Cyrano

by Tony Stowers

Freely adapted from “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand and Steve Martin’s “Roxanne,” this two-act comedy, set in the contemporary North of England (adaptable anywhere in the world provided locality and contemporary cultural references are used with the author’s prior permission), tells the story of Cy Smith, a middle-aged local man with a big nose— but a bigger he’s an internationally renowned poet who’s true identity is a mystery to all except his agent. In order to preserve this identity, he works as a refuse collector and often frequents his local pub. One day a new barmaid, Roxy, starts work there and not only Cy but also another regular, Chris, fall for her. With Mister Digweed in the role of pub landlord, we watch as Cy, using a mobile telephone and the power to imitate voices, masquerades as Chris to win Roxy’s affections with funny and poignant results in a comedy in which nobody is who they seem.

Approximate running time with 15 minute intermission – 2 hours.

55 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 9, 2013

About the author

Tony Stowers was born into a working class family in North East England in 1963. A love of literature, a supportive English teacher, school pantos, theatre and writing sustained him through his early years, despite getting up to all manner of trouble associated with disenfranchised youth in small towns. In 1979, against his better instinct, he signed up for an apprenticeship but was fired in 1981 for daydreaming. From that moment he determined to become a writer and artist. 1981 - 1985 saw him experimenting with various styles of theatre and he became a published poet and performed much of his work to "punk" audiences or in support of the Miners' Strike. As well as attending various drama groups, he wrote theatre plays in the search for an original voice, highlights including "The Waiting Room" which featured a young Mark Gatiss and "Norm & Ahmed" by Alex Buzo. Unable to attend The Drama Centre, London as an acting student in 1984 due to being turned down for a grant because of professing a doubt in the existence of God when interviewed by Durham County Council, he went on writing, performing and publishing, some of his best poems having been recently set to music and recorded by French group Insanzo. In 1985, successful as an applicant to London's Central School of Speech and Drama, he left the North East and lived in London for the next 11 years. As well as graduating as an actor, he pressed on with his own unique vision and, despite an irregular and itinerant lifestyle, wrote some of his best plays in various squats and whilst living on friend's floors. In 1996 he returned to the North East and formed The Northern Line Theatre Company, beginning with TIE issue-based plays, 1997-2000 producing six new plays, employing up to 30 actors and technicians, giving many Equity cards and entertaining around 75,000 children. After a brief sojourn in France in 2002, he again returned to the North East and formed Associated Professional Artists and it was with this company he gained creative successes with "Space Jockey" and "X", employing up to 50 NE-based actors in a variety of workshops and read-throughs, as well as travelling in Europe and the UK to enhance his skills and knowledge. Today he lives in France and continues to create new theatre work which always strives for originality both in terms of writing and direction, as well as performing in challenging spaces. His most recent success is the one-man show "Gauguin's Ghost" which was first performed in Pont-Aven, Brittany in August 2009 in French and English at the same time! Happy to receive the label "maverick", Tony continues to write, act and direct and continues to strive to create original work and to challenge conventional ideas.