The Haberdasher! by Walt McGough

In the old, romantic time, in France of all places, Antoinette works as a haberdasher’s apprentice, until fate (and a mysterious burglar) intervene. Suddenly she finds herself swept up in a whrilwind of criminals, court intrigue and a curiously counterfeit locket, where the stakes are life-or-death and nothing is as it seems. Which would all be well and good, if she could just find a weapon more substantial...
In the old, romantic time, in France of all places, Antoinette works as a haberdasher’s apprentice, until fate (and a mysterious burglar) intervene. Suddenly she finds herself swept up in a whrilwind of criminals, court intrigue and a curiously counterfeit locket, where the stakes are life-or-death and nothing is as it seems. Which would all be well and good, if she could just find a weapon more substantial than her ruler to fight with. A dashing tale of derring-do featuring mistaken identities and plenty of swashbucklery, with a completely overworked ensemble of four bringing an entire genre’s worth of action to life.
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The Haberdasher!

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear:
    9 Jun. 2021
    “ A fabulous adventure full of intrigue and criminality with the highest of stakes. A fun and captivating ride! ”
  • Nora Long:
    3 Aug. 2016
    “ A very funny, physical farce that is immensely theatrical, Walt is able to push the broad character types of the genre into surprising and empathetic places. The swordplay is enormously fun and structured brilliantly within the story. ”
  • Bridget O'Leary:
    12 Aug. 2014
    “ This is a zany, fun, farce. It is somewhat complicated to read, but it pays off on stage. Walt is able to convey a depth of character while still being over the top and pushing the limits of what we think is achievable in the staging of it. It is light at heart, but still smart. ”

Character Information

The play is written for four actors, with two female or female-presenting actors and two male or male-presenting.

The cast can also be expanded to six, with a gender mix of three and three. Doubling schematics are included in the script.

  • Antoinette
    20s,
    Any
    ,
    Female, Presents Female
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Vivienne
    20s-30s,
    Any
    ,
    Female, Presents Female
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Lucas
    20s-30s,
    Any
    ,
    Male, Presents Male
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Bellamy
    40s-70s+,
    Any
    ,
    Male, Presents Male
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Boston Actors Theatre
    ,
    2013
  • Workshop
    ,
    Argos Productions
    ,
    2013

Production History

  • University
    ,
    Community College of Rhode Island
    ,
    2016
  • Professional
    ,
    Argos Productions
    ,
    2014