"The exciting thing about these plays," says award-winning playwright Ron Blicq, "is that they have great appeal for young actors, which spills over into audience acceptance." All have been performed successfully, some in Britain, some in North America, and some in both. In two plays, a magician teaches four children how to make wands out of Popsicle sticks, which leads to a series of magical adventures that draw the audience into the action. The need to reverse words to undo a command ("Abra Cadabra" becomes "Arba Arbadac") tickles young people's imagination. Blicq has adapted two novels written by Edith Nesbit (including her most popular story The Railway Children) into unique stage adventures that create exhilarating moments for young actors and audiences alike. Even Captain Hook and his Mate Smee appear, in this exciting moment from Adventures with a Psammead. They add a neat twist to the events that four children, who are the main characters in the play, experience after they discover a sand wizard during a holiday beside the sea. Five Plays for Young Actors R-Group Publications www.r-group.ca Includes information for procuring performance rights