a new musical by Ted Egan

Transcription

1 a new musical by Ted Egan Act One Australia Present Time The Convict Stain Male & female soloists Act Two England 1785 For the terms of their natural lives The Lord Chief Justice Jim Jones A bunch of damned whores The scum of the earth I don t even know Interval Act Three Australia 1790 Welcome to Australia Flogger (Children s song) Bessy Bossy Boots (Children s song) If ever No Plus Ultra Lord & Lady Trilby + choir Lord Chief Justice + choir Lord Chief Justice Four female convicts Four male convicts Jamie (boy, 10yr) + Millie (girl 10yr) + choir Flogger, The Avenger & Bessie Jamie + choir boys Millie + choir girls Children s choir Flogger Act Four Australia Present Time Think of me Balls and Chains Best singers + choir Best singers + choir 1

2 Cast of Characters THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE LORD & LADY TRILBY JIM JONES JURY SCUM OF THE EARTH WHORES JAMIE MILLIE CHILDREN S CHOIR FLATTUM CYRUS FLYNN (AKA FLOGGER ) GARFIELD ALGERNON (AKA THE AVENGER ) ELIZABETH BOOTS (AKA BESSIE BOSSY BOOTS Privileged from birth Born to rule Tough villain Six men & six women who double up as choir for Lord Chief Justice, Lord & Lady Trilby and, indeed, all choir situations Four hard men - Michael Reidy, Solomon Abraham, Dominic Harvey & Martin Cosgrove Four tough women Molly Brown, Morag McDonald, Brigid O Rourke & Megan Rhys 10 year old boy 10 year old girl 8 children 4 girls & 4 boys The Commandant a psychopath The Chaplain a skirt lifter The Matron Nurse Ratchett I am envisaging this performance at Humph Hall. The songs create a sequence of events (1) committed to trial in England (2) in a prison camp in Australia and (4) the final set, where the imprisonment is over and they contemplate a hopeful future. The big problem is to create (3) the manner in which it all ended. What took place? We know from history that the convict trade was discontinued following protests from free settlers in Australia and concerned, powerful people in England. I haven t the faintest idea how to portray this. I am open to suggestion. I like the way in which there is absolutely no dialogue any more and would like to retain that. Perhaps banners, a protest march???? Help. Maybe Flogger, Avenger and Bessie are walked through, handcuffed, with signs BOO HISS APPLAUSE. 2

3 Act One Present Day Australia This scene should be performed in front of a curtain or divider. THE CONVICT STAIN I suggest that this be performed by at least two (probably better four) good singers wearing present day street. If they can, establish a simple but effective (comical) dance routine to deliver as they sing the chorus. Act Two 1785 England Scene One The palatial drawing room of the home of Lord and Lady Trilby. Guests are in top fashion costumes, wigs etc. They stand around chatting as two waiters serve flutes of champagne and cucumber sandwiches (over to you Gial!). Two children walk by holding banners FEED THE POOR WE ARE HUNGRY SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN. Derisive looks from guests. Lord and Lady Trilby arrive to applause. The children are chased away and Lord and Lady Trilby sing the song. FOR THE TERMS OF THEIR NATURAL LIVES Lord & Lady Trilby sing with guests joining the chorus. Scene Two Court room. Only prop required is a bench for the Chief Justice who sits. The guests from Scene One are now the Jury sitting at the side. THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE JIM JONES FROM BOTANY BAY The Chief Justice sings his song and we accept that he is a jolly old buffoon. Jury can do a sitting down dance to the chorus (bobbin up and down like this). If judge is capable, he can do a whirling dervish dance on the last chorus. Now we see the judge in his true colours. Jim Jones, the prisoner in chains, is dragged before the court. The Chief Justice is a snarling brute as he sings the songs to an appreciative audience. Jim Jones sings his part aggressively to the jury s contempt. (Listen to the song on the Convicts album. The beat can be set up by a single boom boom boom on a drum. As the song ends, the jury and the Chief Justice exchange a thumbs down. A BUNCH OF DAMNED WHORES (PART 1) Whores dressed in rough clothes. I suggest that each of the whores sings only the first section of their respective verses in front of a sneering judge and jury. Again Thumbs Down. 3

4 SCUM OF THE EARTH I DON T EVEN KNOW Ditto. Eight to ten children are chained together, wearing rag shirts with arrows branded on them. Disdainful judge and jury allow the children to sing the song then it s again Thumbs Down. Act Three 1790 Australia Sign WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA. Flogger, Avenger and Bessie are welcoming the new governor and his wife. A whore is scrubbing the floor. A Scummer is breaking rocks with a sledge hammer. WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA A BUNCH OF DAMNED WHORES (PART 2) THE SCUM OF THE EARTH (REPRISE) FLOGGER BESSIE IF EVER NE PLUS ULTRA The Flogger, Avenger and Bessie each sing their verse (to the same tune as The Convict Stain ). The Governor and wife look suitably unimpressed. The three sing the chorus together. The four principal whores are mopping together. Each sings the second part of her piece of the song. The singer uses her mop handle as a spear, counting her beats, the others keep mopping. On the chorus they hold their mops like flags. The Scum of the Earth can either sing the chorus of their song again or I can write them a new verse each. Suggest they are all breaking stones or similar, thereby setting up their own beat with the swing of the hammers. The children are obviously free of supervision as they sing the Flogger and Bessie songs, to their own great satisfaction. But they are still linked together by light chains. Then they drop their chains and combine to sing If Ever Optional. It s a very hard song to sing, but I love it as a song. Depends how good a singer Flogger is? [WR: Ian only option] The end of the convict era. How to present this??????????????????? Supra. May 16, 2015 I think I have means to wind up the whole story. Just one new scene, one new song. Will develop the idea first and then share it with you and the Humphers and Humphettes Are all of the above songs sung in the same scene? 4

5 Act Four Present Day Australia Scene????? THINK OF ME BALLS & CHAINS Whores and Scum have now become pairs and the children are happy, well-clothed and fed. Best singers present verses and all others join choruses to tumultuous applause. 5