An Amazing Visit - otherwise known as- Back into the Past in Merry England .
Cast : in order of appearance .
Narrator One Xavier , Narrator Two Laura
DR. Who Aleis .Elizabeth I Sara Francis Drake Ruben William Shakespeare Marc
Students – Clara –TV Sam – Electricity /Lights - Silvie – Cars – Arola – Aeroplanes
Brenda – Music – Anna – Mobile phones- Nuria –Clothes
Narrator One (Xavier ) :- A group of Spanish students are visiting Plymouth and are taken to B.B.C. Spotlight Studio when strange things happen and they are “transported “ back to Elizabethan England . The dramatic tale that unfolds tells of their encounters with “The Rich and Famous “ of those merry days , a meeting with Her Majesty ,Elizabeth I and two of her illustrious countrymen , one , who just happens to be her most favoured courtier ( or in modern days we’d call him her boyfriend ), he is also called –The Dreaded El Drago or Francis Drake – if you are Spanish then you might have also known him as – The Scourge of The Spanish Main – and the other , no other than Will himself – the hottest playwright in town , the toast of the town – yes , that’s right - William Shakespeare – and his plays are still being performed to rave notices in our time !!
Narrator Two ( Laura ) :- Yes , yes ,but let us get on with the story ! What happens is amazing – those students have their eyes opened and in turn teach “The Old Sea Dog “, “ Will ,Himself “ and let us not forget Elizabeth , a lesson or two about our times , 2006 .
Now back to our Tale ;-BACK INTO THE PAST or MERRIE ENGLAND AS NEVER EXPERIENCED BY LANGUAGE STUDENTS BEFORE !!
By the way all the ideas for this came from the students themselves – so let the play commence .
Narrator One :- WE will set the scene –------The students are being shown around the Spotlight Studios ---------- -------( dramatic pause )
Students appear and see Dr. Who standing there ( holding a cardboard prop with THE TIME MACHINE written on it )
Narrator Two :- Now the fun begins !
Looking at Narrator One :- Let’s sit down and they can get on with the play .
Student Clara :- Hey Guys ! What’s that weirdo doing over there ?
Dr Who –Aleix – Excuse me , who are you calling a weirdo ? I’ll have you know that I am no other than DR.WHO !!
All Students :- Dr Who !!! ( loudly and in surprised voices )
Narrator Two :- Oh ! Time for us again . Now what is going on ? . The long and the short of it all is that the students are invited into THE TIME MACHINE . They sit down , start asking questions -----------
Narrator One :- Well come on , we’d better sit down and let them get on with their play ------
(Inside the Time Machine the Students are asking questions )
Sam :- What does this machine do ?
Silvie :- What are all those strange knobs for ?
Arola :- Can I push one ?
Dr Who :- Stop , stop ! Oh no , too late ! No , no ! WELL YOU LOT HAD BETTER SIT TIGHT !
Brenda :- Why?
Anna :- Hey Guys ! This machine is moving . (Looking at Dr.Who ) Where are we going ? What’s going on ? ( in an alarmed voice ) What’s that noise ?
Strange noises are heard ,Both narrators step forward and address the audience .
Narrator Two :- Things have started to go wrong . When Arola pushed those knobs the machine took off , but not being properly programmed , it makes strange noises , shudders , shakes ----
(Students look scared , hold on to each other etc. while Dr Who frantically tries to fix his machine .)
Narrator One :- The machine slows down , lands and all noise stops . What will happen next ?( The two narrators sit down . and the play resumes )
Nuria :- (looking at Dr. Who ) Well , what happens now ?
Dr.Who :- (defensively and also in an angry voice ) Now listen here – you lot pressed the buttons , you started this , so you better sort it out ! ( Dr. Who turns his back on the students , the students start arguing , shouting )
Clara :- What do you mean ?
Sam :- I don’t understand ! What have we got to do ?
Dr. Who :- ( turning back to students ) IT’S BROKEN !! WE’LL HAVE TO FIX IT !
Narrator Two :- After much arguing , discussion ------the students are sent off to find help .
Narrator One :- Not all is as it should be ! Believe it or not they seem to have been transported back in time and are now in “PLIMOUTH – yes wait for it –cobbled streets –Elizabethan Houses – smelly streets too – those Elizabethans didn’t know anything about drains or flush toilets !! They weren’t too switched on in that area!
Silvie :- Hey guys we are in a mess – we’ve got to fix that machine or -----
Arola :- Please , I can’t stand it ( beginning to cry )
Brenda :- Come on . Wait, who are those weirdoes over there ?
Francis Drake ( wearing a woollen cap , and holding a sign El Drago – Spanish watch out ! ) Hey you lot – down on your knees !
Anna :- Why ?
F Drake – DOWN ! Your Majesty –(bows to Elizabeth – wearing a crown and holding a sign The Greatest Woman in the Land – Students fall to their knees and notice another “ weirdo “ William Shakespeare – carrying a book and a sign Who wants a play ? Will write one for you - )
William Shakespeare :- Your Majesty( bows to the queen )
Elizabeth I :- Oh stand up all of you . Now who are you lot ? You look different ! Those clothes !! ( Gestures – pulls a face ) Hey , you’re not Spanish spies are you ? I know all about your plans to invade my country ! Don’t think you can beat me ( turning to F Drake ) Can they ?
F Drake ;- No , no your Majesty – you know we are the greatest sailors -----
Elizabeth I Okay , okay ! I believe you and you’d better be right or it’s “ OFF WITH YOUR HEAD “
Narrator Two :- So , while the rabble are arguing ,let us get on with the story . The students admit that they are Spanish – BUT NOT THOSE SPANISH – they have passports , I .D’s , - bit difficult to explain , but at last Elizabeth accepts them .
Elizabeth :- Well if you aren’t spies , what do you want ?
Anna :- A, ah..mmm – well its like this ------
Narrator One :- Bit difficult , but Anna ( her English isn’t too bad in an emergency ) –she manages to explain that they need help to fix their time machine ------ Even an English person wouldn’t find that easy !!! Well done Anna
Narrator Two :- Of course nothing comes cheaply – everyone knows that Elizabeth would sell anything for money !! Lots of Discussion follows :-
(Group mime – hand gestures -----)
Narrator Two At last it is agreed that the students will let them into the secrets of the 21st Century – Cutting Edge Technology- Clever old Elizabeth , she knows that if England can get ahead of her rivals – Spain and France – she’d rule the world – you think I joke – who started The Industrial Revolution – trains , cars - yes England !!
Narrator One :- Each Student in turn explains about a modern invention . W illiam Shakespeare , the guy who is good with words , wrote it all down !
TELEVISION – Clara ELECRICTY-Sam CARS – Sylvie –AEROPLANES -Arola MUSIC –Brenda CLOTHES _ Nuria _ MOBILE PHONES – Anna
While this is going on the Elizabethans interject , exclaim -----
Really --- no, no ( shaking heads in disbelief ) are you getting this down Mr Shakespeare ? –unbelievable - are you sure – This will sort my country out !!
Narrator Two :- Amazing – and if you believe all that !!----- but it is true that History shows us that Elizabeth took over a right old mess from Henry and her family and England did become the most powerful country in Victorian Times ( it seems as if those English Queens were mighty successful birds ------ _)
Narrator One :-- Enough of this nonsense . Let us get on with the tale . Elizabeth was so pleased with all these new ideas , she organised craftsmen to fix the TIME MACHINE ,knighted all the students ,who eventually got back into the machine and nobody , yes , nobody messed around with the buttons – everybody had learnt their lesson !1
(While this narration is going on the students return to Dr. Who , get into the machine , Dr. Who programmes the machine and all return to MODERN PLYMOUTH )
Narrator Two : - so , as with all tales , our story comes to an end – The moral of the story – NEVER PUSH THE BUTTONS !!!
