Let the Games Begin Script

Let The Games Begin Junior Script by Mike Smith, Robin Hayes, Steve Titford and Wilf Tudor

1/020218/29

Published by

Musicline Publications P.O. Box 15632 Tamworth Staffordshire B78 2DP 01827 281 431

www.musiclinedirect.com

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Dramatic musical works do not fall under the licence of the Performing Rights Society.

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Anyone intending to perform this show should, in their own interests, make application to the publisher for consent, prior to starting rehearsals.

All Rights Strictly Reserved.

Let The Games Begin – Script 1

CONTENTS

Contents ...... 1 Cast List ...... 3 Speaking Roles By Number Of Lines...... 4 Suggested Cast List For 25 Actors ...... 5 Characters In Each Scene ...... 6 Writer’s Welcome ...... 7 Production Notes ...... 8 List Of Properties ...... 15 Seven-Sided Dice Template ...... 17 Chess Pieces Headdress Suggestions ...... 18 Track 1: Music - Introduction ...... 19 Scene One: The Video Game Arena ...... 19 Track 2: Song - Video Game Generations ...... 19 Track 3: Music - Video Game Generations Play-Off ...... 20 Scene Two: Grandad’s House In The Country - The Lounge ...... 21 Track 4: Music - A Gift ...... 22 Track 5: Music And SFX - Dice Roll Into Game Land ...... 23 Scene Three: Game Land ...... 24 Track 6: Song - Fortune’s March ...... 24 Track 7: Music - Fortune’s Entourage ...... 25 Track 8: Song - Song Of The Dice ...... 26 Track 9: Music - Fortune’s Entourage Exit ...... 27 Track 10: SFX And Music - Dice Roll Into Monopoly Land ...... 28 Scene Four: Monopoly Land ...... 29 Track 11: Song - Monopoly ...... 30 Track 12: Music - This Is Fun! ...... 31 Track 13: Song - Go To Jail ...... 32 Track 14: Music - The Jail ...... 33 Scene Five: The Jail ...... 34 Track 15: Song - Getting Back In The Game ...... 35 Track 16: Music And SFX - The Railway Station ...... 36 Scene Six: The Railway Station ...... 36 Track 17: Song - Engineers And Stationmasters ...... 38 Track 18: Music - Tea Break Time ...... 39 Track 19: Music - The Train To Cluedo Manor ...... 40 Scene Seven: Cluedo Manor - The Library ...... 41

Track 20: SFX - Marney Rolls The Dice...... 41 Track 21: Song - Whodunit? ...... 43 Track 22: Music - Cluedo Characters Play Off ...... 45 Track 23: Music - Chess Land ...... 46 Scene Eight: Chess Land ...... 46 Track 24: SFX - Cockerel Crow ...... 46 Track 25: SFX - Curley’s Creaking Drawbridge ...... 47 Track 26: Music - Marching Into Battle ...... 47 Track 27: SFX - Robin Rolls The Dice ...... 48 Track 28: The Chess Battle ...... 49 Track 29: Song - Finale: Song Of The Dice...... 51 Photocopiable Lyrics ...... 52

CAST LIST * N.B. In the following list, the bracketed number shows the number of spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character’s name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines.

Main Characters Cluedo Manor *Lady Fortune (36) *Colonel Mustard (7) Will Luck (33) *Professor Plum (6) Grandad (28) *Reverend Green (5) *Vicky (30) *Miss Scarlett (4) *Marney (40) *Dr Orchid (3) Robin (43) *Mrs Peacock (2) *Mrs White (0) Monopoly Characters Estate Agent (7) Chess Battle Reporter 1 (6) Chester Castle (20) Reporter 2 (5) Curley Castle (9) Reporter 3 (7) Police Sergeant (4) Paper Seller (3)

Stationmasters & Engineers *Mr Fenchurch Street (14) *Mr King’s Cross (14) *Mr Marylebone (7) *Mr Liverpool Street (5) *Engineer 1 (0) *Engineer 2 (0) *Engineer 3 (0) *Engineer 4 (0)

Jail House Non Speaking roles: *Martha (6) Video Game Characters, Prisoner 1 (1) Lady Fortune’s Entourage, 7 Prisoner 2 (1) Dice Sides, Monopoly Street Prisoner 3 (2) Chorus, 2 Supervisors and White and Black Chess Prisoner 4 (1) Pieces.

SPEAKING ROLES BY NUMBER OF LINES * N.B. In the following list, the bracketed number shows the number of spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character’s name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines.

Robin ...... 43 *Marney ...... 40 *Lady Fortune ...... 36 Will Luck ...... 33 *Vicky/White Queen ...... 30 Grandad ...... 28 Chester Castle ...... 20 *Mr Fenchurch Street...... 14 *Mr King’s Cross ...... 14 Curley Castle ...... 9 Estate Agent ...... 7 *Mr Marylebone ...... 7 Reporter 3 ...... 7 *Colonel Mustard ...... 7 Reporter 1 ...... 6 *Martha ...... 6 *Professor Plum ...... 6 Reporter 2 ...... 5 *Mr Liverpool Street ...... 5 *Reverend Green ...... 5 Police Sergeant ...... 4 *Miss Scarlett ...... 4 Paper Seller ...... 3 *Dr Orchid ...... 3 *Mrs Peacock ...... 2 Prisoner 3 ...... 2 Prisoner 1 ...... 1 Prisoner 2 ...... 1 Prisoner 4 ...... 1 *Engineer 1 ...... 0 *Engineer 2 ...... 0 *Engineer 3 ...... 0 *Engineer 4 ...... 0 *Mrs White ...... 0

Non speaking roles: Video Game Characters (Dancers); Lady Fortune’s Entourage; 7 Dice Sides (Dancers); Monopoly Street Chorus; 2 Supervisors; White and Black Chess Pieces (Dancers). It is also recommended that an additional offstage choir be present throughout.

SUGGESTED CAST LIST FOR 25 ACTORS * N.B. In the following list, the bracketed number shows the number of spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character’s name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines.

Robin ...... 43 *Marney ...... 40 *Lady Fortune ...... 36 Will Luck ...... 33 *Vicky/White Queen ...... 30 Grandad ...... 28 Chester Castle also plays Supervisor 1 ...... 20 *Mr Fenchurch Street ...... 14 *Mr King’s Cross ...... 14 Curley Castle also plays Supervisor 2 ...... 9 Estate Agent also plays *Engineer 1 ...... 7 *Mr Marylebone ...... 7 Reporter 3 also plays *Engineer 3 ...... 7 *Colonel Mustard ...... 7 *Professor Plum also plays Prisoner 2 ...... 7 Reporter 1 also plays *Engineer 4 ...... 6 *Martha also plays *Mrs White ...... 6 *Reverend Green also plays Prisoner 1 ...... 6 *Miss Scarlett also plays Prisoner 3 ...... 6 Reporter 2 also plays *Engineer 2 ...... 5 *Mr Liverpool Street ...... 5 Police Sergeant ...... 4 Paper Seller ...... 3 *Dr Orchid ...... 3 *Mrs Peacock also plays Prisoner 4 ...... 3

For this reduced cast it is intended that all actors (except the 5 main characters) also play/sing the non speaking Chorus roles wherever possible. These comprise: Video Game Characters; Lady Fortune’s Entourage; Dice Dancers (7 required); Monopoly Street Chorus and (except for the actor playing Grandad) finally the Chess Pieces. Actors playing the Dice Dancers should double as black chess pieces since that is the colour of their basic costume.

CHARACTERS IN EACH SCENE

Scene One Scene Five Scene Seven Video Game Dancers Vicky Marney Martha Robin Scene Two Prisoner 1 Colonel Mustard Grandad Prisoner 2 Professor Plum Robin Prisoner 3 Dr Orchid Marney Prisoner 4 Miss Scarlett Vicky Reverend Green Scene Six Mrs Peacock Scene Three Mr Fenchurch Street Street Chorus Marney Mr King’s Cross Mrs White (The Cook) Robin Mr Marylebone Will Luck Vicky Mr Liverpool Street Vicky Will Luck Engineer 1 Chorus: Lady Fortune’s Engineer 2 Scene Eight Entourage Engineer 3 Chester Castle Lady Fortune Engineer 4 Curley Castle Dice Dancers Supervisor 1 Will Luck Supervisor 2 Robin Scene Four Chorus (Comprising: Marney Street Chorus Commuters Lady Fortune Paper Seller Remaining Street White Chess Pieces Vicky Characters Black Chess Pieces Estate Agent Optional Extra Vicky Engineers) Lady Fortune Police Sergeant Will Luck Robin Grandad Robin Marney Any remaining Chorus Marney Police Sergeant or Dancers

Reporter 1 Reporter 2 Reporter 3 Will Luck

WRITER’S WELCOME

Thank you for choosing ‘Let The Games Begin’. Our team have worked hard to create a musical which we hope your company and audience will enjoy very much!

Fun is the biggest reason for creating this musical! We had lots of fun making it and we want everyone to be in on it. The snappy script crackles with comedy moments, a pacy plot and many lovable characters. The songs have been specifically produced to be appealing to all ages and a breeze to teach.

Everyone can join in - be they a confident performer, a keen beginner or part of the backstage team. Plenty of singing, speaking and non-speaking parts form an adaptable cast list. The plot allows for your production to be as simple or as ambitious as you want it to be, whether you are performing in a state-of-the-art theatre or the most basic of school halls. A CD player and an enthusiastic team are the only minimum requirements!

Support is there to assist you. ‘Let The Games Begin’ has been assembled by a group of knowledgeable and highly dedicated specialists in performing arts and education. In other words: we understand what you’re going through! We’ve used our collective experience to make staging your show as simple and enjoyable as possible. In addition to this, our helpful staff are available to answer any queries you may have.

Time-saving resources are included and extra resources are available for purchase to help you. Check out our website for more details.

Finally, please bear in mind that the following production notes are merely a guide to inspire you. This is your show so please feel free to stage it as you see fit!

So, on we go! Let’s start planning your super production! We wish you a successful show and a great time.

Kind regards,

Mike Smith, Robin Hayes, Steve Titford and Wilf Tudor

PRODUCTION NOTES

CASTING

A small or large cast can perform the show. It allows for • up to 29 speaking roles of varying sizes • several solo singing roles • an unlimited number of chorus parts • an unlimited number of non speaking parts, and • merging roles to reduce the cast size to as few as 25 roles.

We’ve sorted the cast list in various helpful ways to assist you: • roles sorted into character groups • speaking roles by number of lines • characters in each scene, and • suggestions on how to reduce the cast size by merging roles.

STAGING AND ACTING TIPS

Positions To save time when blocking scenes (making sure that all the performers are in the right place), the stage directions in the script often refer to traditional stage positions. It will help if your cast and crew know these positions.

Backdrop

Upstage Right Upstage Centre Upstage Left

Centre Right Centre Stage Centre Left

Downstage Right Downstage Centre Downstage Left

Audience

Consider using tape to mark out the stage so your performers know where to stand. They should try and avoid standing in rows when acting to avoid a ‘school assembly’ look! Semi- circles are useful shapes to mark out on the stage to encourage more natural positioning.

Delivery It is essential that all performers deliver their lines clearly so that the audience can enjoy the story and the comedy. Performers should be encouraged to ‘relax’, ‘breathe’, ‘leave gaps’ and use ‘big voices’ to project their lines to the back of the audience. They should also be reminded to wait for any audience laughter to quieten down before continuing the scene. Every performer should be encouraged to make the audience ‘love’ their character by giving an energetic and memorable performance!

Timing Within the script dialogue, the punctuation and stage directions will help with the timing of the lines. Some of the dialogue is performed to music in accordance with the stage directions. Most of this particular dialogue is performed on the Vocal Track CD to provide examples of how it can be done.

Movement and Choreography In the script, we have often suggested actions in the songs where they may assist the plot. Where we haven’t made specific references to actions, we still encourage the use of simple choreography to boost the energy of your cast’s performance. For this, feel free to devise your own movement.

The Chess Battle This scene has a simple movement routine. A FREE animated storyboard of the movement is available to view online at http://www.musiclinedirect.com/chessbattle. We highly recommend that you view this with your cast - it’s far simpler to demonstrate than explain in words! Again, feel free to devise your own routine - our suggestions are in the script should you need them.

COSTUME SUGGESTIONS

All the characters can be effectively costumed on a small budget. Feel free to dress your characters as elaborately as you wish if you have the time and resources.

Here are some suggestions for dressing your cast on a modest budget with a bit of help from parents and assistants!

Video Game Dancers The song for this dance refers mainly to classic video games, many of which are still relevant today. Simply by looking up the names mentioned in the song on the Internet, most of the costume ideas are obvious:

Pong – A large vertical rectangle made of stiff white card and attached to the dancer’s costume would suffice here. The dancer could wear black clothes and white face paint to enhance the appearance. Having two dancers thus dressed would allow for interplay between them on stage during Track 2, and greater recognition by the audience.

Sonic – A blue hedgehog. Stock costumes available or simply use a blue onesie, white trainers, white gloves and blue wig!

Mario – A plumber with brown boots, white gloves, blue dungarees, red long-sleeved t-shirt and red cap.

Lara – Green t-shirt, green shorts and brown backpack.

Liu Kang – Black trousers with a red stripe on each leg, black vest and a red band tied around the forehead.

Alex (Alex Kidd) - Elf ears, red jacket, yellow t-shirt, yellow trousers or leggings and a blue medallion.

Donkey Kong – Actually an ape-like creature with brown fur. Could be achieved with a stock costume or with a brown onesie and wig. A good touch would be the addition of a large ‘wooden’ barrel (actually made from card).

Lemmings – These could wear blue smocks and green wigs.

Pacman – Perhaps black trousers or leggings and a black t-shirt with a large yellow ‘Pacman’ character drawn on it.

Some other characters not mentioned in the song to use as inspiration: Rayden and Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat; Luigi, Koopa Troopa, Yoshi, Toad and Bowser from the ‘Mario’ series; Tails and Doctor Robotnik from the ‘Sonic’ series; Link from ‘The Legend Of Zelda’ series.

Grandad An old man, grey-haired, dressed in a cloth cap, shirt and waistcoat, trousers and braces.

Vicky A well-mannered and charming young girl, dressed in contemporary clothing for an 11-14 year-old. Also needs a white gown and a veil to put on over her costume in the Chess Land scene.

Robin Neat hair, stone-washed denim jeans with a belt, t-shirt and blazer along with optional Clark Kent-style glasses. A very bright well educated 12-14 year-old who loves reading.

Marney Marney is a loveable rogue, (a modern ‘Just William’ type character) who wears a baseball cap backwards, denim shorts and brightly coloured trainers.

Lady Fortune The Queen of Game Land and a typical pantomime villain. Lady Fortune is a very noble and dominating character who rules Game Land totally for her own pleasure. She wears a large and full red cloak with possibly seven-sided dice motifs all over it. It has a very large collar that stands vertically around her head, terminating in seven spikes. Under the cloak she wears a full dress which is the same colour and material as the cloak. This costume should be dynamic in that it creates a sinister and slightly frightening atmosphere.

Will Luck The dashing, though very modest ‘Buttons’ type hero. Dressed in white, gold and red costume.

Dice Dancers Black trousers/tights, black t-shirts and a large card with their number/side drawn on.

The Reporters The Reporters wear Fleet Street-style attire – e.g. white shirts with black waistcoats, ties and black leggings – maybe even trench coats. They could each wear a black trilby hat and carry note books and pencils; one of them should also have a camera (preferably a working model with a flash).

Paper Seller The Paper Seller is a broad cockney character who wears a jacket and trousers, a flat cap, scarf and fingerless knitted gloves. He/she carries a newspaper bag, with preferably ‘THE GAME LAND GAZETTE’ printed on it.

Estate Agent The Estate Agent is a gaudily-dressed salesman. He wears a flash suit, tie, shirt and possibly a trilby hat. He could wear a carnation in his buttonhole.

Police Sergeant Standard Victorian police sergeant uniform.

Street Chorus Characters Over black trousers and black or white t-shirts, add appropriate jackets/coats or overalls and caps/hats to depict Barrow Boys, Flower Sellers and other Market Traders; black jackets/skirts encrusted with crystal stickers for the Pearly Kings and Queens; smarter jackets, black umbrellas, briefcases and possibly bowler hats for office or ‘city’ staff; trench coat, trilby and holdall/grip bag for a ‘spiv’, and coats, bags, headscarves etc. for shoppers.

Martha and other Prisoners Ragged striped t-shirts, black trousers/tights.

Stationmasters Each Stationmaster has a hat with the name of his station on it. The costume consists of a white shirt, a blue-green waistcoat, matching tie and black leggings or trousers. One stationmaster carries a green flag, another carries a whistle, another a lantern and the fourth carries a clipboard. See the list of properties for more detail.

Engineers The costumes can be somewhat anachronistic – grubby high visibility jackets – hard hats etc. They carry various oversized-tools such as spanners, wrenches, inflatable hammers, shovels etc.

Supervisors Same dress code as the engineers (if a little cleaner) but they carry clipboards.

Miss Scarlett An upper class lady with a slightly flirtatious nature. She wears a red dress with red high- heeled shoes, and long gold earrings.

Mrs Peacock A very prim and proper lady who is very well-spoken. She wears a formal long-sleeved peacock-blue dress, blue hat or hair adornment and a large handbag.

Colonel Mustard Colonel Mustard is a loud regimental gentleman. He wears a yellow jacket, yellow cravat, plus fours and socks. He has a large handlebar moustache and wears a monocle and watch and chain.

Dr Orchid Oriental/Chinese style clothing.

Professor Plum An eccentric professor wearing a plum-coloured smoking jacket and trousers. His tie/cravat is carelessly tied around his neck.

Reverend Green A little less than holy, the Reverend Green wears a green cassock and white clerical collar.

Mrs White (the cook) Wears chef’s whites with pale face make-up to give a ghostly appearance.

White Chess Pieces The White Pieces are each dressed in a white t-shirt and wear a headdress suggesting their rank. (See suggestions on page 18). Remember that Chester Castles and Vicky (as the White Queen) will be in the line up.

Black Chess Pieces The Black Pieces are each dressed in a black t-shirt and wear a headdress suggesting their rank. (See suggestions on page 18). Remember that Curley Castle will be in the line up.

Chorus The chorus can wear basic under-costumes of black trousers and black or white t-shirts, which can then be augmented to suit the different scenes in which they appear. Unless you have a large enough cast for different groups to play the chorus characters in each of the scenes, they start as characters in ‘Video Game Generations’. They next appear in regal dress as Lady Fortune’s Entourage. They then appear as street characters in the ‘Monopoly’ scene and stay in their ‘street’ costumes for various subsequent appearances until the end of the ‘Cluedo Manor’ scene. Finally they appear as White and Black Chess pieces for the ‘Chess Battle’ and stay in those costumes until the end of the show.

PERFORMING THE SONGS

All the music required to stage this production, including sound effects, is found on the Vocal and Backing Track CDs. The vocal recording is provided as a guide and to enable the swift learning of songs. The backing tracks without vocals are ideal to use in rehearsals and performances, and the two scores give vast flexibility if you have the luxury of a live pianist. If you choose to perform live using the scores, additional sound effects needed for the Stationmaster’s song can be found at the end of both the vocal and backing CDs.

The songs (except for a few solos) are designed to be performed with simple actions by the entire cast. The help of a separate choir offstage is highly recommended. A good technique is to use any cast members who are not in the current scene to boost the number of singers in the choir. The choir should also be part of the show - performing the ‘actions’ and any spoken dialogue marked ‘ALL’. The choir could also perform the solo lines if suitable soloists aren’t available.

A great product called Sing It! is also available. This CD-ROM or download can teach all the songs to the children without any teacher input. Children can use it at school or at home - think of the time it will save you! Most schools use it in class on an interactive white board or in the school hall on the overhead projector to allow full cast practice.

SOUND

The show can be performed with nothing more than a CD player. However, a good sound system along with confident performances will really help make an engaging atmosphere. Ideally, performers should be trained to speak and sing loud enough for the audience to hear them without microphones. This way, if you have the luxury of microphones, they will simply enhance the show rather than prop it up.

If solo microphones are available, they should be used by any solo singers. If you have a limited number of headset or lapel microphones, these should be allocated to the main speaking characters first.

A powerful set of speakers with a good bass response will allow the performers and audience to get into the show. The volume of the backing tracks and music should be as loud as possible without overpowering the voices of the performers.

For playing back the tracks, it is best to use reliable media player software which can be programmed to automatically pause playback between tracks. We recommend iTunes, which works on PC and Mac. It can be downloaded for free from https://www.apple.com/itunes/.

If possible, enlist the help of an experienced sound engineer.

SCENERY AND LIGHTING

Backdrops can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. However, for a really easy solution and fuss free performance, instant scenery is now available with our digital backdrops: Project It! provides a different backdrop for EVERY scene change and is supplied in both a PowerPoint presentation and as individual JPG files.

The show can be performed in daylight with no lighting if necessary! If you have access to some lighting, here are a few hints:

For non-technical people! Blackouts (switching off the lights) are very effective where denoted in the script. However, arm your crew with torches so that they can see what they are doing and can assist cast members safely around the stage area!

Try and ensure that the whole of the stage area is lit, including the choir section. - If possible, switch off any lighting in the auditorium during the performance to keep the audience’s attention focused on the stage.

If possible, enlist the help of an experienced lighting engineer.

LIST OF PROPERTIES

All the props can be made or obtained from fancy dress shops. Most of the items will benefit the comedy aspect of the show by having a cartoon look and larger-than-life size. We suggest making most props as brightly-painted cut-outs from stiff and durable card.

Scene One No properties required, other than the personal props required for some Video Game Characters. See Costume Suggestions.

Scene Two Armchair ...... Grandad Book or Magazine ...... Grandad 3 Mobile Phones ...... Robin, Marney and Vicky 2 Seven-Sided Dice (See template on page 17) ...... Grandad

Scene Three 2 Marching Drums ...... Fortune’s Entourage Marching Brass (various) ...... Fortune’s Entourage Marching Woodwind (various) ...... Fortune’s Entourage Mobile Phone ...... Vicky 7 Sides of the Dice LARGE ...... Dice Dancers 2 Seven-Sided Dice ...... Lady Fortune

Scene Four Large Monopoly Playing Cards ...... Street Chorus Citizens Newspaper Bag…………………………………………………………………… .... Paper Seller Newspapers………………………………………………………………………...... Paper Seller File/Notepad and Pencil………………………………………………………………Estate Agent 2 Large ‘GO TO JAIL’ Cards……………………………………………………...... Estate Agent Truncheon……………………………………………………………………….. .. Police Sergeant 2 Pads and Pencils………………………………………………………………...... Reporters Camera……………………………………………………………………………...... Reporter 3 Wad of Monopoly Money ...... Lady Fortune

Scene Five Stool ...... Vicky Handkerchief ...... Martha

Scene Six Whistle ...... Mr Fenchurch Street Flag ...... Mr King’s Cross 3 Clipboards ...... Supervisors & Mr Marylebone Lantern ...... Mr Liverpool Street Tatty Map ...... Commuter Large Cardboard Spanner ...... Engineer 1 Large Cardboard Hammer ...... Engineer 2 Large Cardboard Pick Axe ...... Engineer 3 Large Cardboard Spade………………………………………………………………..Engineer 4 2 Trays with Cardboard Cups ...... Supervisors 2 Seven-Sided Dice…………………………………………………………………….. .. Will Luck

Scene Seven Short Ladder ...... Stage prop White Sheet (covering Mrs White) ...... Mrs White 2 Seven-Sided Dice ...... Marney Large Magnifying Glass ...... Colonel Mustard Large Handbag ...... Mrs Peacock Evidence Table ...... Stage prop Tagged Baseball Bat ...... Evidence table Tagged Candlestick ...... Evidence table Tagged Gun ...... Evidence table Tagged Dagger ...... Evidence table Tagged Piece of Rope ...... Evidence table Tagged Leaded Pipe ...... Evidence table 2 Seven-Sided Dice ...... Marney

Scene Eight Toiletries (Shaving brush, etc) ...... Chester Castle White Flag ...... Chester Castle Black Flag ...... Curley Castle White Veil ...... Vicky 2 Seven-Sided Dice ...... Lady Fortune Truncheon ...... Police Sergeant

SEVEN-SIDED DICE TEMPLATE

This template can also be downloaded from the FREE Resources tab at the bottom of this webpage: http://www.musiclinedirect.com/junior/let-the-games-begin

CHESS PIECES HEADDRESS SUGGESTIONS

(As with any costumes, these can be as simple or elaborate as time and resources allow. We have provided a simple and cost effective suggestion for cardboard headdresses below that can be attached to head bands.)

This template can also be downloaded from the FREE Resources tab at the bottom of this webpage: http://www.musiclinedirect.com/junior/let-the-games-begin

(House lights off. Stage lights up.)

TRACK 1: MUSIC - INTRODUCTION

(During the music, the Choir enter the auditorium and take their positions - offstage but still visible to the audience. A group of Video Game Characters enter and freeze in place across the stage. They are a somewhat surreal bunch comprising colourful cheery plumbers, blue hedgehogs, monkeys holding large wooden barrels, warriors and adventurers!)

(Backdrop – The Video Game Arena.)

(The backdrop is a landscape of computer graphics starting stage right with blocky buildings and trees made from large black and white pixels. Moving towards stage left a little the graphics improve slightly. There are limited colours and smaller pixels. Moving left a bit more the colours and details improve further still. This progress continues to the far stage left of the backdrop which is lushly drawn and almost photo realistic.)

(Track 1 ends.)

SCENE ONE: THE VIDEO GAME ARENA

(The Video Game Characters march stiffly in time with the music - bursting with energy, singing and dancing with dominance.)

TRACK 2: SONG - VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS

CHORUS: LET THE GAME BEGIN, KEEP THEM PLUGGING IN, TO BE INTROSPECTIVE, TRAPPED IN OUR COLLECTIVE,

LEADING THEM ALONG FROM THE BIRTH OF PONG, TO BE BRINGING ON VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS.

BEEP BEEP BOP TO THE BEEP BEEP BOP, THEY CAN HARDLY STOP.

WHEN THE 90S HIT, WE WERE 16-BIT, DIGITAL ARCADES WERE 2D PARADES.

KIDS AT HOME WOULD GO FOR THE NINTENDO OR THE SEGA SYSTEM, HOW WE USED TO TWIST ‘EM!

MORE THAN PLAYTHINGS IN THEIR MACHINES, MORE THAN PIXELS ACROSS THEIR SCREENS, THROUGH THOSE WINDOWS, ONES AND ZEROS MAKING HEROES FOR VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS.

BEEP BEEP BOP TO THE BEEP BEEP BOP, THEY CAN HARDLY STOP.

SONIC AND MARIO, LARA AND LIU KANG,

LOADED AND GOOD TO GO, POWER IN YOUR HAND.

ALEX; DONKEY KONG; LEMMINGS LED ALONG; PACMAN OVERATE SO WE CAN VEGETATE, GOIN’ 8 HOURS STRAIGHT; THOSE WINNIN’ GENERATIONS GROW AND GROW AND GROW AND GROW.

THROUGH THOSE WINDOWS, ONES AND ZEROS MAKING HEROES FOR VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS.

MORE THAN PLAYTHINGS IN THEIR MACHINES, MORE THAN PIXELS ACROSS THEIR SCREENS, THROUGH THOSE WINDOWS, ONES AND ZEROS MAKING HEROES FOR VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS, VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS, VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS, VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS.

(Hold for applause.)

(Track 2 ends.)

TRACK 3: MUSIC - VIDEO GAME GENERATIONS PLAY-OFF

(The music continues over the following instructions and into the next scene:)

(Blackout.)

(The Video Game Characters exit. End of Scene One.)

(Backdrop change – Grandad’s Lounge. A typical “dated” country cottage.)

SCENE TWO: GRANDAD’S HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY - THE LOUNGE

(Track 3 from the previous scene continues as the stage is set up in darkness for this scene.)

(Enter Grandad, Vicky, Robin and Marney. Grandad sits and reads quietly in his chair centre stage left.)

(Track 3 ends.)

(Lights up.)

(Vicky sits close to her Grandad, immersed in her mobile phone, pressing buttons and smiling with satisfaction. Centre stage are her two younger brothers. Robin is serious, frowning with concentration, adjusting his specs. Marney, the youngest, is noisy and full of bounce. He prances around the lounge delighted with his own cleverness. They are competing in a game on their mobile phones. Marney is winning and everyone must know he is.)

MARNEY: Gotcha! Gotcha again! I am unbeatable! Totally wrecked you! Three times in a row. I am the boss! (Bows to everybody) ROBIN: (Shakes his head, resigned to defeat) OK, calm down. It’s just a game Marney. GRANDAD: And a very noisy game too! (Awkwardly rises from his chair and hobbles to centre stage) I don’t know how you can play with all those diddy little buttons. Phones, computers, remote controls. It’s incredible. In my day, the remote control in our house was ‘me mother!’ MARNEY: (Oblivious to grandad’s comments) Did you see, Gramps? Did you see how I wrecked him! Three times in a row! YES! (Punches the air) Want another game, Rob? I’ll give you another chance to beat ‘THE BOSS’ (Punches the air again) GRANDAD: Not now Marney. I think we need a bit of peace and quiet, don’t we Vicky? (Louder) Vicky? (Vicky isn’t listening. She’s immersed in her mobile phone) (Grandad shouts) VICKY? VICKY: Er, (Pause) yes, Grandad? (Pause) Just a minute.

GRANDAD: It’s incredible. The amount of time you young people spend indoors buried in these screens. You’ve been staying with me for a week now and you’ve hardly moved. In my day we were never indoors, always outside, playing with our friends. (Proudly with a big smile on his face) I had lots of friends. Nine or ten! VICKY: Well I’ve got (Smugly looking at her phone) two thousand, six hundred and forty-three friends, Grandad. GRANDAD: But it’s not real, is it? How many of these ‘friends’ have you actually met, or spent time with, Vicky? VICKY: It’s not like that these days Grandad. Everyone’s on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram…… GRANDAD: But there’s a whole world of experience out there just waiting for you to explore. MARNEY: Do you mean Google, Grandad? GRANDAD: Ughhhh! (Folds his arms and shakes his head in frustration) I can see I’m not going to win here without help. (Fumbles around in his jacket pocket) Now listen! (Pause) Years and years ago I met a wise old man. And he gave me a gift.

TRACK 4: MUSIC - A GIFT

(Track continues and ends under dialogue.)

(Grandad produces from his pocket a pair of seven-sided dice.)

ROBIN: Are they valuable, Grandad? GRANDAD: Robin, my boy, they are priceless. Now, you can look - but DO NOT TOUCH!

(The children move closer to Grandad.)

VICKY: Let me see. But they’re just two dice – a pair of dice! ROBIN: No. (Looking intently) Wait a minute. These aren’t just ordinary dice. They’ve got seven sides. That’s weird! They won’t roll properly. What’s the use of dice that don’t roll properly? GRANDAD: Exactly. But these are magic dice. If you roll or drop them, strange things might happen. That’s why you can’t touch them, in case you accidentally drop them. MARNEY: Don’t be daft – they’re just dice. You were conned, Grandad!

(Marney snatches the dice from Grandad.)

GRANDAD: No Marney! Give them back.

MARNEY: (Grinning) I want to see some of this magic! (To audience) Don’t you?

(Grandad tries to grab back the dice.)

TRACK 5: MUSIC AND SFX - DICE ROLL INTO GAME LAND

(The SFX and music continue over the following instructions and into the next scene.)

(In time with the ‘bang’ sound effect, Marney drops the dice towards downstage centre. During the blackout Grandad picks up the dice and hands them to Lady Fortune offstage.)

(Blackout.)

(Grandad exits.)

(Bright flashes of light. End of Scene Two.)

(Backdrop change – Game Land Entrance. A land constructed from traditional board game pieces, elements and styles, such as cone shapes, counters, chess pieces etc. On the horizon there is a city skyline of Monopoly houses and hotels.)

SCENE THREE: GAME LAND

(Track 5 from the previous scene continues as the stage is set up in darkness for this scene. Vicky, Robin, and Marney sit huddled together downstage right.)

(Track 5 ends.)

(Lights up.)

MARNEY: (Looking around) Wh.. wh.. where are we? What happened? ROBIN: And where’s Grandad? VICKY: (Moving closer to Robin) Guys... I’m scared!

TRACK 6: SONG - FORTUNE’S MARCH

(A royal Entourage fronted by a dashingly dressed Will Luck enters the stage through the audience, preparing the way for their Queen: the powerful, flamboyant and slightly sinister Lady Fortune.)

(Performed by Will Luck, Fortune’s Entourage and Lady Fortune.)

FORTUNE’S HERE WE COME NOW WITH DRUMS ALL A-BLAZING, ENTOURAGE: FORTUNE’S SERVANTS ALL ARE WE. HERE WE COME NOW WITH GAMES SO AMAZING, SO THAT JOY WE’LL SURELY BRING, YOU SEE.

THROW THE DICE AND IT’S WE WHO WILL SERVE YOU, MAKE YOUR WISHES ALL COME TRUE. WE ARE SERVANTS OF GREAT LADY FORTUNE. TROUBLES FLY WHEN SHE COMES ROUND TO YOU.

SO STAMP YOUR FEET AND CLAP YOUR HANDS AND JOIN OUR MARCHING, SING OUR SONG AND JOIN OUR RANKS, TWO BY TWO. FORTUNE’S HERE, SING DON’T SIGH, SEND YOUR TROUBLES FLYING HIGH, SHE IS COMING TO YOU, COMING TO YOU, FORTUNE NOW IS NIGH!

(The Entourage march around the stage during the instrumental.)

SO STAMP YOUR FEET AND CLAP YOUR HANDS AND JOIN OUR MARCHING, SING OUR SONG AND JOIN OUR RANKS, TWO BY TWO. FORTUNE’S HERE, SING DON’T SIGH,

SEND YOUR TROUBLES FLYING HIGH, SHE IS COMING TO YOU, COMING TO YOU, FORTUNE NOW IS NIGH!

(Hold for applause.)

(Track 6 ends.)

TRACK 7: MUSIC - FORTUNE’S ENTOURAGE

(Marching in time with the drums, Lady Fortune’s Entourage position themselves across the back of the stage. Lady Fortune moves to downstage centre.)

(Track 7 ends.)

VICKY: I’m still scared! ROBIN: This is all very strange, I’m sure we’ll wake up in a minute.

(Will Luck strides towards the children.)

WILL LUCK: (Beckons to the children) Come with me to meet Lady Fortune! MARNEY: I think I’m going to stay right here if you don’t mind, mate... er... I mean Sir.

(Will ushers the nervous children to Lady Fortune, who stands menacingly at downstage centre.)

LADY FORTUNE: Welcome my dears to my land of games. Here we are at your service. This is where everyone gets to play their favourite games … for real! (Sniggers) We hope you will find your stay exciting and memorable. Now come, my dears, what games would you like to play? VICKY: (Sheepishly) Well, I was playing Monopoly on my phone. LADY FORTUNE: On your what? (Pointing to Vicky’s phone) On that little thing! Impossible! This is the real world! Will Luck – take that wretched thing away.

(Will Luck bows to Lady Fortune and takes Vicky’s phone.)

LADY FORTUNE: (Beckons to Marney) Now, little boy, come here. Marney, isn’t it? How sweet! You are the one who rolled the magic dice. Yes?

MARNEY: (Sounding very unsure/nervous) Yes, your highness, er, majesty, er, honourable-ness. But what’s so special, …your worship-ness, about those dice? LADY FORTUNE: Sweet child. The dice you see before you here…. Are the dice of fortune, fame and fear. The number seven may be true and pure, But I will win the game, of that, I’m sure!…. Let us show you!

(Lady Fortune waves the children aside so her Entourage can perform ‘Song Of The Dice’.)

TRACK 8: SONG - SONG OF THE DICE

(Performed by Lady Fortune, and Dice Chorus, comprising Will Luck, Fortune’s Entourage and the Side Dancers.)

(In the song, one by one, as their numbers are mentioned, individual dancers portraying numbered “sides” of a dice enter – spinning onstage. They are dressed in black and hold large black cards displaying the appropriate number of white dots. During the song, the sides of the dice meet, centre stage to form a seven-sided dice - an ideal situation for creative choreography!)

DICE CHORUS: SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE. SPIN THE DICE, THE GAME’S BEGUN. SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE: MAGIC NUMBERS EVERY ONE.

ONE’S THE NUMBER ON ITS OWN, TWO’S THE NUMBER NOT ALONE, THREE’S THE NUMBER MAKES A CROWD, FOUR’S THE NUMBER, SHOUT IT LOUD, FIVE’S THE NUMBER, TWO TO GO, SIX THE NUMBER WE ALL KNOW.

LADY FORTUNE: (Spoken) Seven is the number of the seven-sided dice!

DICE CHORUS: SEVEN IS THE NUMBER OF THE SEVEN-SIDED, SEVEN-SIDED DICE.

ONE’S THE NUMBER ON ITS OWN, TWO’S THE NUMBER NOT ALONE, THREE’S THE NUMBER MAKES A CROWD, FOUR’S THE NUMBER, SHOUT IT LOUD, FIVE’S THE NUMBER, TWO TO GO, SIX THE NUMBER WE ALL KNOW.

LADY FORTUNE: (Spoken) Seven is the number of the seven-sided dice!

DICE CHORUS: SEVEN IS THE NUMBER OF THE SEVEN-SIDED, SEVEN-SIDED DICE.

SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE. SPIN THE DICE, THE GAME’S BEGUN. SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE: MAGIC NUMBERS EV’RY ONE.

(Hold for applause.)

(Track 8 ends.)

TRACK 9: MUSIC - FORTUNE’S ENTOURAGE EXIT

(Lady Fortune, Fortune’s Entourage and Dancers all exit, leaving Vicky, Robin, Marney and Will Luck to move to downstage centre.)

(Track 9 ends.)

VICKY: (Firmly) I don’t like Lady Fortune. MARNEY: You’re right Vicky. She gives me the creeps! ROBIN: I think we should be very, very careful. VICKY: Where are we, then? WILL LUCK: Game Land! The land of Lady Fortune. VICKY: Scary! WILL LUCK: Yes. When she plays games, she plays for keeps. MARNEY: Who are you, then? WILL LUCK: My name’s Will Luck. I haven’t been here very long, and I’ll try to help you, but if they catch me talking to you, I’ll be done for. If you lose your games you’ll become like the rest of us. The only way to escape is to win. ROBIN: And how exactly do we do that? WILL LUCK: (Looking around nervously) I must go; they’ll be looking for me. I’m your friend. Trust me, I will help you. (Shouting to the children as he exits) Win the games, and you win your freedom. MARNEY: What’s he mean, ‘win our freedom?’ ROBIN: There’s no way out! VICKY: Have we got to stay here forever then? MARNEY: Hope not (Rubbing his tummy) I’m starving. ROBIN: It looks like it’s up to us. As Will Luck says, we have to win the games. But I’m not sure how he’ll be able to help us.

VICKY: (Smiling broadly) I think he will. I liked him.

(Lady Fortune enters and ‘swans’ to downstage centre, accompanied by boos and hisses from the audience.)

LADY FORTUNE: (Addressing the audience) Now, now, now, please, none of that. You must understand: My followers have a wonderful exciting time. I have rescued them from the tedious boredom of living an unpredictable life. They love me for it. There are a few rules, naturally. One always needs rules. Occasionally there are rebels, like that Will Luck. I have to keep a close eye on him. After all, Lady Fortune knows best and I always win.

(More boos and hisses from the audience. Lady Fortune turns her nose up at them. She then puts on a fake smile and creeps towards the children.)

LADY FORTUNE: (Rubbing her hands together) Now my dears. You’ve seen the all- powerful magic dice. The rest is up to you. Let’s get started. Ladies first, I think. So Vicky, what game would you like to play? VICKY: I think …. Monopoly … because I’m good at that and I’d love to go to London. To walk around and see all the sites. LADY FORTUNE: Excellent choice. (Handing the dice to Vicky) So roll the dice Vicky, and let the game begin.

TRACK 10: SFX AND MUSIC - DICE ROLL INTO MONOPOLY LAND

(The SFX and music continue over the following instructions and into the next scene.)

(In time with the ‘bang’ sound effect, Vicky rolls the dice towards downstage centre.)

(Blackout.)

(Lady Fortune exits. Vicky picks up the dice, exits and gives them to Will Luck once she is offstage. End of Scene Three.)

(Backdrop change – Monopoly Land. Road leading away to the horizon. Red and green plastic Monopoly houses and hotels line the road. The pavement tiles are squares from a Monopoly board. ‘Parked’ along the roadside are various silver coloured playing pieces, such as a car, a hat, a dog and an iron.)

SCENE FOUR: MONOPOLY LAND

(Track 10 from the previous scene continues as the stage is set up in darkness for this scene.)

(Lights up.)

(The Monopoly Land Street Chorus enters. This includes Barrow Boys, Market Traders, Shoppers, Pearly Kings and Queens, Flower Sellers, a jolly Police Sergeant twirling a truncheon, and so on. Some of these Citizens carry large Monopoly playing cards. They all go about their business silently upstage behind Lady Fortune and the Children standing downstage centre.)

(Track 10 ends.)

PAPERSELLER: (Enters upstage right, waving a stash of newspapers at the children as he/she approaches them. Speaks in a cockney accent) Extra, extra, read all about it. Lady Fortune set to win latest challenge. Paper, Miss? (Offering Vicky a newspaper) VICKY: No thanks, I don’t have any money. (She tries to read the headlines) PAPERSELLER: (Snatching away the newspaper) Sorry, Miss, I ain’t a library! (Moves away) Extra, Extra, read all about it. Lady Fortune set to win latest challenge.

(The Paper Seller joins the Street Chorus at upstage centre. An Estate Agent enters and approaches the Children.)

ESTATE AGENT: Morning, ladies and gentlemen. Could I interest you in a property around here? Student accommodation? Penthouse apartment? Time- share perhaps? VICKY: Oh no, really, thank you.

(Lady Fortune ‘glides’ onstage dismissing boos and hisses from the audience with a forced smile and a flick of her hand. She moves towards the Children, teasingly brandishing a wad of Monopoly money.)

LADY FORTUNE: Well now, Miss Vicky. This is your lucky day. I feel it is going to be very profitable for you. It’s time to play your game, my dear. Here, this is for you to spend. (Hands over Monopoly money) It’s all about property. Buy it cheap and sell it dear. You can make a fortune here.

TRACK 11: SONG - MONOPOLY

(Performed by the Street Chorus. The Street Chorus can be split into two groups. Group A sing ‘Monopoly’ while Group B sing the response each time.)

(Lady Fortune exits. The Street Chorus moves downstage to perform the song with energy and gusto! The Children stand centre stage in awe of the proceedings.)

STREET MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. CHORUS: MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY.

WHEN THE PRICES HAVE ALL SOARED, YOU CAN REAP A RICH REWARD. THERE YOU STAND, CASH IN HAND, AIN’T IT GRAND?

(During the song Vicky enjoys the bustle as the Estate Agent begins to show her round encouraging her to spend her money on various properties. Robin and Marney ‘hang out’ with the Street Chorus.)

MONOPOLY! AN EMPTY OFFICE TOWER, MONOPOLY! GETS DEARER EVERY HOUR. MONOPOLY! INVEST ALL YOU HAVE GOT, MONOPOLY! IN YOUR OWN BUILDING PLOT.

DIVIDENDS GROW YEAR ON YEAR, BUYING CHEAP AND SELLING DEAR. THERE YOU STAND, CASH IN HAND, AIN’T IT GRAND?

YOU’RE SNAPPING UP TRAFALGAR SQUARE, A NICE HOTEL ON MAYFAIR. YOU’LL GRAB A BUCK FROM HERE AND THERE, AND SPLASH THE CASH, ANYWHERE. THE PRICE IS RIGHT FOR LEICESTER SQUARE, LET’S GO COMPARE!

MONOPOLY! MINGLE WITH WEALTHY FOLK, MONOPOLY! AND ONCE YOU GET ‘EM BROKE, THERE YOU STAND, CASH IN HAND, AIN’T IT GRAND?

MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY.

WHEN THE PRICES HAVE ALL SOARED, YOU CAN REAP A RICH REWARD. THERE YOU STAND, CASH IN HAND, AIN’T IT GRAND?

MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY. MONOPOLY! IT’S ALL ABOUT PROPERTY.

MONOPOLY! MONOPOLY! MONOPOLY’S THE GAME FOR ME. YEAH!

(Hold for applause.)

(Track 11 ends.)

TRACK 12: MUSIC - THIS IS FUN!

(The Street Chorus lines the sides and rear of the stage. The Children and the Estate Agent move to centre stage.)

(Track 12 ends.)

VICKY: This is fun. Much better than playing it on my phone. Is it finished now? Have I won? ESTATE AGENT: (Checking his/her notepad) Well, looking at all the properties you’ve bought, you are very heavily in debt. Do you have any money left to clear this debt? VICKY: I don’t think so (Checking her pockets) What can I do? ESTATE AGENT: Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear! Not good! You’ll have to pick a card. (Retrieves two large Monopoly cards from offstage and presents them face-down to Vicky) You have the choice of two. One will give you another chance and the other will put you in jail. VICKY: (Looking scared) Robin, Marney, what do I do? ROBIN: (Shrugging his shoulders) It’s a 50/50 chance, Vicky. MARNEY: Close your eyes, and pick. That’s what I always do. And sometimes it works. VICKY: That’s very helpful, Marney! Oh well. Here goes. (Closes her eyes and picks a card)

(The Estate Agent holds it up high, and it reads, ‘GO TO JAIL’.)

VICKY: Oh no! ROBIN: (Raises his arms in the air) Tragedy! MARNEY: (Also raises arms in the air) Disaster!

(The Police Sergeant walks over to Vicky, truncheon twirling.)

SERGEANT: Sorry, Miss. You have to come with me. It’s in the rules. VICKY: (Looking really scared) I don’t want to go to jail. I want to go home. Grandad, where are you? Help me!! SERGEANT: (Puts his hand on Vicky’s shoulder) Very sorry Miss. I have to obey the rules. This way, if you please.

(The Sergeant escorts Vicky slowly offstage, followed by the Estate Agent, as the Street Chorus performs the song ‘Go To Jail’ - pointing menacingly at the poor bewildered girl.)

TRACK 13: SONG - GO TO JAIL

(Performed by the Street Chorus. The vocal parts can be allocated in a similar manner to Monopoly.)

STREET CHORUS: GO TO JAIL! NO LONGER CAN YOU PLAY, GO TO JAIL! YOU MUST BE LOCKED AWAY. GO TO JAIL! YOU CANNOT GO PAST GO, GO TO JAIL! YOU KNOW WE TOLD YOU SO. YOU HAVE LOST, SO OFF TO JAIL SPENT TOO MUCH - AN EPIC FAIL. GO TO JAIL, GO TO JAIL, GO TO JAIL. (Shouted) GO TO JAIL!!

(Track 13 ends.)

(The Street Chorus actors position themselves around the back and sides of the stage. Robin and Marney move to downstage centre.)

MARNEY: (Looking flustered) What happened there, then? ROBIN: I have absolutely no idea, it all happened so fast!

(A group of Reporters enter carrying note pads, pencils and a camera. They ruthlessly hound the Boys, constantly making notes and taking photos.)

REPORTER 1: Hello lads. What’s occurred? Has there been an accident? Any blood? Anybody been robbed? MARNEY: (Looking annoyed) What’s it got to do with you? Who are you lot, anyway? REPORTER 1: We’re representatives of the press. So, what’s the story here? Are you a witness?

REPORTER 2: Is the victim a celebrity, would you say? Just give us the details. ROBIN: Our sister’s been taken. REPORTER 3: Kidnapped? REPORTER 2: Any ransom demand? REPORTER 1: Can I have your name? Grieving relation are you? REPORTER 3: Maybe she just ran away from home. REPORTER 2: She leave a note? (Pause) (Writes on notepad) No note?

(Will Luck enters and rushes towards the Boys.)

WILL LUCK: What’s happened? ROBIN: It’s Vicky; she seems to have been arrested! REPORTER 1: (Continuing to harass the Boys) Has she got a record? Any criminal tendencies? Is it a family trait? ROBIN: (Firmly) I’ve had enough of this. We’re not going to answer any more questions. REPORTER 3: Oh, don’t be like that; we’re only trying to do our job! ROBIN: (Frustrated and angry) Then why don’t you listen, and write down what people tell you… you know... the TRUTH!

(There is a long pause as the three Reporters look at each other in shock.)

REPORTER 3: That’s a really good idea! REPORTER 2: It will be sensational. A scoop. REPORTER 3: We can sell it to the really big papers. REPORTER 1: Like the *Aberdovey Advertiser. (*Insert the name of a local paper here!) REPORTER 2: We’ll be on the telly. REPORTER 3: Can you see the headlines? 3 REPORTERS: NEWS REPORTERS TELL THE TRUTH. REPORTER 3: (To the audience) But nobody will ever believe it! WILL LUCK: Right. Come with me. We need to find the Stationmasters. MARNEY: (To Robin) Stationmasters? How can they help? ROBIN: No idea. But Will seems genuine and he wants to help us.

TRACK 14: MUSIC - THE JAIL

(The music continues over the following instructions and into the next scene.)

(Will Luck leads the Children offstage, pursued by the Reporters, still making notes and taking photos. The Street Chorus exits.)

(Blackout.)

(End of Scene Four.)

(Backdrop change - Inside A Jail Cell. A brick wall with a small window high up and with metal bars vertically over it. Bucket in one corner.)

SCENE FIVE: THE JAIL

(Track 14 from the previous scene continues as the stage is set up in darkness for this scene. Enter Vicky and Prisoners.)

(Lights up.)

(Vicky hunches centre stage on a stool and is sobbing. Martha, one of the prisoners, moves over to Vicky and attempts to comfort her.)

(Track 14 ends.)

MARTHA: What’s the matter love? No need to get so upset. (Gives Vicky a handkerchief) Here, dry your eyes. VICKY: Thank you. I’m sorry to be so silly but it’s all my fault. I should have won my game. I’m usually so good at it. I can’t understand what went wrong. PRISONER 1: Sometimes things don’t go as planned. If they did, I wouldn’t be here! VICKY: I know. But now the boys have to win their games to get us out of this mess! MARTHA: But it’s not your fault Vicky. It’s that Lady Fortune, she doesn’t play fair. PRISONER 2: Ain’t that the truth. If she’d played fair, I wouldn’t be here! MARTHA: I am sure your brothers will find a way to beat her. Robin’s clever and Marney’s brave. Cheeky, but brave. PRISONER 3: Yes, it seems those qualities are what you need to win here. If I’d had both those qualities, I wouldn’t be here! VICKY: (Sighs) It would have been a lot easier if I‘d won. PRISONER 4: If I had won my game I ………….. ALL: WOULDN’T BE HERE!! MARTHA: (Laughing) That’s right! But winning isn’t always the most important thing, you know. What you learn by playing the game is just as important.

TRACK 15: SONG - GETTING BACK IN THE GAME

(Performed by Vicky, Martha and Prisoners.)

VICKY: WINNING IS SOMETHING YOU CHASE AROUND, NEVER KNOWING WHEN TO QUIT. LOSING A GOOD THING CAN BREAK YOU DOWN WHEN YOUR HOPES ARE PINNED ON IT.

PRISONERS: LADY LUCK CAN BE STRANGE, MAKING A CHANCE TO CHANGE. WHEN WILL YOU BE WILLING?

VICKY: ALL THE HEART ACHING THIS WORLD CAN MAKE DOESN’T HELP YOUR CONFIDENCE. FIGHTING WITH FATE, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO BE THROUGH WITH MAKING SENSE?

PRISONERS: LADY LUCK CAN BE STRANGE, MAKING A CHANCE TO CHANGE. THEN YOU BEGIN GETTING BACK IN THE GAME.

ALL PRISONERS: THE SAYING IS TRUE: ‘YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO’, YOU FAIL, LEARN FROM THE TALE.

GO ON AND SUCCEED IN WAYS THAT YOU NEED, DON’T BAIL, KEEP ON THE TRAIL.

MARTHA: ‘CAUSE WHEN THE GAME FEELS LIKE IT’S OVER, SURELY THERE’S SOMEONE ROOTING FOR YA. YOUR OPPORTUNITY’S COMING UP TO BE SEIZED.

ALL: LADY LUCK CAN BE STRANGE, MAKING A CHANCE TO CHANGE. THEN YOU BEGIN GETTING BACK IN THE GAME.

THEN YOU BEGIN GETTING BACK IN THE GAME.

(Hold for applause.)

(Track 15 ends.) TRACK 16: MUSIC AND SFX - THE RAILWAY STATION

(The SFX and music continue over the following instructions and into the next scene.)

(Slow blackout.)

(Everyone exits. End of Scene Five.)

(Backdrop change – The Railway Station. Harry Potter style brick arches on a train platform with various destination signs (Game Land Central, Monopoly Square, Cluedo Manor)

SCENE SIX: THE RAILWAY STATION

(Track 16 from the previous scene continues as the stage is set up in darkness for this scene. The backdrop shows an old-fashioned London railway station.)

(Lights up.)

(Various Commuters [members of the Street Chorus] enter from all sides and bustle about, sometimes crossing the stage to exit, then re-entering somewhere else. Four Stationmasters enter amidst the Commuters and try to keep things flowing. The railway station sound effects continue playing under the dialogue and gradually fade out as the track ends.)

MR FENCHURCH ST: (Emerges from crowd) Please hurry... train leaving platform seven for Fenchurch Street. (Goes back into crowd) MR MARYLEBONE: (Emerges from crowd) The train arriving at platform five will be stopping at Marylebone station... I hope... well, it did last week. (Goes back into crowd) MR KING’S CROSS: (Emerges from crowd) I would like to apologise for the delay of the train to King’s Cross. We seem to have lost it... I’m sorry, I’m afraid you’ll all have to walk (Goes back into crowd) MR LIVERPOOL ST: (Emerges from crowd and ushers a loitering commuter) Hurry along please - you’re blocking the platform... (To a lady commuter) Toilets, Madam? Yes, they’re over... er... there.

(The Stationmasters continue assisting people on their way and the congested platform begins to clear.)

MR MARYLEBONE: (Trying to assist a straggling commuter who carries a tatty map) Tamworth? (Insert local town name here!) Sorry Madam. I’ve never heard of it. I’d get a taxi if I were you. MR KING’S CROSS: (Waving at the last commuter leaving the stage) Thank you Madam, thank you for travelling by train... Bye.

(The Stationmasters are now alone. They stand an equal distance apart along the front centre of the stage. There are a few awkward seconds of silence.)

MR. KING’S CROSS: Mr Fenchurch! MR FENCHURCH ST: Yes, Mr King’s Cross? MR KING’S CROSS: Is that it? Is rush hour over? MR FENCHURCH ST: Looks like it, Mr King’s Cross.

(Pause)

MR KING’S CROSS: Mr Fenchurch! MR FENCHURCH ST: Yes, Mr King’s Cross? MR KING’S CROSS: I’m fed up now.

(Pause)

MR KING’S CROSS: Mr Fenchurch! MR FENCHURCH ST: Yes, Mr King’s Cross! (Slightly irate) MR KING’S CROSS: It’s very boring standing here, doing nothing.

(Pause)

MR MARYLEBONE: (Mr Marylebone yawns and sighs loudly) Ahhhhh….

MR KING’S CROSS: Ah, Mr Marylebone, I thought you were asleep. MR MARYLEBONE: (Yawning and stretching) Being nice to people all day, when they’re giving us nothing but hassle, can be very tiring you know! MR LIVERPOOL ST: Personally I think we should be very proud of the job we do. MR MARYLEBONE: So do I! MR KING’S CROSS: Yeah! We do a bloomin’ good job! MR FENCHURCH ST: And we should be very proud of British trains, after all…….. ALL: They’re British!!

TRACK 17: SONG - ENGINEERS AND STATIONMASTERS

(Performed by the Stationmasters, Engineers and Street Chorus.)

(It’s rush hour again with the Street Chorus/Commuters flooding onto the stage, bustling as before. In front of the commotion the Stationmasters sing with immense pride.)

STATIONMASTERS: OF BRITISH TRAINS WE PROUDLY SING, OF BRITISH TRAINS UPON THE WING, OF LONG DELAYS WE ARE FORECASTERS, HERE ALWAYS, YOUR STATIONMASTERS.

(A train is heard approaching on an unseen track behind the audience. Some of the Commuters begin lining up along downstage right, eager to board.)

STATIONMASTERS: NEVER SLOWER THAN A SNAIL, BEING ON TIME, OUR HOLY GRAIL.

(The train ‘clangs’ as something breaks.)

(Shouted) OH NO! NOT ANOTHER EPIC FAIL!

(The train comes to a stop.)

(During the instrumental break, a group of Engineers enter, accompanied by two Supervisors. They are all dressed in hard hats and high visibility jackets. The engineers carry various oversized tools. The two Supervisors carry clipboards and direct the Engineers out into the auditorium where they begin working on the seats, and maybe a few audience members too!)

ENGINEERS: PLEASE DON’T BERATE WITH EYES OF HATE IF SOMETIMES WE ARE RUNNING LATE, OUR SERVICE MIGHT BE GOING FINE BEFORE A LEAF FALLS ON THE LINE, BUT ONE REPAIR WILL GET YOU THERE, SO DON’T DESPAIR.

(The train ‘clangs’ back into life.)

(During the instrumental break, the queuing Commuters exit through the auditorium to ‘board’ the train. The engineers scurry back onstage to stand beside the Stationmasters as they all sing together joyfully.)

ENGINEERS AND WE’RE BACK ON TRACK, WE’RE MOVING FAST, STATIONMASTERS: WE’LL REACH OUR TARGET THERE AT LAST. WE SAVE EACH DAY, AVERT DISASTERS, ENGINEERS AND STATIONMASTERS.

STREET CHORUS: OF BRITISH TRAINS THEY PROUDLY SING, OF BRITISH TRAINS UPON THE WING, THEY SAVE EACH DAY, AVERT DISASTERS, ENGINEERS AND STATIONMASTERS.

ALL: ENGINEERS AND STATIONMASTERS!

(Hold for applause.)

(Track 17 ends.)

TRACK 18: MUSIC - TEA BREAK TIME

(The remaining Commuters/Street Chorus slowly disperse and exit. Meanwhile, it’s tea break time for the Engineers. They amble into the background, lay down their tools, and silently chat. The two Supervisors ditch their clipboards offstage and retrieve two trays of cardboard cups. They re-enter to offer the cups to the Engineers.)

(Track 18 ends.)

(Will Luck, Robin and Marney enter, dashing to the Stationmasters.)

WILL LUCK: Good Afternoon gentlemen. May I introduce Robin and Marney? FENCHURCH ST: (Greeting the boys with a proud posture) How do you do? Fenchurch Street’s the name, trains the game! Delighted to meet you.

(Shakes hands with Robin and Marney) Allow me to introduce Mr King’s Cross, Mr Liverpool Street and Mr Marylebone (All shake hands) We represent the Disunited Union of Railway Workers, Affiliated Auxiliaries and Missing Bolt Federation Workers, (Pause) Unlimited! ROBIN: Impressive!! WILL LUCK: (Addresses the Stationmasters) Gentlemen, we need your help. The boy’s sister, Vicky, is being held in jail, by Lady Fortune, up to her old tricks. Both the cards Vicky had to choose from had ‘GO TO JAIL’ written on them. So she had no chance of winning the game. LIVERPOOL ST: I could have guessed. (Pulling a stern face) That Lady Fortune. She’s done it before. We have all fallen for her tricks! MARNEY: (Disgustedly) But that’s cheating. That’s not fair! WILL LUCK: Sometimes in life things aren’t fair. But you have to move on. You know, think outside the box. It’s the only way to beat her! KING’S CROSS: What we need now is solidarity. (Puffing himself up) Flag wavers unite. We gotta stick together. WILL LUCK: Yes, but the boys must win their games to destroy Lady Fortune’s power. They’ve got to get to Cluedo Manor for Marney’s game as quickly as possible. FENCHURCH ST: No problems there, my friends. You can get on a train. Cluedo Manor is just two stops away. Come on, follow us. Glad to help. WILL LUCK: (Hands Marney the dice) You’ll need these, Marney. MARNEY: (Taking the dice) Oh, yeah, thanks.

TRACK 19: MUSIC - THE TRAIN TO CLUEDO MANOR

(The SFX and music continue over the following instructions and into the next scene.)

(The Stationmasters show Will Luck and the Children offstage. The Engineers finish their tea break, then exit – carrying their ‘empty’ cups!)

(Blackout.)

(End of Scene Six.)

(Backdrop change – The Cluedo Manor Library. A manor house style floor-to-ceiling, left-to-right book case with a grandfather clock to one side.)

SCENE SEVEN: CLUEDO MANOR - THE LIBRARY

(Track 19 from the previous scene continues as the stage is set up in darkness for this scene. A group of Cluedo Characters position themselves around an evidence table with various tagged evidence items (see production notes for detail) and freeze. The cook, Mrs White, enters. She carries a white sheet, lies centre stage, close to a small ladder, covers herself with the sheet and freezes.)

(Track 19 ends.)

(Lights up.)

(Robin and Marney enter.)

MARNEY: (Excited and pointing at the Characters) Wow! Look, Robin. There’s Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum and all the others. But they’re not moving. What’s going on? ROBIN: I think you need to roll the dice to get the game started. The thing you did that got us into this mess in the first place. But be careful. (Pointing to the sheet) I think there’s a body under that sheet over there. MARNEY: Oh right. Yeah! This is cool; let’s go for it! But I must remember that Lady Fortune cheats! Will said to think outside the box. ROBIN: Exactly.

TRACK 20: SFX - MARNEY ROLLS THE DICE

(In time with the ‘bang’ sound effect, Marney rolls the dice towards downstage centre.)

(The Cluedo Characters come to life.)

(Track 20 ends.)

COL. MUSTARD: (In a military voice) The Cook is dead! (Pointing to the sheet on the floor) A dastardly crime, a military investigation is needed here!

(Colonel Mustard hands a large magnifying glass to Marney.)

COL. MUSTARD: You’ll be needing this. PROF. PLUM: (In a posh voice) Nonsense you old fuddy duddy, the appliance of science will solve this one.

DR ORCHID: (With a hint of a foreign accent) First of all we need a motive, and I haven’t got one because I didn’t even know the lady. COL. MUSTARD: Well her cooking was really awful. Maybe that was the motive! MISS SCARLETT: (Theatrical voice) Oh darlings, surely you can’t believe it was one of us. Her cooking wasn’t that bad Colonel! REV. GREEN: Divine justice is sure to prevail. MRS PEACOCK: (Swooning) Oh, Reverend Green, you are so masterful, so charming, so domina.... REV. GREEN: (Looking disapprovingly) Mrs Peacock, please, pull yourself together! MARNEY: (Musing) Professor Plum, in the... lounge, with the mmm... baseball bat. PROF. PLUM: Is that an accusation young man? If so - remember if you’re wrong - you are out of the game. ROBIN: (Politely) No sir, please excuse him. We really don’t know enough facts yet to come to any conclusion. COL. MUSTARD: (Very firmly) Well, you’d better get on with it then. If you get it wrong it’ll be a court martial, then off to jail! MARNEY: (Copying Col. Mustard’s accent) Yes, Sir! (Stands to attention and salutes) ROBIN: Marney! Concentrate! (Pointing to the sheet) So the victim, under that sheet, was the Cook? DR ORCHID: Yes, the housekeeper, Mrs White. She was a lovely lady. MARNEY: I thought you said you didn’t even know her. ROBIN: Good point, Marney! That’s more like it! REV. GREEN: Now, now children. I’m sure you are mistaken. Besides, Dr Orchid was with me at the very time the crime was committed. In the...er... kitchen …….. discussing my Sunday sermon. MRS PEACOCK: (Looking annoyed at Dr Orchid) Well, really. MARNEY: So, when was this crime committed? COL. MUSTARD: Ha! that’s obvious my dear boy. Take a look at the clock. You notice that it has stopped at 7.45pm. PROF. PLUM: Yes (Closely examining the clock) There is a small bullet hole here. The bullet must have stopped the clock. If we can find the bullet, then we will know which gun fired it. MARNEY: Oh, so the Cook was shot, was she? MISS SCARLETT: Well darlings, that rules me out. I haven’t got a gun; I’ve never owned one. Dirty, filthy things.

(Marney picks up the dice and puts them in his pocket. He then discovers the ladder on the floor, next to the body. He picks it up and looks around at the Cluedo Characters, with a satisfied smile.)

MARNEY: I think all these accusations and clues are getting in the way of what really happened. And, I think I know, WHODUNIT!

TRACK 21: SONG - WHODUNIT?

(Enter the Street Chorus who position themselves centre right, upstage right, upstage centre, upstage left and centre left. During the song, each Cluedo Character moves downstage centre to deliver their verse. The verses are spoken over the music.)

STREET CHORUS: WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? IT’S ALL A TO-DO! WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? WE MIGHT HAVE A CLUE! WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT AND SAW IT ALL THROUGH?. WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? IT COULD HAVE BEEN YOU!

MISS SCARLETT: IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE REVEREND GREEN, WITH THE CANDLESTICK, I SAW HIM IN THE DINING ROOM AND HE WAS LOOKING SICK.

REV. GREEN: I THINK MRS PEACOCK KNOWS HOW THE DEED WAS DONE. SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND SHE HAS GOT THE GUN!

STREET CHORUS: WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? IT’S ALL A TO-DO! WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? WE MIGHT HAVE A CLUE! WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT AND SAW IT ALL THROUGH? WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? IT COULD HAVE BEEN YOU!

PROF. PLUM: IT COULD BE THE CONSERVATORY THAT REALLY WAS THE SCENE, DR ORCHID WITH THE DAGGER, WAS HOW IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

DR ORCHID: PROFESSOR PLUM, HE'S NOT SO DUMB, HE USED A BASEBALL BAT IN THE KITCHEN, THEN HE SWUNG, JUST BEFORE A SPLAT!

STREET CHORUS: WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? IT’S ALL A TO-DO! WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? WE MIGHT HAVE A CLUE! WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT AND SAW IT ALL THROUGH? WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? IT COULD HAVE BEEN YOU!

COL. MUSTARD: BUT LOOK WHO’S GOT THE PIECE OF ROPE! SCARLETT IS HER NAME. I ONCE SAW A VILLAIN, AND SHE LOOKS JUST THE SAME!

MRS PEACOCK: IT MUST HAVE BEEN THAT MUSTARD MAN, HE MUST HAVE HAD A GO! HE MUST HAVE USED THE LEADED PIPE TO STRIKE THE FATAL BLOW.

STREET CHORUS: WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? IT’S ALL A TO-DO! WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? WE MIGHT HAVE A CLUE! WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT AND SAW IT ALL THROUGH? WHODUNIT? WHODUNIT? IT COULD HAVE BEEN YOU!

MARNEY: I'VE WORKED IT OUT, IT'S VERY CLEAR, THE EVIDENCE AS WELL. WHILST CLIMBING UP THE LADDER, THE POOR OLD LADY FELL. SHE BANGED HER HEAD WHILE FALLING, THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED. IT'S ONLY FAIR THAT I DECLARE THAT YOU ARE ALL ABSOLVED!

(Mrs White suddenly sits up.)

MRS WHITE: HE'S GOT IT, I DID IT, I FELL OFF THE LADDER. (Rises up and performs an angelic dance, holding the sheet whilst still singing.) I DID IT, I DID IT, I REACHED FOR A BOOK. HE'S GOT IT, I DID IT, I FELL OFF THE LADDER. I DID IT, I DID IT, YOU’RE ALL OFF THE HOOK! (Pirouettes offstage.)

ALL: SHE DID IT, SHE DID IT, SHE FELL OFF THE LADDER. SHE DID IT, SHE DID IT,

SHE REACHED FOR A BOOK. SHE DID IT, SHE DID IT, SHE FELL OFF THE LADDER. SHE DID IT, SHE DID IT, WE’RE ALL OFF THE HOOK!

SHE DID IT! YOU GOT IT! WE’RE ALL OFF THE HOOK!

(Hold for applause.)

(Track 21 ends.)

TRACK 22: MUSIC - CLUEDO CHARACTERS PLAY OFF

(Now that their innocence is proved, the Cluedo Characters jovially exit, along with the Street Chorus.)

(Track 22 ends.)

(Will Luck enters.)

WILL LUCK: You were right, Marney, you won. Well done; she did fall off the ladder. MARNEY: Just thinking outside the box, like you told me to (Punches the air) Awesome! ROBIN: (Patting Marney on the back) Well done Marney! Maybe you’re not as useless as I thought you were. MARNEY: Thanks Bro, l Iove you too!! ROBIN: So where does that leave us? WILL LUCK: You had to win that game, or it would have been all over there and then. You have won Vicky’s freedom though, and nobody’s ever done that before! And here she is!

(Vicky enters, runs to the boys and hugs them both.)

VICKY: So good to see you both. Well done Marney, you won my freedom. ROBIN: Yes he did, clever clogs! VICKY: So what happens now? Can we all go home? WILL LUCK: (Sighs) It’s not that simple. You’ll need to win the final battle: the game of kings and queens. ROBIN: Chess! My game, I believe!

TRACK 23: MUSIC - CHESS LAND

(The SFX and music continue over the following instructions and into the next scene. Everyone exits.)

(Blackout.)

(Marney gives the dice to Lady Fortune offstage. End of Scene Seven.)

(Backdrop change – Chess Land Dark. A rolling field of black and white squares between two crumbling castles. Needs to feel cold and barren.)

SCENE EIGHT: CHESS LAND

(The backdrop shows a rolling field between two Castles. To stage right is an ancient white castle. To stage left stands an equally aged black castle. In the distance are leafless trees and discarded stone chess pieces lying on their sides and crumbling away. The grass is parched and rather odd-looking since it falls into a chequered pattern of yellow and brown, like a chess board.)

(Chester and Curley enter. They are both opposing chess pieces, castles with arms and legs, if you like – each carrying a flag. Curley, a black castle, lies crunched up and sleeping at downstage left. By contrast, Chester, a white castle, is up and awake, going about his morning routine. Giving Chester a London accent, and Curley a Welsh accent works very well with this dialogue if you have obliging actors.)

(Track 23 ends.)

TRACK 24: SFX - COCKEREL CROW

(Lights up.)

(Track 24 ends.)

CHESTER: (Yawning at the audience) Morning all. (Looking over to stage left) Morning Castle. (Pause) Come on Curley, time you was up! Rise and shine! (Produces toi l e tr i e s from his pocket and pretends to wash etc.) (To the audience, with a nod to Curley) Bone idle.... All the same them on the other side - can’t get up in the morning! It’s a wonder we ever get a game started at all. Between you and me and the er… (looks around) ramparts, this game ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Up at the crack of dawn; do this, do that; King sits over there, surrounded by his merry men, shouting out his orders. And here’s the best bit.... Ha! We’re expected to win every time. And whose idea was that? I’ll tell you whose idea it was! I’ll tell you whose idea...

TRACK 25: SFX - CURLEY’S CREAKING DRAWBRIDGE

(Curley slowly arises and stands up. Curley, clearly, isn’t a morning castle. The old relic wearily waves a flag and reluctantly gets ready for the day ahead.)

(Track 25 ends.)

CHESTER: (Looking over to Curley) Oohh… At last, there is life in that crumbling ruin. Come on, wakey, wakey! We’ve got a home game on today. CURLEY: (Yawning and looking very tired) Give it a rest, Chester! Do you have to be so happy in the morning? CHESTER: A bit delicate, are we? Drawbridge a bit stiff, is it? (To the audience) Not a pleasant sight! CURLEY: What’s occurring, Chester? (Yawns again) CHESTER: Quite a bit actually. They won a game - Cluedo. CURLEY: Wow! So what happens now, then? CHESTER: It’s all hanging on the final game. The game of Kings and Queens. CURLEY: (Ag has t) Us, you mean? CHESTER: Well yes, we’re chess pieces, so that’s the general idea. CURLEY: Yes, but ever since Lady what’s-her-face got mean, the visitors never win. Wouldn’t it be nice if… well… you know... if.... er.... Lady.... er... you know… ‘her indoors’…. was to lose just once, like in the old days. CHESTER: Shhhh! You stupid, crumbling pile of bricks. Have you got a death wish or something? CURLEY: Well... we all know it’s a fix. She’s rigged it. When she gets her hands on those dice, crash bang wallop, game over, bring on the next lot. CHESTER: Ohh, look at the time! She’ll be here soon. Come on! Get to your place. Time for kick off. Just move your rubble, you old ruin.

TRACK 26: MUSIC - MARCHING INTO BATTLE

(Chester and Curley move to their allotted positions. Will Luck, Robin and Marney enter from one wing, then Lady Fortune from the other. Both sides ‘face off’ at downstage centre as two Chess Armies enter. The opposing armies, one black at stage left and one white at stage right, march into position and stand regimentally, waiting for orders.

(Track 26 ends.)

LADY FORTUNE: (Rubbing her hands together) So... we meet again. You have done well to reach this far. But alas, this is as far as you go. Why not join me now, and save yourself a lot of pain. You must know, I always win in the end! WILL LUCK: But Marney won in the Cluedo game. So maybe you shouldn’t be so confident. LADY FORTUNE: (Looking disdainfully at Will Luck) Look who we have here. Changed sides, have we? You’ll pay for this. I always win, one way or another! (Boos and hisses) ROBIN: (Wagging his finger at Lady Fortune) Don’t be so sure, I was Chess champion at my school. LADY FORTUNE: (Now looking a bit worried) We shall see, you young upstart. (Hands the dice to Robin) Prepare yourself for battle. WILL LUCK: (Aside to Robin) You ready for this, Robin? You need to win or we’re done for! And where’s Vicky? ROBIN: (Aside to Will) Don’t worry, Will; Lady Fortune is about to get a chess game she will never forget! ‘Outside the box’, you said. So outside the box it’s going to be! Vicky is part of my cunning plan! We’re the Gaming Generation after all! (To the audience) Aren’t we? WILL LUCK: Good luck!

(Will Luck exits.)

ROBIN: (Turning to Marney) You ready, Marney? MARNEY: I’ve got this!

TRACK 27: SFX - ROBIN ROLLS THE DICE

(In time with the ‘bang’ sound effect, Robin rolls the dice towards downstage centre. Marney picks up the dice and exits, giving them to Vicky offstage. One of the white Chess Pieces appears to be late. The Queen enters wearing a veil and creeps into position.)

(Track 27 ends.)

TRACK 28: THE CHESS BATTLE

(The Chess Battle is a dance sequence. Remember, A FREE animated storyboard of the movement can be viewed at www.musiclinedirect.com/chessbattle A brief description of the battle follows:)

(Directed in turn by Robin and Lady Fortune, the white and black pawns tentatively make small moves towards each other. Once both sets of pawns are within striking distance of each other, Robin thinks hard - his eyes closed, his finger on his temple. He suddenly glares at his white pawns and points at the black pawns. The white pawns simultaneously step closer to their enemy. Lady Fortune, perplexed by Robin’s move decides to copy him. Her black pawns move nose to nose with the whites. A chaotic fight ensues between the pawns. The battling pawns begin drifting offstage, leaving only the higher-ranking pieces onstage. Both sides close in on each other. Suddenly, the white queen removes her mask – revealing herself to be Vicky in disguise. In her hands are the seven-sided dice. She raises them above her head.)

ROBIN: Now, Vicky!

(In slow motion, Vicky throws the dice on the ground in front of her.)

LADY FORTUNE: Oh no!

(Backdrop change – Chess Land Bright. Same backdrop as previous but a light, colourful and happy version. Think a bright, early dawn.)

(The black pieces keel over. The white pieces cheer their victory.)

(All the pieces exit.)

(Track 28 ends.)

(The Police Sergeant enters once again and bowls up to Lady Fortune, truncheon- twirling faster than ever.)

SERGEANT: According to the rules - your rules madam, having lost the game it’s off to jail for you!

LADY FORTUNE: (Looking very upset and dishevelled) NO! NO! This can’t be! I have been cheated! (Pointing to Robin) You wretched boy! I’m not finished yet! There’s always …… Candy Cru-u-u-ush! I’LL BE BACK!!

(The Police Sergeant drags Lady Fortune offstage assisted by the White Chess Pieces. Lady Fortune glares at Will Luck as he enters to congratulate the Children. Marney enters, and he and Vicky run over to Robin.)

MARNEY: Nice one bro! You really kicked her butt! Classic! ROBIN: (Smiling) It was easy ….Bro! VICKY: We did it! We beat her! We are the champions! WILL LUCK: You kids are amazing! Just one more surprise, I think.

(Will Luck beckons to someone offstage to come and make himself known. That someone is Grandad. The Children rush to greet him as he enters.)

ALL: Grandad!

(Will Luck retrieves the dice from the ground and hands them to Grandad.)

WILL LUCK: I think these are yours, Sir. Keep them safe, away from mischievous hands. (Looking at Marney, who looks down at the floor) MARNEY: Ok – understood! GRANDAD: Well, here we all are back together again, actually talking to each other. Video games are great, but they’re not real. Life is so much better. There are problems sometimes, even danger, but it’s great fun! Inside your heads are the greatest computers ever, so use them! Ditch the plastic because living life is fantastic, in the Game of Life! And as for these, (Holds up the dice) I shall ensure that they are safely locked away so that nobody else encounters the powers of the magical, mystical SEVEN SIDED DICE!

TRACK 29: SONG – FINALE: SONG OF THE DICE.

(As the song begins, all the cast that are off stage join the characters on stage for the finale. During the 45 second musical intro, as they are taking their bows, encourage the audience to clap along to the beat. Lady Fortune’s grand entrance can be timed to coincide with her first spoken line in the song.)

ALL: ONE’S THE NUMBER ON ITS OWN, TWO’S THE NUMBER NOT ALONE, THREE’S THE NUMBER MAKES A CROWD, FOUR’S THE NUMBER, SHOUT IT LOUD, FIVE’S THE NUMBER, TWO TO GO, SIX THE NUMBER WE ALL KNOW.

LADY FORTUNE: (Spoken) Seven is the number of the seven-sided dice!

ALL: SEVEN IS THE NUMBER OF THE SEVEN-SIDED, SEVEN-SIDED DICE.

ONE’S THE NUMBER ON ITS OWN, TWO’S THE NUMBER NOT ALONE, THREE’S THE NUMBER MAKES A CROWD, FOUR’S THE NUMBER, SHOUT IT LOUD, FIVE’S THE NUMBER, TWO TO GO, SIX THE NUMBER WE ALL KNOW.

LADY FORTUNE: (Spoken) Seven is the number of the seven-sided dice!

ALL: SEVEN IS THE NUMBER OF THE SEVEN-SIDED, SEVEN-SIDED DICE.

SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE. SPIN THE DICE, THE GAME’S BEGUN. SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE: MAGIC NUMBERS EV’RY ONE.

(Hold for applause.)

(Track 29 ends.)

THE END.

PHOTOCOPIABLE LYRICS

Track 2: Video Game Generations

Chorus: Let the game begin, Keep them plugging in, To be introspective, Trapped in our collective,

Leading them along From the birth of Pong, To be bringing on video game generations.

Beep beep bop to the Beep beep bop, They can hardly stop.

When the 90s hit, We were 16-bit, Digital arcades Were 2D parades.

Kids at home would go For the Nintendo Or the Sega system, How we used to twist ‘em!

More than playthings in their machines, More than pixels across their screens, Through those windows, Ones and zeros Making heroes for video game generations.

Beep beep bop to the Beep beep bop, They can hardly stop.

Sonic and Mario, Lara and Liu Kang,

Loaded and good to go, Power in your hand.

Alex; Donkey Kong; Lemmings led along; Pacman overate So we can vegetate, Goin’ 8 hours straight; Those winnin’ generations Grow and grow and grow and grow.

Through those windows, ones and zeros Making heroes for video game generations.

More than playthings in their machines, More than pixels across their screens, Through those windows, ones and zeros Making heroes for Video game generations, video game generations, Video game generations, video game generations.

Track 6: Fortune’s March

(Will Luck, Fortune’s Entourage and Lady Fortune.)

Fortune’s Here we come now with drums all a-blazing, Entourage: Fortune’s servants all are we. Here we come now with games so amazing, So that joy we’ll surely bring, you see.

Throw the dice And it’s we who will serve you, Make your wishes all come true. We are servants of great Lady Fortune. Troubles fly when she comes round to you.

So stamp your feet and clap your hands And join our marching, Sing our song and join our ranks, two by two. Fortune’s here, sing don’t sigh, Send your troubles flying high, She is coming to you, coming to you, Fortune now is nigh!

(Instrumental)

Track 8: Song Of The Dice

(Lady Fortune, Dice Chorus and Dancers.) (As the song is sung by Lady Fortune’s Entourage/Chorus, the sides of the dice perform a dance sequence).

Dice Chorus: Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Spin the dice, the game’s begun. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one: Magic numbers every one.

One’s the number on its own, Two’s the number not alone, Three’s the number makes a crowd, Four’s the number, shout it loud, Five’s the number, two to go, Six the number we all know.

Lady Fortune: (Spoken) Seven is the number of the seven-sided dice!

Dice Chorus: Seven is the number of the seven-sided, Seven-sided dice.

One’s the number on its own, Two’s the number not alone, Three’s the number makes a crowd, Four’s the number, shout it loud, Five’s the number, two to go, Six the number we all know.

Lady Fortune: (Spoken) Seven is the number of the seven-sided dice!

Dice Chorus: Seven is the number of the seven-sided, Seven-sided dice. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Spin the dice, the game’s begun. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one: Magic numbers ev’ry one.

Track 11: Monopoly

Street Chorus: Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property.

When the prices have all soared, You can reap a rich reward. There you stand, cash in hand, ain’t it grand?

Monopoly! An empty office tower, Monopoly! Gets dearer every hour. Monopoly! Invest all you have got, Monopoly! In your own building plot.

Dividends grow year on year, Buying cheap and selling dear. There you stand, cash in hand, ain’t it grand?

You’re snapping up Trafalgar Square, A nice hotel on Mayfair. You’ll grab a buck from here and there, And splash the cash, anywhere. The price is right for Leicester Square, Let’s go compare!

Monopoly! Mingle with wealthy folk, Monopoly! And once you get ‘em broke, There you stand, cash in hand, ain’t it grand?

Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property.

When the prices have all soared, You can reap a rich reward. There you stand, cash in hand, ain’t it grand?

Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property. Monopoly! It’s all about property.

Monopoly! Monopoly! Monopoly’s the game for me. Yeah!

Track 13: Go To Jail

Street Chorus: Go to jail! No longer can you play, Go to jail! You must be locked away. Go to jail! You cannot go past go, Go to jail! You know we told you so. You have lost, so off to jail. Spent too much - an epic fail. Go to jail, go to jail, go to jail. (Shouted) Go to jail!!

Track 15: Getting Back In The Game

Vicky: Winning is something you chase around, Never knowing when to quit. Losing a good thing can break you down When your hopes are pinned on it.

Prisoners: Lady Luck can be strange, Making a chance to change. When will you be willing?

Vicky: All the heart aching this world can make Doesn’t help your confidence. Fighting with fate, how long will it take To be through with making sense?

Prisoners: Lady Luck can be strange, Making a chance to change. Then you begin Getting back in the game.

All Prisoners: The saying is true: ‘You are what you do’, You fail, learn from the tale.

Go on and succeed In ways that you need, Don’t bail, keep on the trail.

Martha: ‘Cause when the game feels like it’s over, Surely there’s someone rooting for ya. Your opportunity’s Coming up to be seized.

All: Lady Luck can be strange, Making a chance to change. Then you begin Getting back in the game.

Then you begin Getting back in the game.

Track 17: Engineers And Stationmasters

(Stationmasters, Engineers and Street Chorus.)

Stationmasters: Of British trains we proudly sing, Of British trains upon the wing, Of long delays we are forecasters, Here always, your stationmasters. . (Instrumental break)

Never slower than a snail, Being on time, our holy grail. (Shouted) Oh no!! Not another epic fail! (Instrumental break)

(Engineers march in over instrumental break.)

Engineers: Please don’t berate with eyes of hate If sometimes we are running late, Our service might be going fine Before a leaf falls on the line, But one repair will get you there, So don’t despair. (Instrumental break)

Engineers and We’re back on track, we’re moving fast, Stationmasters: We’ll reach our target there at last. We save each day, avert disasters, Engineers and stationmasters.

Street Chorus: Of British trains they proudly sing, Of British trains upon the wing, They save each day, avert disasters, Engineers and stationmasters.

All: Engineers and stationmasters!

Track 21: Whodunit?

Street Chorus: Whodunit? Whodunit? It’s all a to-do! Whodunit? Whodunit? We might have a clue! Whodunit? Whodunit And saw it all through? Whodunit? Whodunit? It could have been you!

Miss Scarlett: (Spoken) It might have been the Reverend Green, With the candlestick, I saw him in the dining room And he was looking sick.

Rev. Green: (Spoken) I think Mrs Peacock knows How the deed was done. She had the opportunity And she has got the gun!

Street Chorus: Whodunit? Whodunit? It’s all a to-do! Whodunit? Whodunit? We might have a clue! Whodunit? Whodunit And saw it all through? Whodunit? Whodunit? It could have been you!

Prof. Plum: (Spoken) It could be the conservatory That really was the scene, Dr Orchid with the dagger Was how it might have been.

Dr Orchid: (Spoken) Professor Plum, he's not so dumb, He used a baseball bat

In the kitchen, then he swung, Just before a splat!

Street Chorus: Whodunit? Whodunit? It’s all a to-do! Whodunit? Whodunit? We might have a clue! Whodunit? Whodunit And saw it all through? Whodunit? Whodunit? It could have been you!

Col. Mustard: (Spoken) But look who’s got the piece of rope! Scarlett is her name. I once saw a villain, And she looks just the same!

Mrs Peacock: (Spoken) It must have been that Mustard man, He must have had a go! He must have used the leaded pipe To strike the fatal blow.

Street Chorus: Whodunit? Whodunit? It’s all a to-do! Whodunit? Whodunit? We might have a clue! Whodunit? Whodunit And saw it all through? Whodunit? Whodunit? It could have been you!

Marney: (Spoken) I’ve worked it out, it's very clear, The evidence as well. Whilst climbing up the ladder, The poor old lady fell. She banged her head while falling, The mystery is solved.

It's only fair that I declare That you are all absolved!

(The Cook, Mrs White, suddenly sits up.)

Mrs White: He's got it, I did it, I fell off the ladder. I did it, I did it, I reached for a book. He's got it, I did it, I fell off the ladder. I did it, I did it, you’re all off the hook!

All: She did it, she did it, She fell off the ladder. She did it, she did it, She reached for a book. She did it, she did it, She fell off the ladder. She did it, she did it, We’re all off the hook!

She did it! You got it! We’re all off the hook!

Track 29: Finale: Song Of The Dice.

All: One’s the number on its own, Two’s the number not alone, Three’s the number makes a crowd, Four’s the number, shout it loud, Five’s the number, two to go, Six the number we all know.

Lady Fortune: (Spoken) Seven is the number of the seven-sided dice!

All: Seven is the number of the seven-sided, Seven-sided dice.

One’s the number on its own, Two’s the number not alone, Three’s the number makes a crowd, Four’s the number, shout it loud, Five’s the number, two to go, Six the number we all know.

Lady Fortune: (Spoken) Seven is the number of the seven-sided dice!

All: Seven is the number of the seven-sided, Seven-sided dice.

Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Spin the dice, the game’s begun. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one: Magic numbers ev’ry one.

PERFORMING AND COPYING LICENCES FOR Let The Games Begin

If you decide to perform and/or copy the script, score or CD(s) of Let The Games Begin, you must apply for performing and/or copying licences from the publisher, Musicline Publications. These licences cover the royalties due to the composers, writers and publishers of the work and protect you and your school or youth theatre group from any infringement of performing/copying right. N.B. The Performing Rights Society (P.R.S.) Licence, which is currently held by almost all U.K. Schools does NOT cover you for the performing of Musicals. For further details please refer to the Performing Rights Society website: www.cefm.co.uk Prices of licences can be found on our website: www.musiclinedirect.com We now offer a sliding scale of performance/copying licence charges if your school has fewer than 200 pupils on roll: the smaller your school, the less you pay. Please indicate below the number of children on roll. If you wish to stage Let The Games Begin please copy this form and fax or post it COMPLETED to: Musicline Publications, P.O. Box 15632, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 2DP Tel: 01827 281431 Fax: 01827 284214 E mail: [email protected] APPLICATION FOR LICENCE TO MUSICLINE PUBLICATIONS We wish to stage Let The Games Begin at: Name of school, centre or theatre ...... Dates of production ...... Total number of performances ...... Name of producer/organiser ...... Name and Address of school or theatre group (or address where invoice should be sent) ...... Post Code ...... Number of children on roll ...... E-mail ...... Daytime telephone number ...... Performing Licence required? YES □ NO □ Please tick as appropriate Copying Licence required? YES □ NO □ Please tick as appropriate If you purchase Performing and Copying Licences at the same time we will give you a Video Licence FREE of Charge. Our Video Licence entitles you to film your production and to make an unlimited number of copies for gift or sale. Please copy this complete form and fax it to 01827 284 214 or send it to the address above.