Looking for your perfect next play to perform? Why not try a female-led, small-cast play?
We speak to hundreds of theatre groups and companies every year, and something we hear almost daily is the strong demand for exciting and rich roles for your talented, passionate female performers. So in this Spotlight, we're sharing a hand-picked selection of fantastic female-led, small-cast plays – all available for amateur performance – which we think you'll love.
The plays below each offer great roles for an all-female or mostly-female cast of up to six, and cover a wide range of themes and genres – from gripping dramas about family conflict and young women in peril, to hilarious comedies about long-lasting friendships and looking for love later in life.
These plays are just the start – visit our website to see even more options, and continue your search with our easy-to-use Play Finder.
And if you're interested in finding out more about these plays, or need any other help or advice, be sure to get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable Performing Rights team for information and to request your free inspection copy!
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Iron by Rona Munro
Cast: 3f 1m
Age range: 20s - 50s
Fay is serving life for murdering her husband. Her daughter needs to find out why she can’t remember anything that came before that terrible night. Uncovering the memories is going to be more perilous than either of them can imagine. An intense psychological drama set in a women's prison, led by two strong female roles. Click here for more
'An exceptionally gripping and deeply moving play... psychological drama at its best' Telegraph
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All the Little Lights by Jane Upton
Cast: 3f
Age range: Teens
Joanne and Lisa were like sisters. Then Lisa left. Now they’re back together for one last birthday party. But can they salvage their relationship? Poignant, moving and darkly funny, this searing story of friendship and identity features three brilliant roles for young female performers. Click here for more
'Terrifically realistic and darkly funny... truly extraordinary and moving theatre' Nottingham Post
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Di and Viv and Rose by Amelia Bullmore
Cast: 3f
Age range: Teens - 40s
Aged 18, three women join forces. Life is fun. Living is intense. Together they feel unassailable. In this humorous and thoughtful exploration of friendship's impact on life and life's impact on friendship, the actors play Di, Viv and Rose over thirty years, offering an exciting challenge for three female performers. Click here for more
'Brims over with warm, effervescent humour and sharp, unsentimental perceptiveness' Independent
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Swallow by Stef Smith
Cast: 3f
Age range: 30s - 40s
Three strangers are about to face their demons head on. Balanced precariously on the tipping point, they might just be able to save one another – if they can only overcome their urge to self-destruct. This passionate, painful and playful drama takes a look at the extremes of everyday life. Click here for more
'Has a shard-like lyricism that tears through the heart. It finds the comic in the tragic... shattering' Guardian
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The Urban Girl's Guide to Camping by Fin Kennedy
Cast: 4f
Age range: Children - 20s
Four young friends leave the city behind and head into the wilderness, but a burning secret threatens to tear their lives apart. Written by award-winning playwright Fin Kennedy, this is a bittersweet comedy about life, love and friendship once school is long gone, for four young female performers. Click here for more
'Glowingly imaginative' British Theatre Guide on The Unravelling by Fin Kennedy
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Boys Will Be Boys by Melissa Bubnic
Cast: 5f
Age range: 20s - 50s
Astrid is a City trader, a ruthless player in a man’s world. When young, ambitious Priya applies for a junior position, Astrid recognises something in her. After all, what’s gender got to do with it? An exhilarating piece, featuring an all-female cast and cabaret music. Click here for more
'A rude, raucous, song-filled satire that aims some well-directed blows at the macho swagger and sexual brutality of the male-dominated City' Guardian
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Flamingoland by Deborah McAndrew
Cast: 4f 1m
Age range: 30s - 60s
Mari is having a clear-out before the 'Big Move' brought on by cancer. As well as memories of holidays in Mablethorpe and day trips to Flamingoland, there's a big box of family secrets to dust off and unwrap. A big-hearted, bittersweet comedy about mothers, sisters, love and lies. Click here for more
'Deborah McAndrew has succeeded in writing four substantial roles for women' Guardian
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Cruising by Alecky Blythe
Cast: 3f 2m
Age range: 30s - 80s
Maureen is a pensioner in search of passion. After 33 blind dates, 12 cruises and one broken heart, she is still determined to find Mr Right. This hilarious, real-life comedy about pensioners going in search of love – from the sublime to the downright saucy – takes its dialogue verbatim from real-life interviews. Disconcertingly comic and profoundly moving. Click here for more
'A heart-warming piece of theatre' Metro
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