George....the Hero Read online

Meet George.

  She’s feisty, good natured and has the knack of walking into trouble.

  And at the moment, there’s plenty of trouble to go round

  Bigg City is alive with rumors, there’s a smell of burning coming from the woods.

  And Baroness Bertha has just come up with a devious plan to get her hands on the people’s money....

  DRAGON TAX!

  Well...you know what it’s like with Dragons. They’re so cute at first.

  Then they grow up.

  And Grow..

  And Grow......

  The classic legend hits the stage in this new version of an old story with a gallery of eccentric and hilarious characters

  “A lot of fun...we liked this very much” Samuel French Ltd

  “Great Fun” Children’s Author David Wood

  GEORGE......THE HERO

  by Martin Alcock

  Copyright 2013 Martin Alcock

  THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES

  Downloading of this play script does not imply consent for theatrical performance. For permission to perform GEORGE THE HERO please contact the author on [email protected]

  ACT ONE

  ENTER LESTER (He is a Jester complete with cap and bells)

  Lester:

  Good evening ladies and gentlemen

  You’re such a lovely sight

  The doors have all been bolted

  So you’re in here for the night.

  We have a tale to tell to you

  Shall turn your knees to jelly

  It’ll only take an hour or two

  -and there’s nothing on the telly.

  So come back to a mythic time

  And a land far far away

  Of rivers deep and mountains high

  And forests dark and grey.

  Our hero lives within the woods

  She’s just like you and me

  But special times need special folks

  As we shall shortly see.

  A cottage by a little stream

  Is where we start our story

  Where George will take the first small step

  On the rocky road to glory…..

  (The lights come up on two young men, MAVIS and DOREEN and GEORGE, their sister, gathered around a small bed in which their mother is lying)

  George: How is she?

  Mavis: I’m not sure.

  George: Is she asleep?

  Mavis: Dunno…I’ll ask. (Bellowing) MUM! (Mum wakes with a start) GEORGE WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU’RE ASLEEP!

  George: (Angrily) Mavis! It’s alright mum, I’m here.

  Mum: (Weakly) George…is that you?

  George: Yes, mum. How you feeling?

  Mum: Not good, love. I don’t think it’ll be long, now.

  Doreen: What won’t?

  Mum: (Patiently) Until I….leave you.

  Doreen: Oh…….(after thinking)……mum?

  Mum: Yes, love?

  Doreen: D’you really think you ought to be traveling in your condition? I mean, you’re really, really ill.

  Mum: No, love, What I mean is….oh, never mind. (She looks round at the three of them) I’m just sorry I wasn’t a better mother to you.

  George: (Gently) You’re a great mum. It can’t have been easy looking after the three of us when dad died. Mum….

  Mum: Yes, love?

  George: What was dad like? We never really knew him.

  Mavis: Yeah, and why did he give us those stupid names?

  Doreen: Yeah, he must have really hated us.

  Mum: Well…George…Mavis….Doreen… it’s like this…..

  George: I think I know, mum. Dad wanted us to know that life is tough. That it’s important to show the world what you’re like on the inside. He wanted us to be strong. Isn’t that it, mum?

  Mum: Erm…not really…no.

  George: Oh. Well why, then?

  Mum: He was barmy.

  George: Barmy?

  Mum: Completely off his Conkers. Mad as a radish.

  George (Uncomfortably): Really…

  Mum: Six twigs short of a bundle. Daft as a frog sandwich.

  George: Right….

  Mum: Towards the end of his life, he thought he was a small squirrel called Jeremy.

  George: Oh. Well, I suppose that explains why he fell out of the oak tree.

  Mavis: What? Was someone after his nuts? (He laughs uproariously) Geddit? Nuts?

  (George glares at him. Doreen scuffs him round the back of the head)

  Mum: Oh well, never mind. I just want you to know that I’ve always been proud of you kids. Particularily you, George. (Whispering) Mavis and Doreen are both good boys but let’s face it love, the men in this family have never really had much …..upstairs …if you know what I mean.

  (George and mum cast a glance at Mavis and Doreen who smile back, vacantly, unaware that they are being talked about.)

  Mum: That’s why I want you to carry out my last wishes.(Slowly, painfully, mum reaches beneath herself, pulls out a small bag of money and hands it to George). That’s every penny we’ve got in the world.

  George: Why are you giving it to me?

  Mum: I’ve been lying on it for half an hour, It’s killing me back.

  George: Yes, but why me?

  Mum: This is the last payment on the farm. Our final year’s taxes. Once we pay this off, the farm belongs to us and no-one can take it away. Someone’s got to take this to Bigg City in time for taxing day next month.

  George: But Bigg City’s a week’s journey away! Through DragonScar Woods! It’s dangerous!

  Mum: I know it is, but it’s important that it’s you. You have to go, George, I’m depending on you. And anyway, who else do you think

  I could send?