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CRACKERS & Debate Debacle

A Comedy DOUBLE BILL

Apr 24, 2026 – May 2, 2026
2 Short Plays by John Cook
John Cook Double Bill

Crackers 

A story of two parrots who are definitely not “birds of a feather.”

Eric, a fifty-year-old scarlet macaw enjoys reading the paper that lines his cage and watching his favourite daytime soap opera. Then young green amazon parrot Salvadora shows up and occupies the cage next to him. Salvadora is not at all happy and constantly complains to Eric. Eric tries to ignore her but then begins to suspect that Salvadora is much more than the whining boarder she purports to be.

Crackers premiered in 2012 at the Orleans Star-L’Express Music Rehearsal Hall, Shenkman Arts Centre, Ottawa Ontario, by Tale Wagging Theatre, directed by Arras Hopkins. This production received an ARTicipate Endowment Fund grant.

In June 2015, a revised version of Crackers was produced by Tale Wagging Theatre for the Ottawa Fringe Festival.


Debate Debacle 

The Prime Minister’s sudden change in behaviour forces his staff to concoct a wild scheme to cancel a TV debate.

The Prime Minister is getting ready for a televised election debate. However, his sudden change in character to a pleasant, happy-go-lucky fellow has his staff worried and confused. When the PM’s bizarre behaviour gets out of control, and involves Martians, his staff concoct a wild scheme to cancel the debate and get him out of the building.

Genres

Cast & Credits

Written by John Cook

Phoenix Players

Established in 2002, Phoenix Players is a community theatre company and resident company of The Gladstone Theatre. Learn More

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