In the vein of And Then There Were None, Clue and Murder by Death, The Vultures puts a modern, comedic, gay spin on the haunted house/ mystery genre.

The story takes place at Westmount Estate, on the 20th anniversary of the death of publishing magnate Simon West. As his six remaining relatives gather for the reading of his will, the mysterious housekeeper declares, “The relatives are swooping in like a wake of vultures ready to pick the carcass clean.”

Who will ultimately inherit the fortune? Will it be the charming realtor, the handsome male model, the dimwitted nail technician, the bitter old woman, the gay hairdresser, or the mild mannered accountant?

Throw in a priceless pocket watch, an androgynous housekeeper, an escaped mental patient, and a pair of reunited lovers and the result is murder, with a hefty dose of laughs.

The Vultures takes place over the course of one dark and stormy September evening of the current year and places a gay spin on the classic murder mystery genre.

As written, THE VULTURES requires 10 Actors. 2F, 7M and 1N. There is a little flexibility in the casting. 

As written, THE VULTURES requires 10 Actors. 2F, 7M and 1N.  There is a little flexibility in the casting. See notes below.  

CAST OF CHARACTERS
(In Order of Appearance)

TALBOT
A dark, severe, androgynous, being.
Dresses in black and wears dark spectacles.
Age unknown – Somewhere between 50 and 80.

MR. CROSBY
A friendly lawyer in his 50’s or 60’s.

HARRISON BLYTHE
A tall, handsome male model with an amazing body.
Mid 30’s to early 40’s.

MARY ROBERTS
A stately, well-dressed, bitter old woman.
She appears to dislike everyone and everything.

ASHLEY HOPWOOD
A pleasant, nail technician from the South.
Late 20’s or early 30’s and she is not too bright.

CHARLES WILLARD
A charming, mild mannered realtor, in his 40’s.

PAUL JONES
A sweet, gentle accountant in his late 20’s or 30’s.

HUNTER WEST
A nice, charming young hairdresser, in his late 20’s or 30’s.

RINEHART
A hospital guard in his 30’s or 40’s. He is big, strong and can be brutal.

DR. AVERY
A friendly doctor in his 60’s or 70’s.

NOTES

The role of Talbot may be played by a male or female actor, however the character is a female and must be played as such. The role should not become a “man in drag” performance, one in which the audience is anxiously awaiting the moment he removes his wig and is revealed as man. Talbot is a person of mystery. Ideally, the audience should leave the theatre never really knowing the sex of the actor, even if this requires the curtain call to be taken in character, or an ambiguous listing in the program.

The gender of the characters can not be changed or altered in any way unless written permission is secured in advance. If you wish to cast someone who identifies as a different gender to that of the character they’re playing, this is permissible providing the character is played, costumed, and presented as the gender denoted in the text. In addition, you cannot not make any changes to the text to facilitate this casting. When the play is licensed, it must be performed as written with no changes, additions or cuts.

For companies concerned about the marijuana usage in the play, alternate pages are included in the back of the script. 

While not recommended, the roles of Mr. Crosby and Dr. Avery could be played by the same actor, however this may add a layer of unwanted confusion to audience members. 

THE VULTURES by Mark A. Ridge
Copyright © MMXVII by Mark A. Ridge

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