The children really enjoyed the opportunity to do some drama, however they did struggle with certain aspects of performing to an audience.
In order to solve the problem of children running around behind the wings, I used coloured hoops which the children sat in, when they weren't on stage. This solved the problem of excessive movement, but it did not stop the children talking. Many children couldn't understand that although they were in the wings, they could still be heard by the audience - and by talking to each other they forgot to follow the play and often forgot when they were meant to be on! By our actual performances this had just about resolved itself.
The play to the parents went really well, however the play to the rest of the school definitely had a "show must go on" feeling! One child got stage fright and was taken off the stage in tears - we were unable to persuade her to go back on. Another child took over her lines and did rather well although there were several discussions (on stage!) as to whose turn it was next and what props were meant to be used. Overall the children enjoyed themselves despite the hiccups and thought they had done really well. I think in this case, the experience for them was more important than the outcome! The children and adults watching it also enjoyed the play (although perhaps not for the reasons my class believed)
Copy of Script:
Narrator 1: Hello
and welcome to 3J’s assembly. The theme is centred on our SEAL theme of “It’s
good to be me”. Please ensure your mobile phones are switched off or set to
silent.
Queen: (In a loud clear voice) In a land far
away there lived a king and queen, who were always arguing about who had the
best talent. The Queen was an excellent story writer and the King was an
excellent speaker. Actually, I’m the King.
(giggle)
King: (in a nervous voice) Writing stories is
much more.. more…more useful than speaking in a… in a ..in a loud voice. My
stories will last forever.
Queen: Everyone
listens when I speak. Not everyone can read so.....
Knight: (interpreting) I WANT A QUEST! Hasn’t
some poor princess been captured yet? I WANT TO SLAY A DRAGON!
Narrator 1: Now
as it happens, a princess from a neighbouring country was at this very moment
being captured by some evil monsters.
Monsters Drag princess
across stage
Princess: HELP!
HELP! HEEEELLLLLP!
Encourager 1: My
Lord! The Princess of Avalon has been captured!
Knight: A
QUEST! I shall gather an army.
Narrator 2: So
the knight searched the kingdom and gathered the best fighters in all the land....
Knight “searches” for people to join him,
all involved in “quest” join him on stage and cross arms, looking towards
audience.
Narrator 3: (interrupting) Hang on! BEST FIGHTERS?
THEM?
Narrator 2: Well...
it would hardly sound good if I said a bunch of misfits would it?
Narrator 1: ...and
I’m sure they all have some useful talents!
Narrator 3: Okay,
Okay, and so the quest began.
Curtains Close
Start stage Left.
Queen: A deep
river! How can we get across?
Knight: I can slay
a dragon!
King: That
won’t help us.
Encourager 1: We need
someone who can swim across and get that boat from the other side. (pointing)
Swimmer 1: We can swim!
Swimmer 2: But we’re
wearing our best coats! They’ll get wet
Everyone looks puzzled, thinking
Encourager 2: I’ll hold your coats, go on off you go!
Swimmers go across stage and pick up boat
Queen: He’s got
the boat!
The swimmers bring the boat
back and everyone “climbs in” and rows across the lake – NO SINGING.
Stay on stage right, swimmers
depart, climbers join.
Queen: Oh no!
Look at this steep cliff. How can we get to the top?
Knight: I can
slay a dragon!
All: That
won’t help us!
Encourager 1: We need
someone who can climb up and throw down that rope to us? (pointing)
Climber 1: We are brilliant
climbers
Climber 2: But We’ve
never climbed that high before.
(Everyone looks puzzled)
Encourager 2: I’ve seen you climb before. You can do it.
Climbers: (takes a deep breath and climbs to stage
left)
King: (to queen) He’s got the rope!
Climber: throws ropes and everyone climbs up.
Curtains close. Remove rope,
and boat from stage. Act Four to get into place. Put microphones onto stage for
Caitlin and Mia.
Monsters enter from arched
doorway head SLOWLY towards cast who are centre stage. Princess in cage back
left.
Queen: Oh
No! The monsters! What shall we do?
Knight: I
can slay a dragon!
All: (exasperated) That won’t help us!
Encourager 1: We need
someone who can sing a lullaby and send him to sleep?
Singer 1: We
can sing....but I can’t think of a lullaby...
Singer 2: And
there are no instruments to accompany us!
Everyone looks puzzled
Encourager 2: Just sing....I’m sure that will work!
Singers: Edelweiss,
Edelweiss
Every
morning you greet me
Small and white
Clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
All: Blossom
of snow
May you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever.
Monster slowly falls to sleep.
All: (silently) Hurrah!
Queen: Here we
are at the monsters den. Look the princess! (points to princess in a cage on back left, all walk towards princess,
singers continue off stage, bbal and maths join.)
Knight: Hurrah!
I can slay a dragon!
All: That
won’t help us!
Queen: Oh no!
The door is locked and the key is in that glass box up there!
Encourager 1: We need someone who can reach up and get the box!
Encourager 2: You’re an excellent shot at basketball. You could
throw this stone up and knock it down!
Basketball: I’ll try (throws stone, box comes down)
Queen: Its got a
code on it! We need to break the code!
Knight: I can
slay a dragon!
All: That
won’t help us!
Queen: The
monster! Quickly! He’s waking up!
Encourager 1: Look here
are some clues. We need someone who is good at maths!
Mathematician: I’m a maths
wizard.
King: Okay,
first number 3 squared
Mathematician: Easy, 9
King: The
square root of 64.
Mathematician: Easy, 8
King: Good,
Last number five minus minus two.
Mathematician: Okay....7
Knight: It
worked! I’ve got the key!
Mathematican/bbal player
leave. Cook joins. Knight rescue princess with key and all turn back. Way is
blocked by monsters
Monsters: Food, Food,
Food.
Queen: Oh No!
Monsters! What can we do?
Knight: I can
slay a dragon!
All: That
won’t help us!
Encourager 1: We need
someone who can cook!
Cook: I’m the
top chef in the whole land, but I haven’t got my recipe book!
Encourager 2: You are a
fantastic cook; I bet you could cook something delicious without a recipe.
Cook: Okay,
I’ll try.
Cook cooks a meal and puts on floor for
monsters. Monsters eat the meal.
Queen: Can we go
now please?
Monsters: still eating, nod
Knight: What
about slaying? I’m meant to slay a dragon!
Queen: Come on
dear, they’ll always be a next time.
Curtains close, remove all
props from stage. “Questars” to line up ready for scene, in a STRAIGHT line
facing audience.
Narrator 1: Back at
the palace there were great celebrations and the King gave out special awards.
King: Princess holds medal basket and passes medal
to King who gives medal to each person. For good swimming, for great
singing, for good climbing, being an excellent shot, for fast thinking, for scrumptious cooking. And finally....
Encouragers: We know
we don’t have a special talent.
King: For
keeping calm in the face of danger, and for encouraging others, two very
special talents.
All: Cheer
Princess: (to Knight) Thank you so much for
rescuing me!
Knight: My
pleasure, you were very brave. Will you marry me?
Princess: Yes.
All: Hurrah!
Knight: We
need someone to write our story down and someone to tell it out loud....
Queen: Well....
I’m very good at talking!
King: And.....
I’m very good at writing
All: Cheer
All: Sit together on stage.
It’s good to be me; it’s good to be you;
It’s
good to be different but together;
I
don’t want to be like anyone else;
It’s
good to be the me I am. Repeat
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