishop of a nearby province and a land rival to Alexander throughout his life. The Bishop serves as a bit of an unintentional moral compass to Alexander, while never being completely pious himself.
    30's-50's
    Caucasian/Scottish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Hendry
    Should play Hendry as a young father to Malcolm in his 30's to an older man in his 60's. Hendry is an older servant of Alexander's who serves as a surrogate father figure to him.
    30's-50's
    Caucasian/Scottish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Euphemia
    Alexander's wife, and later estranged ex-wife. Also doubles as a Tourist.
    20's-30's
    Caucasian/Scottish
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Commission, Next Rung Productions, 2023
  • Reading, Next Rung Productions, 2023