DICK WHITTINGTON - SCRIPT

A BRITISH-STYLE PANTOMIME FOR ESL STUDENTS

This page contains the script only. You can find background information and an explanation of the plot here.

Prologue

Narrator: [in Japanese] This is a pantomime telling you the story of Dick Whittington. A pantomime is a traditional British form of entertainment, which is usually performed around New Year. This one will be in a mixture of Japanese and English, to make it easier for you to understand. Audience participation is very important in a pantomime, so we hope you will join in when we ask you to. It's supposed to be fun!

Long ago, there was a boy called Dick Whittington who came to London to seek his fortune. He couldn't find a job so he turned round to go home, but on the way home he made friends with a cat, and then he heard the church bells of London. They seemed to be saying [English & Japanese] "Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London!" so he went back to try again.

Scene 1: a market in London

Characters: Dick, Tommy the cat, Alice, market traders / shoppers
Market traders: Get your yakitori here!
     Apples and oranges!
     How about some pizza? etc.
Dick (sitting down and looking dejected): It's no good, Tommy, nobody will give me a job!
Alice sees them and comes over.
Alice: What a pretty cat! What's his name?
Dick: He's called Tommy. He's a very clever cat - he can talk! Tommy, say something! (Tommy shakes his head.) Go on!
Tommy: Me? How?
Alice: That's very clever! By the way, what's your name? I'm Alice Fitzwarren.
Dick: I'm Dick Whittington. I'm looking for work, but I can't find a job.
Alice: My father needs someone to work in his shop. Come with me! They go offstage.

Scene 2: Mr. Fitzwarren's house & shop

Characters: Dick, Tommy, Alice, Mr. Fitzwarren, Sarah the cook, 2-3 rats
Sarah is chasing rats with a frying pan, but they keep getting away.
Sarah: I have to find a way to get rid of these rats!
Alice knocks at the door. Mr. Fitzwarren answers it.
Alice: Hello Dad, I've found someone to work in your shop. His name's Dick.
Mr. Fitzwarren: Oh good, he can start straight away. Hello Dick, I'm Mr. Fitzwarren. Here's my shop. You can sleep here. But what's this - I don't want a cat in the shop!
Sarah (coming out of the kitchen, out of breath and still holding the frying pan): Mr. Fitzwarren, the rats are just TOO much!
Dick: My cat can get rid of your rats.
Mr. Fitzwarren: OH no he can't!
Dick: OH yes he can! (Motions to audience to help him - someone could hold up a prompt as well.)
Mr. Fitzwarren: OH no he can't!
Dick: OH yes he can!
Mr. Fitzwarren: OH no he can't!
Dick: OH yes he can! Go on Tommy!
Tommy goes after the rats and catches them very quickly.
Sarah: That cat is just what I need!
Mr. Fitzwarren: OK, the cat can stay.

Interlude

Narrator: [in Japanese] So Dick started working in Mr. Fitzwarren's shop, and Tommy the cat caught rats for Sarah the cook. But the rats were planning to get rid of Tommy...

Scene 3: an alley outside the house

Characters: King Rat, one other rat
King Rat: We have to get rid of that cat!
Other rat: Yes sir. But how?
King Rat: I have an idea. Alice has gone to visit her friend so her room will be empty tonight. We'll steal something from her room and make it look as if Dick did it...
Other rat: But it's the cat that's the problem, not Dick!
King Rat: SHUT UP! When they find out, Dick will be thrown out, and the cat will go with him.
Other rat: Brilliant!

Scene 4: the house at night

Characters: Dick, Tommy, King Rat, one other rat
Dick is asleep at one side of the stage. Tommy is on patrol. The two rats wait at the other side of the stage until he goes into the kitchen, then run out onto the stage and shut the door.
King Rat: That's HIM out of the way! Heh, heh, heh! Now let's go to Alice's room.
They go to Alice's room, in the middle of the stage, and rummage around until they find some jewellery.
King Rat: This necklace looks very valuable. I'll take this! This bracelet is cheaper. It will do for Dick. Heh, heh, heh!
They go to the shop (Dick's room), leaving Alice's room in a mess. As they go into Dick's room, the other rat bumps into a stool and makes a noise. The rats hide quickly.
Dick (sitting up suddenly and looking around): What was that? I thought I heard a noise! (To the audience:) Did you hear anything? No? Oh well, I'll just go back to sleep. (He lies down again.)
The rats slowly come out of their hiding place. King Rat hides the bracelet under Dick's bed (could repeat the "Did you hear anything?" routine if you like), and then the rats tiptoe out.

Scene 5: the house, next morning

Characters: Dick, Tommy, Sarah, Mr. Fitzwarren; King Rat (watching from outside)
Sarah goes into Alice's room, humming to herself, and gasps in horror when she sees the mess.
Sarah (shouting): Mr. Fitzwarren! There's been a robbery!
Mr. Fitzwarren and Dick both come running.
Mr. Fitzwarren: What's been stolen?
Sarah (looking in the drawers): A very valuable necklace, and a bracelet.
Mr. Fitzwarren: Was the front door locked?
Sarah: Yes, nobody came in that way.
Mr. Fitzwarren: We'd better check Dick's room.
Dick: I didn't do it!
Mr. Fitzwarren: I want to make sure.
They go to Dick's room and Mr. Fitzwarren finds the bracelet.
Mr. Fitzwarren: Aha! Now, where's the necklace?
Dick: I don't know! I didn't take it!
Mr. Fitzwarren: I don't believe you. (He searches Dick but finds nothing.) Get out of my house, and take your cat with you!
He throws them out into the street.
King Rat (watching from just round the corner): It worked! Heh, heh, heh! (He goes offstage.)
Dick: What are we going to do now, Tommy? I haven't had much luck in London. Let's run away to sea. But first let me write a note to Alice. Maybe she will believe me!
Dick writes a note and puts it under the door, then he & Tommy walk offstage.

Scene 6: the ship

Characters: Dick, Tommy, Captain Pugwash, King Rat, Alice, Sarah
King Rat: Now I need to go and sell this necklace, somewhere far away. I think I'll go to Japan, then I can check on my rat kingdom there. There are no cats in Japan!
He jumps onto the ship.
Dick comes to the gangplank and talks to the captain.
Dick: Excuse me, do you need any crew for your ship?
Captain Pugwash: Yes, I do, actually. I'm just about to leave for Japan.
Dick: That's great! You don't have to pay me, just take me to Japan and I will work for nothing.
Captain Pugwash: It's a deal! (Dick & Tommy board the ship.) OK, let's go!
Alice: Wait! Wait! (She & Sarah come on board just as the ship is pulling away.) Dick, I believe you! I don't think you stole my necklace!
Dick: That's a relief! But your father doesn't believe me, so I can't come back. And now we've left, so it's too late for YOU, as well!
Sarah: (To the audience:) Ooh, isn't the captain handsome? (To Captain Pugwash:) Hello gorgeous, are you married?
Dick, Alice & Sarah: (Song)
     I am sailing, I am sailing, Far away, 'cross the sea
     I am sailing, stormy waters, To a new life, to be free.
     (Repeat)

Interlude

Narrator: [in Japanese] So off they went to Japan. Of course, normally it would take MONTHS to sail from London to Japan, but this is a pantomime so it only took a day or two.

Scene 7: Japan - the emperor's palace

Characters: Emperor, King Rat, 2-3 other rats, Dick, Tommy, Alice, Sarah, emperor's servant
The emperor is sitting on his throne on one side of the stage, tearing his hair out, while rats run around eating everything in sight. King Rat comes in and joins them.
King Rat: (To audience:) The Emperor always has excellent food, so I thought I'd stop for a good meal before going on to sell the necklace.
Dick, Tommy, Alice and Sarah are wandering around near the palace.
Alice: What a strange place! I can't understand anything that people say!
Dick: And everyone bows to each other all the time!
Sarah (wearing a ridiculous pantomime dame's outfit): And they wear very strange clothes!
Tommy suddenly runs off towards the palace.
Dick: Tommy, where are you going?!
They all run after Tommy. When they find him, he's catching rats in the palace. When all the other rats are dead, Tommy chases King Rat off the stage and round the auditorium, with everyone shouting encouragement (Emperor: "Ganbare!"; Dick, Alice, Sarah: "Come on Tommy! You can do it!"). Finally, when they get back onto the stage, King Rat is caught and killed, and the necklace is found.
Dick: Look, here's the necklace!
Alice: I KNEW it wasn't you!
Emperor: Doumo arigatou gozaimashita! [in Japanese] I want to give you half my fortune as a reward!
Dick (to Alice & Sarah): What's he saying?
Alice & Sarah: I don't know.
Dick bows deeply to the emperor and mimes "I don't understand". The emperor bows back, claps his hands, and a servant appears with a huge treasure chest, which he puts down in front of Dick.
Emperor (bowing & gesturing): Douzo.
For a moment, Dick, Alice and Sarah just stare, open-mouthed.
Dick (bowing): Thank you sir.
Dick, Sarah and Alice struggle out of the palace with the treasure chest.
Dick: Alice, when I was poor I couldn't ask you. But now I'm rich, so...(going down on one knee) Will you marry me?
Alice: Of course I will! (They hug.) Let's go home and tell my father what's happened.

Scene 8: Mr. Fitzwarren's house

Characters: Dick, Tommy, Alice, Sarah, Mr. Fitzwarren, Captain Pugwash
Mr. Fitzwarren is pacing up and down, looking very worried. Alice, Sarah, Dick & Tommy go into the house.
Alice: Dad, we're home!
Mr. Fitzwarren: Where have you been? I've been worried sick! And (pointing at Dick) what's HE doing here?
Alice: We've been to Japan. It was a very strange place! But Tommy killed all the rats and the Emperor gave Dick lots of money.
Sarah: And we found the necklace! King Rat stole it, not Dick!
Alice: And then Dick asked me to marry him and I said yes!
Mr. Fitzwarren: Oh... in that case - congratulations!
Sarah: And I'm getting married too... (drags Captain Pugwash onto the stage) Mr. Fitzwarren, this is my fiancé, Captain Pugwash.
Mr. Fitzwarren: Err... Congratulations to you too!
Everyone: Song: If you're happy and you know it
     If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (CLAP CLAP)
     If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (CLAP CLAP)
     If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it,
     If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (CLAP CLAP)
You need a large sheet with the words written on it, big enough for everyone to see.
Once everyone has learned the song, organize a competition between the two halves of the audience, to see who can sing loudest. Dick, Alice and Tommy encourage one side, Mr. Fitzwarren, Sarah and Captain Pugwash the other. One half of the audience sings the first line, the other half sings the second line, and everyone sings the last two lines together.
Repeat with "stamp your feet", "shout 'we are!'", "do all three".

Epilogue

Narrator: [in Japanese] So Dick and Alice got married and lived happily ever after. And the bells were right - Dick became Lord Mayor of London three times before he died.

Some of this story is true. Dick Whittington, or Richard Whittington, was a real person. He lived about 600 years ago, and it's true that he married Alice Fitzwarren and became Lord Mayor of London three times. But he was never poor, and we don't know whether he really had a cat.

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