A play adaptation of the best-selling 1996 novel of the same name by well-known comedian and author Ben Elton.

Set against the glimmering backdrop of Hollywood, Popcorn follows acclaimed film director Bruce Delamitri on the night of his Oscar triumph. His celebrations are cut short when two violent intruders — fans who claim his movies inspired their crimes — invade his home. 

A sharp, darkly comic thriller, Popcorn interrogates the relationship between art, celebrity, and responsibility in a culture addicted to spectacle and violence.

When Popcorn was first written, it was asking, do violent movies create a violent society? Can minds be corrupted by images and ideas presented in films? In the era of social media this has perhaps more potency: do platforms which are often unregulated, cause any damage and desensitise minds?

Open Reading and Auditions

There will be a reading of the play on Thursday 27th November at 7:30pm at Coventry Vision Hub, 33-35 Earlsdon Ave South, Coventry CV5 6TH. This reading is open to anyone interested in auditioning, finding out more about the play, or anyone who simply likes to read plays, or to hear a play read aloud. Information about the auditions will be given at this reading.

Auditions for the play will take place on Thursday 4th December at 7:30pm at Coventry Vision Hub, 33-35 Earlsdon Ave South, Coventry CV5 6TH. 

Attendance at the reading would be useful but anyone unable to attend the reading or auditions should email the director Dean Sheridan at deansheridanperformer@live.co.uk  for alternative details. 

Casting Requirements

Principal Roles

Bruce Delamitri, Male-presenting, Playing Age Mid 30s–50's, Accent - American (possibly could be portrayed with an English accent). A celebrated Hollywood film director famous for hyper-violent movies. Charismatic, self-assured, slick and media-savvy. Believes he is intellectually superior and morally justified in his art. Beneath his confidence lies a desperate need to maintain his public persona.

Wayne Hudson, Male-presenting, Playing Age 20s–30s, Accent - American (southern), A spree killer who claims Bruce’s films inspired him. Intense, volatile, commanding, unpredictable. Switches between eerily calm logic and explosive aggression. A disturbing mixture of swagger, insecurity, and cold menace.

Scout (Velma) Hudson. Female-presenting, Playing Age 20s–30s, Accent - American (southern), Wayne’s accomplice and girlfriend. Bright but emotionally fractured. Idolises Wayne and enjoys the notoriety. Swings between childish petulance and chilling indifference to violence. Seductive, impulsive, and dangerous. 

Velvet Delamitri, Female-presenting, Playing Age Mid Teens, Accent - American (California), Daughter of Bruce and Farrah. Intelligent, observant, and emotionally direct. Velvet rejects the superficial glamor of her parents’ world and has formed strong (sometimes rigid) moral stances about violence, media, and responsibility. She is wounded by her family’s dysfunction but refuses to perform politeness about it. 

Brooke Daniels, Female-presenting, Playing Age 20s–30s, Accent - American or European, A supermodel and Bruce’s current partner. Image-conscious, glamorous, and media-trained. Underneath the polished exterior lies insecurity and a fragile sense of self-worth. Often underestimated but not unintelligent.

Farrah Delamitri, Female-presenting, Playing Age Mid 30s–40s, Accent - American (California), Bruce Delamitri’s estranged wife. Immaculately presented, poised, and socially graceful, with a sharp awareness of image and reputation. Farrah has spent years navigating Bruce’s ego and the Hollywood machine, and her composure masks resentment, hurt, and exhaustion. When cracks appear, they are deeply human and revealing. 

Karl Brezner, Male-presenting, Playing Age 30's - 60's, Accent - American, Film producer with an eye on profit and reputation. Loud, defensive, pragmatic. Always thinking in terms of deals, publicity, and liability. Self-serving but not villainous.  

Supporting Role

Kirsten, Female-presenting, Playing Age 20s–40s, Accent - American, A television interviewer and media professional. Polished, confident, and skilled at managing conversations and public narrative. Kirsten is intelligent and knows how to steer interviews to get exactly the soundbites she needs. She maintains a composed and professional exterior, even when handling chaos.