Uked! is the hilarious and poignant story of Karla, who is dumped on her 50th birthday by her violin-playing boyfriend, Brian. Desperate to belong and prove her musical worth, Karla buys a ukulele and joins a dating site - learning that love and the ukulele have a lot in common.
Writer/producer Jane Cafarella says, “Uked! is a story that resonates with everyone. Karla is one of those people who’s fallen through the cracks of life. She’s never married, never had kids and never had a career. The world is changing and she’s struggling to find her place in it.
“I wrote the show for all the Karla’s out there, and as an antidote to the misery of the news.”
Audience members can just sit back and enjoy the show OR they can bring their uke and sing and play along with Karla. A screen displays all the chords and lyrics for the sing-along songs, and chord diagrams decorate the hall.
Authors
Photos
Cast
Minimum TWO performers 1 M and 2F, and two in the band who play small roles.
Maximum 14 in the cast, Band (audience players) as large as you like.
1. KARLA, 50, a lonely single woman who has fallen through the cracks of life. She has never married, never had kids and never had a career. She works at Pack n’ Track, as a Certified Packing Expert with her friends Leonie and Julie while caring for her aged mother, and is struggling to find her place in a changing world. She’s second generation Australian, of European background, quirky, creative, and a little gullible.
BAND/JEREMY AND JOEL: Band members play the cameo roles of ukulele club leaders JOEL and RUTH.
KARLA’S YOUTUBE TEACHERS AND LOVE INTERESTS
In order of appearance…
2. SPRUKIN’ UK-EN LUKE, M, 40s – North American, Karla’s first teacher and the one she relies on.
3. BRETT MCLEAN, M, 20s – Australian, sweet, sincere, young.
4. TINY TOM, M, 40-50 – a parody of Tiny Tim
5. GLORIA STARDUST, F – a lisping six-year-old prodigy
6. UNCLE SCRAGGY - M, 60s, Eccentric American Southerner and a wise old codger
7. PIERRE VERT – M, 40s, a charming Frenchman
8. WADE – M, 50s – Australian, a lonely widower
9. BABA BILL (OR BROOKE IF F), M or F, 30s – A Scottish hippy.
10. JEREMY – M 30s, young, hip, leader of the Newham Ukulele Troupe (NUTS)
11. JOEL – M, 30s, Jeremy’s offsider and co-leader of the NUTS.
12. RUTH– F, 50s no-nonsense leader of the Gisborne Regional Ukulele Band
13. MAESTRO – M, 50s +, famous ukulele teacher, European, seductive, charismatic
14. EIGHT VOLUNTEER PERFORMERS (TWO groups of FOUR each night – playing KARLA’s fellow club members)
Karla’s fellow club members - the NUTS (Newstead Ukulele Troupe) and the GRUBS (Guildford Regional Ukulele Band) - may be played by Volunteer Performers who register to receive instructions and a discounted ticket, OR by local ukulele club members who audition for your show.