Stranded

Written by PT Rose and Stella Glass, ‘Stranded’ is a sharp, bittersweet comedy-drama set aboard a narrow boat marooned on a muddy riverbank. As the tide recedes, so do decades of unresolved resentment, ambition, and love. Pat, a quietly resilient retired quilter, lives with her partner Danielle (Dan), a former variety entertainer whose long-nursed dreams of fame never quite materialised. When the boat becomes stuck on the mud on the morning of their youngest daughter Hope’s 25th birthday, Dan’s desperation to free it—fuelled by pride and fear of appearances—collides with Pat’s refusal to indulge yet another of Dan’s ego-driven crusades. What begins as bickering over a pole and a mudbank spirals into a brutally funny and painful reckoning with the past with comic intrusions, including a flamboyant baker, a Rapunzel cake, and Pat’s beloved rag doll Jemima, balance the play’s emotional weight with absurdity and warmth. As family secrets surface and old wounds are reopened, it becomes clear that the mud is not the real obstacle. Stranded uses humour, nostalgia, and confrontation to explore pride, loyalty, identity, and the cost of living for dreams that no longer serve us. Ultimately, the play asks whether love can survive when people refuse to let go—and whether being stuck might be the first step toward change. For more information about the script and permission to perform the play in public you may contact: [email protected] Cast Pat – just over 60, retired and living on a narrow boat. She weaves quilts. Respects her partner Danielle (Dan) and knows that Dan would do anything for her. Dan - Early 60’s - retired entertainer. Formerly Danielle, now choosing to live as a man. S/he sang a bit, told a few gags. Great as an MC at ‘alternative’ events or the rude comic at stag/hen nights. Faith – late 20’s – Pat’s eldest daughter and has always had a strained relationship with her absent father and ambivalent toward her mum's partner Dan.  Hope – mid 20’ - the youngster and beautiful. Less talented than her older sister and somewhat spoilt. She is her dad’s number one fan.  Charlie – in his mid 60’s – a typical 1970’s light entertainment dinosaur and ex hubby of Pat. He made a success of his career after the split of the act with Dan and never looked back.  Bob – Rotund jolly man in his 50’s. A Master Baker Dorian – mid 30’s : A close friend of Hope