Tuesday 16 October 2012

Oh No I Didn't!

Oooooooooh yes I did!

IT'S BEHIND YOU!!!

Only joking - it's sitting on the desk next to me, glaring balefully at the biscuit crumbs that are encroaching a little too close to its edges.

And yes, I'm talking about a pantomime.

Every year, my school puts on an inter-house drama competition. I've acted in most of them on behalf of my boarding house - last year being my last, which ended with me dressing up as a tramp, brandishing an empty bottle of whisky, and banging on the stage door loudly enough to send the audience into hysterics for a full five minutes.

This year, however, after moving into the boarding house reserved specifically for those in their final year of school, I was left at a loose end. We don't compete against the mixed-age houses for house drama, and after failing to gain a part in the school musical (which didn't surprise me, really as I couldn't be a sexy nightclub dancer if I tried) I was faced with the terrible prospect of being play-less this year.

Until someone came up with the clever idea of filling the boring interim, when the judge goes off to make their final decision on the competition winner, with a pantomime.

Guess who got to write it?

I've never written any sort of script before in my entire life, so we decided to buy a script off the internet to give me something to work on. Unfortunately, that script turned out to be entirely useless, and I ended up writing it from scratch myself. Sure, it only had to be ten minutes long, but . . . do you have any idea how hard it is to squash two rhyming narrators, innumerable jokes, and a musical number into ten minutes?

With some help from my co-directors, I managed it though. The script is now complete and sent off to the cast - which we organised last night - and we're going to spend this next week running around trying to organise rehearsal times. Luckily, most of the talking - or rather, rhyming, as I decided to write all the two narrators' lines in rhyming couplets (I'm still asking myself why I did that) - will be half done by me, who has spent so long staring at the script that I probably know most of the lines already. My "other half" is just as enthused as I am, so at least we have that covered.

Costumes, staging, lighting, background music, and writing the actual musical number, we have yet to cover.

We perform on Friday.

Wish us luck!

~ Charley R

28 comments:

  1. That must be so. much. fun. Tricky, but fun. I (introverted me) love acting. Adore it. I know. Go figure. :)

    Good luck with your script writing! Knowing you, I'm certain it will be absolutely hilarious. :)

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    1. Ehehehe, everyone who's read it says it was funny, and we had our first rehearsal today . . . . i think it went well :)

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  2. Wow!! Sounds like a performance not to be missed. And script writing! Way to go. The very thought of doing something OTHER then a novel intimidates me. I hope it's a roaring (as in the crowd...with laughter...) success.

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    1. Haha, I hope so too! Thank you both very much for the good wishes!

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  3. Very neat!!! I wrote a script for a play once that needed an extra scene. Turns out I am the only creative writer among my long list of in-person friends at the moment (in that certain group, I ought to clarify). It was fun though! Glad the rehearsal went well and wishing best luck to you all. Sounds like you had fun banging around *was it last year you said?*. I simply adore funny plays...

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  4. Heh heh, likewise, I'm the only writer that I know of in my year group at school *sigh* Have coaxed a friend into NaNo nevertheless, heh heh!

    Ehehehe, oh thank you! I think we'll have a blast - I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes!

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  5. Ohhhh. Well I know they picked the right person and I suspect it will be the smash hit and people will woner WHY you guys didn't win the award...

    Oh to have been able to be a part of Dramma club, still I have found memories of runing around overnight camp, with a brown towel on my back, playing the part of ToTo in an umpromptu Wizard of Oz 'play'.

    Good luck - but most importantly - HAVE FUN! (but I suspect you have that part down) *huggles to you and your fellows in action*

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    1. Aheehee, thank you! I'm hoping it'll be entertaining :D

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  6. You're amazing, Chuck. I could never do that. Well... yes I could. But it wouldn't be half as awesome. ...Yes it would. Shut up, conceited me. No. Yes. You shut up. I said it first. Did you? I did. Interesting, 'cause I thought I did. Just shut it, CB. What did you call me? CB-- conceit-boy. CB? Yes, CB! I'll kill you for that! Go ahead! *kills* *dies* I am trium-- *winks out of existence*

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    1. Liam . . . where be you? Oh no . . . DEATH! I NEED TO USE YOUR BACK DOOR AGAIN!

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    2. *takes the part of Death for the purpose of a conversation*
      Again? You didn't wipe your feet last time and you left it unlocked. What have I told you, Charley? Don't answer that. I have half a mind to just kill you now. You aren't using my door.

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    3. Yes I am, my friend. You remember what happened LAST TIME you killed me? *meaningful look* Remember the penguins . . .

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    4. I did not kill you! I took your life! And those penguins had no business carrying bazookas!

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    5. I told you, they WEREN'T bazookas either! They're pocket rocket launchers!

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    6. Riiiight. And the carnivorous weeds were what, your attempt at fresh salad? Face it, Chuck, you're depending on me and I'm tired of being depended on. Stab yourself with a knife, and yes, I'm dependable-- I'll cart you off to the Underworld without a second thought. Stab someone else with a knife and feel guilty, well, that's your problem.

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    7. Fine. You can keep him then.
      You'll regret not letting me retrieve him, trust me.

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    8. Will I? Will I? How could you possib--

      Oh. Oh... I didn't know mortals could fight their way out of the underworld, but he's doing a pretty good job, according to Mortal Agony (he's my new right-hand-demon-spirit-thingy with Deathly Sickness bedridden and Arthritis too stiff to move).

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    9. Is now a good time to say "I told you so"?

      Oooh, a new minion! Say hello to him for me - and let Arthritis know I am still in posession of his left boot from that one time he mustered up enough flexibility to throw it at me.

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    10. Of course not. Hold your tongue. With both hands. That's better.

      Of course-- and the sooner you get that back to him, the better. His left foot is stinkier than a pile of-- nasty stuff.

      But what do I say! Regardless of someone fighting their way out of my domain, I can still kill you! DIE!

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    11. No. I don't want to.

      And I'm keeping the boot, too!

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    12. I'm doing that already. No point telling me to do that.

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    13. Die, then live. It gets easier.

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    14. I do what I want, puny mortal.

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  7. I didn't realise you'd moved boarding house! I'll have to address letters differently now. Sad times.

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    1. No you won't - it all gets to the same place if you put the school's name (it's just the last letter of the post code is now H instead of N. I'm on the same campus et al xD)

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  8. Goodness. You are a braver girl than me!

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    1. Aww, thank you. But I'm not brave, really. I just like being silly to amuse people ;)

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