Dog-eat-dog

Full Length Drama (5M, 2F, 1M/F, 1 musician) Running time: 90 mins

Dog-eat-dog is a powerful drama, coupled with scenes of very funny comedy, about a redundant advertising executive who moves in with a group of homeless people and arranges a publicity stunt to draw attention to their predicament. It was premiered in London in 1998.

Synopsis

Jeremy, a redundant advertising man, turns up amongst the group of homeless people. Much against their inclination, they let him stay. One of the youngest members of the group, Mike, suggests that Jeremy should put his advertising expertise to good use in generating some favourable PR and hopefully money for them.

A week later and Jeremy has secured TV coverage on the basis of an outrage played on them by the Marketing Director of Principal Foods. They had asked for a donation of food to be sent to help them through Christmas. But what arrives is Bright Eyes dog food.

The story is picked up by the media and, as predicted by Jeremy, Principal Foods tries to make amends by sending large supplies of new blankets, food and drink.

The story also attracts the attention of one woman who comes along laden with carrier bags of food. She turns out to be Carol, Jeremy's ex-wife, who insists on him returning with her to her flat. Here Carol discovers that the whole of the dog food stunt was a scam. The Marketing Director who sent the dog food was in fact Jeremy's client when

he worked on the advertising account; and it was he who was responsible for Jeremy losing his job. Jeremy had set up Principal Foods as a way of getting back at them.

Carol accuses him of 'using those down and outs, just like you used people all through your career'. But then she discovers her purse has been stolen and is certain it was Jeremy’s homeless 'friends' who stole it.

Now more concerned about her purse than Jeremy's fate, she picks up the phone to call the police. Jeremy lets himself out, realising finally he belongs neither to one society nor the other.

Characters

Jeremy                 Divorced, now redundant advertising man - lead 35-45

Mike                    Homeless and always looking for a way out - lead 20-30

George                 Homeless and proud of it - lead 40-60

Carol                    Jeremy’s wife - pretentious dinner party type - lead 35-45 

Judy                    Homeless, Glaswegian and wheelchair-bound - support 20-30

Jim                       Homeless with chips on both shoulders - support 30-35

Reporter              Typical TV reporter - cameo - 25-40

Cameraman          walk-on 20-40

Saxophonist         could be a busker playing a different instrument - walk-on 20-40