Chase the Ace
"A story of corruption, a story of greed, a story that ends with me hanging off the side of a bridge, my life flashing before my eyes. This is the story of Chase the Ace."
About the play
A solo comedy with 17 characters and a car chase.
Big-city radio personality Charlie King just lost his job hosting the hit morning show...and his long-term relationship just exploded in an embarrassing on-air meltdown that's gone viral. When he's forced to take a job managing a small-town station, he has no idea what’s in store!
Not only does a global pandemic begin his first week in Port Belette, he quickly finds himself chasing a story of municipal corruption.
Chase the Ace is hilarious one-man comedy about a down-on-his-luck DJ, a local lottery, and the search for truth in unprecedented times.
Staging Requirements
Cast Size: One actor to play 17 roles
One Act: 75 minutes
Bare stage/basic set
Press
“Mark Crawford is one of our best playwrights. His plays are full of fully drawn characters with real concerns in real situations. And they are bend over funny.”
- Slotkin Letter
“Comedic genius!”
- Entertain this Thought
“You won’t want to miss this ideal return to live theatre. What draws you in as much as the apt comedic commentary on Covid, small towns and bruised egos is Crawford’s masterly spinning out an ever more intriguing mystery.”
- Stage Door
"A funny show--warm and frisky. Crawford is the kind of playwright who can make us laugh at the craziest things."
- Hamilton Spectator
“Full of laughs! The diversity among characters is astounding."
- Blyth Citizen
Production History
Chase the Ace premiered in 2021 as a tour original of outdoor stages at Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Theatre Orangeville, County Stage Company, and Blyth Festival Theatre.
The premiere of Chase the Ace was directed by Canadian theatre legend, Miles Potter, who also dramaturged and directed the premieres of Stag and Doe, The New Canadian Curling Club, and The Golden Anniversaries.
A new version of Chase the Ace was produced by Ship's Company Theatre in Summer, 2025. This production toured to the Charlottetown Festival and will be presented at Neptune Theatre in March-April, 2026.
Chase the Ace will also be produced by Magnus Theatre in Fall, 2025.
Gallery
Chase the Ace is available for licensing to professional theatres.
The original production is available for presentation.
To find out more, contact Colin Rivers at Marquis Literary.
Photo Credits on this page:
Staging Requirements and Gallery 4 photo by Ann Baggley. Pictured: Mark Crawford. Banner, About the Play, Production History, and Gallery Photos 1 and 3 by Jamie Kronick. Pictured: Jacob James in the Ship's Company Theatre/Charlottetown Festival/Neptune Theatre production. Press Photo by Sarah Kirby at Festival Players of Prince Edward County. Pictured: Mark Crawford. Get the Script Graphic Design from Neptune Theatre. Gallery Photo 2: Poster Design for Magnus Theatre. Gallery 5 photo by Terry Manzo: Mark Crawford at Blyth Festival.