Penistone Theatre Group

Pantomime 2014

Next year we will be producing the Pantomime Dick Whittington. Written by Christine & Michael

Goodwin , Candida Colgrave-Bell and David Gardner. We last performed it in 2003 and Christine is in the

process of updating the script.

We will move into Paramount Sat 25th

Jan – First performance Thurs 31st

running till 8th

February 2014.

Get out Sunday 9th

February 2014.

Readings, Auditions etc. will take place after the summer holidays. Dates TBC

The following working document is a synopsis taken from the original script which is intended to be a

tool for design of sets, costume etc. Work on the production, meetings etc. will start in April please

have a look and see what you think.

Initial production team:

Producer – Phil Vickers; Director – Cadi Fowler; assisted by Claire Spencer & Chorus; Choreography -

Michelle Cleary and hopefully Donna Barker; Costumes – Yvonne Gaines (with help from Michelle Cleary

& Wendy Armitage); Scenic artist/designer - John Auckland; Set construction – Stewart Kerslake; Stage

manager – Rick Cuthbert; Publicity, ticket sales, programme team - Katie Kerslake, Mick Kirkham,

Rebecca Barnet & Tom Vickers.

Volunteers to undertake any other aspects of production work will be appreciated.

Dick Whittington – Synopsis

Cast

Dick Whittington

Tom the Cat

Alderman Fitzwarren

Idle Jack

Dame Sarah Slotoyle

Nancy

Clover the Cow

King Rat

Fairy

Captain

Mate

Messenger

Neptune

Mermaid

Sultan Mustaphapint

Sultana

Legionnaire

Barman & Robin

Sopwith the Camel

ACT ONE

Scene 1 London Town - Outside Fitzwarren’s shop

Scene 2 Back Street – (Front backcloth)

Scene 3 Inside Fitzwarren’s shop

Scene 4 Back Street (front backcloth)

Scene 5 Quay side – Full set with ship that moves off.

ACT TWO

Scene 1 On board the Ship (mast & rigging set against a sky cloth)

Scene 2 In the Sea – Front cloth 2

Scene 3 Neptune’s Kingdom

Scene 4 Desert Island – Front Cloth

Scene 5 Sultan’s Palace

Scene 6 Finale

Act One

Scene 1 London Town - Outside Fitzwarren’s shop Opens with Chorus on stage and Dick entering through auditorium. Dick talks to chorus before

opening song. A goodly number of chorus lines. Dick calls Tom (cat) on to stage. Alderman

Fitzwarren (very short-sighted) enters with his daughter Alice and falls over the cat. Mistakes

water pump for Dick. Enter Idle Jack in a wheelbarrow. Fitwarren, Alice, Dick & Tom exit

leaving Jack on stage with Chorus. Jack talks to audience and starts talking about Dame Sarah

Slotoyle (Fitzwarren’s cook) Sarah appears with a big wooden spoon and stands behind Jack

while he continues to say derogatory things about her. Eventually she interrupts him sends

chorus packing and tells Jack to look for their cow Clover. Jack left alone on stage talking to

audience. (Hi Jack ‘ello kids routine established) Shouts cow who appears running through

auditorium chased by Nancy. Clover buts Jack & knock’s him over. Clover then does a dance

routine and produces a carton of Milk. Scene ends with Clover chasing Jack off and leaves

Nancy on stage laughing.

Scene 2 Back Street – (Front backcloth)

Enter Dick (with Tom) talks to audience – introducing a bit of the plot and his fondness for Alice.

Alice enters – she is glad that Dick is going to be working in her fathers shop and glad that they

are going to be friends. They sing a song and exit. King Rat appears and introduces himself and

explains a bit more of the story. Fairy appears and they dual.

Scene 3 Inside Fitzwarren’s shop

Opens with Sarah Alice & Dick singing a song. There is a little bit of comedy and then Alice &

Dick leave Sarah to do her bit with the audience. Jack enters bandaged up and chased by

Clover (Lo kids – Hi Jack stuff with audience) Streams of customers enter shop some leave but a

few stay (more small parts for chorus) Fitzwarren wanders in talks to Fridge thinking it is Sarah.

More customers enter (funny lines) Tom enters carrying a stick with rats hanging from it. Enter

Captain and Mate. Captain has a Parrot on his shoulder. They are recruiting “jolly jack tars”

Mate goes ferreting in the freezer and gets pulled in by arms that appear – but he escapes.

Captain gets map out and talks to Sarah about the journey – meanwhile Mate takes Jack to

freezer shows him inside but nothing happens. Jack walks away fridge door opens and Mate is

pulled inside. Jack looks round sees mate has gone, goes back to fridge and gets pulled inside.

Mate eventually reappears, he and Captain hit another customer on the head and drag him off

to become a crew member. Fitzwarren & Dick lock the family necklace in the safe – Jack

scrambles out of fridge in “frozen costume” and they all exit to get him thawed out.

Possible dance at this point to introduce appearance of King Rat who steals necklace from the

safe and puts it Dick’s bag. Tom stalks King Rat who leaves. Fitzwarren, Sarah, Dick, Jack, Nancy

& Clover enter to find someone has been in the safe. Dick’s bag is discovered and he gets the

blame. He is dismissed and leaves taking Tom with him.

Scene 4 Back Street (front backcloth)

Dick and Tom wander on all dejected but Fairy appears and gives them hope. Short scene

where important parts of the plot are revealed and also to enable change of set behind.

Scene 5 Quay side – Full set with ship that moves off.

Captain & Mate are directing sailors (chorus) on bopard. Song. Enter Jack (hi kids etc.) he is

dragging a trunk which contains Sarah. He tips her out. Lots of business as the ship is loaded.

Nancy & Clover enter - Song (Sarah, Clover, Captain, Mate, Nancy & Jack – Tea for Two (not fully

important) They then mount the gang plank. Fitzwarren & Alice appear. Everybody leaves

leaving Alice on stage alone. Dick & Tom enter he explains to Alice that he is innocent and

sneaks on board ship whilst everybody else is below. Rest appear on deck and they cast off –

some chorus appear to wave them off. The scene & Act end with the appearance of King Rat

and his promise to win the dual with the help of rats all over the world. Thunder & Lightning.

Act Two

Scene 1 On board the Ship (mast & rigging set against a sky cloth)

Opens with Sailors Hornpipe – Chorus swabbing the decks etc. Sarah, Captain, Mate, Jack &

Nancy go through funny sea faring chatter & banter. Bucket of water (poly chips) appears and

eventually gets thrown at Sarah who ducks and it goes into audience.

Fitzwarren & Alice appear on board – more banter. Mate appears with stowaways Dick & Tom.

They are threatened with walking the plank etc. Alice intervenes and persuades her dad to give

Tom another chance. (They all exit as) King Rat and Fairy appear to dual again. Rat calls upon

the spirit of the sea to sink the ship. Thunder, Lightning etc – mast collapses as ship sinks.

Scene 2 In the Sea – Front cloth 2

Following the shipwreck various characters are seen comically swimming for safety – Captain &

Mate – Jack & Sarah – Fitwarren with crab & seaweed – Nancy & Clover – Dick & Alice – Tom

with a fish in his mouth – Stage darkens and King Rat Appears

Scene 3 Neptune’s Kingdom

Dance – (Black Lit?) – lights come up to reveal Neptune on a throne and reclining mermaid.

Bubble Fanfare introduces an underwater messenger. (Old joke about bends and

Hoylandswaine bypass) who announces arrival of Fitzwarren & Sarah. A little later Captain,

Mate,Dick, Alice, Jack, Nancy & Clover appear) Lo kids – Hi Jack etc. Octopus (not spider)

lowers. Jaws music and a shark appears.

Scene 4 Desert Island – Front Cloth

Starts with a speech from the Fairy – Sarah, Jack, Captain & Mate appear and do audience

participation.

Scene 5 Sultan’s Palace

Opens with a Dance – Sultana does a trick with Ferret and performs a wriggly dance.

Enter Legionnaire dragging Dick, Tom, Fitzwarren, Alice, Sarah, Jack, Nancy, Captain, Mate &

Clover they try to strike a deal with the Sultan. They try to win his favour by performing tricks –

Jack does a stupid mind reading act – Clover does a duet tap dance with Sopwith – Mate a

levitation trick – Sarah a big production number which pleases the Sultan who tries to take her

as his 13th

wife. Then Rats rush in from all sides and it is time for Tom to do his trick! He fights

the rats who are killed. King Rat enters with bigger rats – Dick & Tom are forced into a losing

position. Dick calls for BATMAN (who has been stuck in the dressing room since last year) who

enter through Auditorium they defeat rats with lots of Zaps and Kerpows and leave Dick to kill

King Rat. The Sultan is so pleased to be rid of all the rats he gives Dick half his Kingdom. Dick

asks Fitzwarren if he can marry his daughter. They exit (or don’t) on a magic carpet.

Scene 6 Finale

Fairy closes the story and invites everyone to Dick & Alice’s wedding.