Act I. Old Man Little boy. Come over here. I will show you something wonderful.

Transcription

1 10 James and the Giant Peach Old Man Little boy. Come over here. I will show you something wonderful. James looks up. He is frightened Don't be afraid, my dear. Come. James looks round, but doesn't move. After a pause, the Old Man shuff!:!:s ttiwiiiift him, then pultsfrom Ills pocket a whlie paper bag See this, my dear? Do you know what's inside this little bag? (He holds it to - _.. James looks. Music suggests danger, uncertainty. The bag begins to glow anasparkle with gre"iii7iimmoszty Tiny green things. See them sparkle! Listen to them moving, stirring. Thousands of them. There's more magic, more power in them than in all the rest of the world put together. James (fascinated) But... what are they? Old Man Guess! James shakes his head, unable to guess. The Old Man jumps back and waves his stick in the air Crocodile tongues! One thousand long slimy crocodile tongues boiled up in the skull of a dead witch for twenty days and nights with the eyeballs of a lizard! Add the fingers of a monkey, the gizzard of a pig, the beak of a young parrot, the juice of a porcupine, and three spoonfuls of sugar. Stew for another week, and then let the moon do the rest! James Wow! Old Man They're for you! (He - quickly hands the hag tq James) -- Jame:_::lmost drops it in surp James Ah! Old Man Listen! (He speaks or sings a rhyme) Marvellous things Marvellous things. Put them in water Just before bed, Add ten hairs From the top of your head. That gets them going Act I They'll bubble and froth, Then drink down the lot Trying hard not to cough. Marvellous things, Marvellous things. While you are sleeping They'll do their thing. When you wake You'll feel grand as a king. Marvellous things will Dissolve all the pain, And never will you Be unhappy again. Marvellous, magical things, What marvellous things they can do! These marvellous, magical things Can make marvellous things Happen to you! James Thank you. Old Man Off you go, my dear. And not a word, not a whisper of this to those horrible al!!lts of yours. Now's the time. Hurry! James starts to go AndJames! James turns Look after those marvellous things.lf they escape, they' II be working their magic on somebody else! Whoever they meet first, Be it bug, insect, animal or tree, The magic power will work on them Whoever they may be! Now go! Good fortune be yours! The Old Man disappears in a puff of smoke An-owl hoots. James, carefully clutching the bag, turns to go 11 'J \.

2 20 James and the Giant Peach (grinning happily) I am a pest! Ladybird He's so proud of that. Heaven knows why. I am the only pest in this peach! Unless you count Old-Green Grasshopper over there. But he's long past proper pest status. Old-Green-Grasshopper (witheringly) Young fellow. I have never been a pest. I am a musician. Ladybird Hear, hear! Old-Green-Grasshopper gives a quick virtuoso flourish on his violin. James and the others applaud Miss Spider Lovely tone! Lovely phrasing! (She sighs) My legs won't stretch to musical virtuosity! Old-Green-Grasshopper But they spin the finest thread, dear lady. She makes our beds, James. Silky soft! Luxuriously comfy! Miss Spider Too kind! Too kind! Listen, James, in all honesty, have you ever in your life seen such a marvellously colossal centipede as yours truly? James Never ever! How on earth did you get to be like that? Very peculiar! Very, very peculiar indeed! I was messing about under the old peach tree when suddenly a funny little green thing came wrigglingpastmynose.brightgreenitwas,andextraordinarilybeautiful... James Oh, but I know what that was! Ladybird It happened to me too! Miss Spider And me! Suddenly there were little green things everywhere! The soil was full of them! Earthworm (proudly) I actually swallowed one! Ladybird So did I! I swallowed three! And now look at the size of me! Just like magic! James It is magic. "Marvellous things" magic! Old-Green-Grasshopper Listen, my friends. It's time. Time we were off., do your stuff if you please. On my way! (He climbs up the staircase and disappear;vfrom-- view) Old-Green-Grasshopper Get ready, everyone. The moment has come! James (disappointed) Are you leaving? Old-Green-Grasshopper Yes, James. We'regoingonagreatjourney! And you're coming with us! James Really? Ladybird We are about to depart from the top of this ghastly hill that we've all been living on for so long. except Earthworm cheer Act I \ve are about to roll away inside this great big beautiful peach to a land of... of... Old-Green-Grassopper... music! MisS Spider... adventures! pops his head back down... fun! (He disappears again) Earthworm... danger, trouble, misery! Ladybird Nonsense, Earthworm. To a land of... beauty, joy, happiness! except Earthworm cheer Miss Spider (to James) And you, James, are about to escape from your two repulsive aunts. Old-Green-Grasshopper As we speak, brave is on top of this mighty peach. - P.Jd Green-Grasshopper starts to play his violin., up above, bursts into rhyme or song. As the song progresses, he continues to gnaw away the stem AU We may see a Creature with forty-nine heads Who lives in the desolate snow, And whenever he catches a cold (which he dreads) He has forty-nine noses to blow! Miss Spider We may see the venomous Pink-Spotted Scrunch Who can chew up a man with one bite. \;-:, It likes to eat five of them roasted for lunch And eighteen for its supper at night! 21

3 22 James and the Giant Peach Old-Green-Grasshopper We may see a Dragon, and nobody knows That we won't see a Unicorn there. We may see a terrible monster with toes AU Growing out of the tufts of his hair! Ladybird A Gnu and Gnocerous surely we'll see And that gnormous and gnorrible Gnat Whose sting when it stings you goes in at the knee And comes out through the top of your hat! Earthworm (in minor key) We may even get lost and be frozen by frost. We may die in an earthquake or tremor. Or nastier still we may even be tossed On the horns of a furious Dilemma! James But who cares! Let us go from this horrible hill! Let us roll! Let us bowl! Let us plunge! Let's go rolling and bowling and spinning until We're away from old Spiker and Sponge! But who cares! Let us go from this horribl hill! J Let us roll! Let us bowl! Let us plunge! Let's go rolling and bowling and spinning unti We're away from old Spiker and Sponge! (triumphantly) I've done it! Chocks away! ( disappeara dow'j..!!_nd reappears inside thepeach) ) Act I Aunt Sponge (shouting) James! Where are you? Aunt Spiker Maybe he's fallen and broken his leg! Aunt Sponge Or his neck, with a bit of luck! They cackle cruelly -Aunt Spiker (suddenly) Sponge! Look! Coming towards us! _A rr--1 k, A.unt Sponge The peach! Aaaah! 'f) cf\)u"' 0,_ 11 Cl L Aunt Spiker Run! Run!... - o o'l _...-"'. \P they start nth s the wings as though fleeing from the rouing peach trobe or-mila1 Li-ghtiug Ihen they run backwards peach to give thefijlusion it is gaining ground on the, The Aunts disappear behind the peach Aunt Sponge j (together) Aaaaaaaaaah! Aunt Spiker- '(..' A crunching sound unpnant fflu t(; U JUffU;.J "-"'"-' <- J' VHO v _I - ) J U.,..,..1,/,..,.z,,.,.,., un 23 ><,... each carrying two.,..._ Hopefully the audience IWstill rolling Ladybird We're off! Old-Green-Grasshopper Hold on tight! Miss Spider Peach roll! Earthworm Help! Cheers and whoops of excitement Music continues as the focus changes. Lighting reveals the Aunts as they 7 enter,tflhreatenmgly James The peach broke out of the garden and over the edge of the hill, rolling and bouncing down the steep slope at a terrific pace. Faster and faster, r. flattening fences and hedges, scattering sheep. Through villages, over bridges, down, down, down. People screamed, animals stampeded. The giant peach was unstoppable! It hurtled towards the towering white cliffs... a hundred yards... fifty, ten, five... it reached the edge! Still rolling, hanging suspended! Then... it began to fall... '\ J \. Black-out as a whistling sound of descent rends the air. It builds and,!uilds..-n, an almighty splash f:\ <; r-=---- Jj. l1

4 ACT IT As the House Lights go down we hear the voice of James, a reprise of Act I James (off) The giant peach was unstoppable! It hurtled towards the towering white cliffs... a hundred yards... fifty, ten, five... it reached the edge! Still rolling, hanging suspended! Then... it began to fall...! A whistling sound of descent rends the air. It builds and builds... Then, an almighty splash. Lj_ghts up on the inside oft he peach. The furniture is all OVf!r the place; chairs ovenurned, sofa upended, pictures on the wall ask The Insects disentangle tbemselvesfrom the furniture and from each other, groaning and shaken.::-- Earthworm Some great journey! Ladybird I feared it would never end! Come on, Miss Spider, shake a leg, or should I say legs? Miss Spider (up righting her spinning wheel) Where' s James?I last saw him on the ceiling. James! Jamlj!. emerg_es from u'!!!_er a chair I James Here! Wow, it was like going round in a washing machine! Not that I've ever gone round in a washing machine... My leg hurts. James Which one? Number fifty-eight, I think. Earthworm You've only got forty-two! Old-Green-Grasshopper Hush, Earthworm! My dear friends, let's look on the bright side. We are there! Pause Ladybird Where? Miss Spider Yes, where? Where is there?. Old-Green;-Grasshopper I er... I don't know. But I'll bet it's somewhere good. Act II 25 Earthworm We're probably at the bottom of a coal mine. We went down and down and down. Miss Spider Yes, yes, we know. Earthworm I felt it in my stomach. Then a sudden bump. Ladybird (feeling queasy) Yes, yes, Earthworm, don't remind us! Earthworm I thought I was going to be sick. Shut up, Earthworm! Old-Green-Grasshopper (changing the subject) Perhaps we are in a country full of songs and music. James Or near the seashore! With lots of children on the sand for me to play with. Ladybird Pardon me, I'm still a trifle queasy, but am I wrong in thinking we appear to be er... bobbing? AU Bobbing? Ladybird Up and down. AU Up and down? They concentrate ld n l'f (suddenly) Come on, James, everyone! Ups. Music as leads everyone,j.rh'jdzkwy on to of the peach. Pedtaps the peach revolves as they go, revealing the outside. 1\'"l 0'' Before they arrive up above, the Lighting brightens to reveal a bright blue sky. And, below, is rippling the sea this could be n. e soun of the sea and seagull cries Se!eralSeagulls enter us of the peach (perhaps puppets on rods carried by children) - As they arrive, James and the Insects are awestruck by what they se, HellS btii!. }y'{'\./l;, James We're in the middle of the sea! Ladybird Amazing! Old-Green-Grasshopper Incredible! Miss Spider Flabbergasting! Earthworm Terrible! The Seagulls exit_ - What do you mean, terrible? Earthworm I can't swim.

5 34 James and the Giant Peach Captain No, no. Not do you know Number Two, do you know, Number Two? Number Two Do I know what, sir? Captain What it is! Number Two Not a clue, sir. Captain I don't like it. Do you like it, Number One? Number One No, sir. Captain Do you agree with Number One, Number Two? Number Two I do, sir. Number One It could be dangerous. Captain That's it! lt'sasecretweapon! SendamessagetotheQueenatonce! Where's my telescope? Number One Will she know, sir? Captain Will she know what? Number One The whereabouts of your telescope. I very much doubt it. I have it here! (He hands it to the Captain) Captain No, no, no! The country must be warned! (He raises the telescope to his eye) Holy cats! There's birds everywhere! The whole sky is teeming with birds! And... wait a second... therearepeopleon it! I can see them moving. Yes, I can distinctly see a little boy in short trousers up there!,,number One and Number Two look at each other And there's a... a... a... a sort of giant ladybird! Number One Now just a minute, Captain. Number Two Are you feeling quite yourself, sir? Captain And a colossal green grasshopper! Number One Captain! Captain, please! Captain And a mammoth spider! Number Two Don't you think you'd best have a lie down, Captain? Captain And an enormous, a simply enormous, centipede! (By now he is a nervous wreck. Screeching) What do you think, Number One? Number One I think sir's been at the whisky again. Captain What do you think, Number Two? Number Two I think sir should see the ship's doctor. Quick! Captain Aaaaaaaah! Number One an:!; Nurnb.fl:..JJ.vo p_c:.!f}!/l...tain and carry him off screaming Th.e puppet peach exits as Old-Green-Grasshopper returns (o narrate N:tll II t where. Ladybird, Miss Spider, and I had a well-deserved rest, while James and Earthworm recalled the excitement ofqperation Seagull! Lights up on the top of the pea.c, perhaps against a sky with clouds passing across. The sea is no longer visible below.. Threa_ds from the stem stretch up and out of sight. James and Earthworm sit talkmg,...es You know, Earthworm, you're quite a hero. Jal,'thworm Oh? Well, yes, I suppose I am! j8jdes You saved the peach. You saved us....worm Well, yes, I suppose I did! We're all very proud of you. J!rtbworm Well, yes, I suppose you are! (With an effort) Thank you, James. "'tt was your idea! I wasn't keen at first, it's true.... James But you bravely stuck your neck out... Earthworm A little more than my neck, actually! And you didn't get eaten! l'thworm Thanks to you. And er... talking of eating, do you realize we bad a thing to eat since yesterday? Aren't you hungry? Starving. We should have brought a picnic. lthworm I can feel myself shrivelling, I'm so empty. Wait a minute! I must be blind! inthworm No, James, I'm the one who's blind. Yes, but can't you see... lbworm How can I see if I'm blind? Can't you realize... we do have food. Enough to last us for weeks weeks! rlaworm Where? Here! Everywhere. The peach! rorm We can't eat the peach. It's our home! Not all of it. A few bites and scoops won't matter. As usual, James was right! Soon we were all into the finest meal we had ever tasted. Dee-licious! Glorious! Scrumptious! aaworm Nectar! What a flavour! And I should know! 35

6 36 James and the Giant Peach bursts into rhyme or song, accompanied by Old-Green Grasshopper I've eaten many strange and scrumptious dishes in my time, Like jellied gnats and dandyprats and earwigs cooked in slime, And mice with rice-they're really nice When roasted in their prime. I often eat boiled slobbages. They're grand when served beside Minced doodlebugs and curried slugs. And have you ever tried Mosquitoes' toes and wampfish roes Most delicately fried? The only trouble is they disagree with my inside! The only trouble is they disagree with his inside! For dinner on my birthday shall I tell you what I chose: Hot noodles made from poodles on a slice of garden hose And a rather smelly jelly Made of armadillo's toes. Now comes the most important point, the burden of my speech: These foods are rare beyond compare-some are right out of reach; But there's no doubt I'd go without But there's no doubt we'd go without -- II cheer and applaud. happily bows, then steps back to receive his applause :---- Suddenly topples and falls behind the peach, t.-n A ghastly silence. James rushes to look. A faint spla is heard. " ' Ladybird Aaaaaah! ()Ill-Green-Grasshopper Heavens! overboard! :Earthworm He'll drown! Miss Spider Save him! Save him! Ladybird Just when we were all so happy! Old-Green-Grasshopper James! What's to do? 0 f'llgo! Jiunes Miss Spider! Spin me a lifeline! (He shouts) I'm coming, Centiped James dives or jumps from the peach, disappearing beind it w)j Ladybird Aaaaaaaah! \;1- '!j)l) {]' / Old-Green-Grasshopper Hurry, Miss Spider. H 37 / j\fj "'L..., /. activity as Miss Spider hurries be[pw:' Old-Green-Grasshopper./ over the back as the Lights fade. tc as the scene quickly changes ) to "under the sea". erhaps a cl ies in. ft/:!ver-sea Lighting effects. ) Perhaps UV. The action ta es place in mimed s ow motion.- -- """" --- enters, out of control as though buffeted by the current. He looks wildly around Perhaps small Fishes (children in costume or carrying puppets-in UV this could be very effective) swim past. They meet, do a quick shy away from him and exit lames enters, swimming strongly. He peers through the depths,lookingfor The audience may shout directions. James sees and swims towards him. He reaches him and manages to grab him But suddenly a giant Octopus enters menacingly ''"'-, ) It sees James and and its tentacles lash out, parting them. James.-c: and the Octopus fi.g_lzt. James is almost crushed, but struggles free. He aims ) :blo_w etween the 0 's eyes, which causes it to falter. James goes back< f '.,R:enttvedP and n:ge yo drag him past the Octopus _) /.._/ -- "'"',,/ J

7 36 James and the Giant Peach bursts into rhyme or song, accompanied by Old-Green Grasshopper I've eaten many strange and scrumptious dishes in my time, Like jellied gnats and dandyprats and earwigs cooked in slime, And mice with rice-they're really nice When roasted in their prime. I often eat boiled slobbages. They're grand when served beside Minced doodlebugs and curried slugs. And have you ever tried Mosquitoes' toes and wampfish roes Most delicately fried? The only trouble is they disagree with my inside! The only trouble is they disagree with his inside! For dinner on my birthday shall I tell you what I chose: Hot noodles made from poodles on a slice of garden hose And a rather smelly jelly Made of armadillo's toes. Now comes the most important point, the burden of my speech: These foods are rare beyond compare-some are right out of reach; But there's no doubt I'd go without But there's no doubt we'd go without cheer and applaud. happily bows, then steps back to receive his applause Suddenly topples and falls behind the peach c II Aetil r A ghastly silence. James rushes to look. A faint splf!:.h is heard.._, J,.adybird Aaaaaah! Old-Green-Grasshopper Heavens! overboard! EartiJworm He'll drown! Miss Spider Save him! Save him! Ladybird Just when we were all so happy! Old-Green-Grasshopper James! What's to do? of'llgo! James Miss Spider! Spin me a lifeline! (He shouts) I'm coming, Centiped James dives or jumps from the peach, disappearing beiflli: it Ladybird Aaaaaaaah! Old-Green-Grasshopper Hurry, Miss Spider. H 37 )J \;1- l) (}' / / j\fi Z.. / I activity as Miss Spider hurries betp 11:' Old-Green-Grasshopper., over the back as the Lights fade. zc as the scene quickly changes ) to "under the sea". erhaps a cl iesin. ftj!ver-sea Lighting effects. ) Perhaps UV. The action ta es place in mimed s ow motion enters, out of control as though buffeted by the current. He looks wildly around Perhaps small Fishes (children in costume or carrying puppets-in UV this could be very effective) swim past. They meet, do a quick shy away from him and exit lames enters, swimming strongly. He peers through the depths,lookingfor The audience may shout directions. James sees and swims towards him. He reaches him and manages to grab him \... But suddenly a giant Octopus enters menacingly --.. \ ) It sees James and and its tentacles lash out, parting them. James_.(_/ and the Octopus figbt. James is almost crushed, but struggles free. He aims ) :blo_wetween the Ous 's eyes, which causes it to falter. James goes back< f,_eentzvedp and manag to drag him past the Octopus _) /.. /''./.../ j