Job Discussion Forums

[runeman]

'Tis the season to be jolly, and for peace and joy to all men of good will, so please feel free to go to town with this adaptation of the old story which I wrote several years ago, and have used very successfully over the years in production at schools in Turkey with students and staff, (particularly effective when the ugly sisters and Mother are played by male teachers...)







CINDERELLA
by Michael Di,ckinson





CAST

KING
QUEEN
PRINCE
DANDINI
FAIRY
CINDERELLA
SLOBINA
SLOBETTA
MOTHER
2 ANGELS
TOWNSPEOPLE



SCENE 1
(A street near the palace.)

DANDINI
(running on)
Hey everybody! Come out and play!
Today is our prince�s eighteenth birthday!

(Townspeople come on and sing a happy song, then go off leaving the prince behind.)

KING
(entering with Queen)
Ah, here he is! Our birthday boy!
Smiling, laughing, full of joy!

QUEEN
A boy no more! He�s now a man!
What he couldn�t do before � now he can!

KING
Yes! Now in his eighteenth year of life �
The time has come to take a wife!

PRINCE
Come now, Daddy! Pleased don�t shove!
I�ll not marry one who I don�t love!


QUEEN
Love, you say! What does that mean?
I wasn�t in love when I became queen!

KING
Nor was I. � I thought her a cow!
I didn�t love then � but I love her now!

PRINCE
What! You didn�t love mother when you first met?
Then a thing like marriage I�d rather forget!

KING
I�m sorry son. I don�t want a fight.
You must choose a wife � this very night!

QUEEN
Your father�s right! You mustn�t say no!
Enough of this nonsense! And now we must go!

(Exit King and Queen. Prince sings �When I fall in Love�. Dandini enters.)

DANDINI
Hi there, Princey! Why so blue?
Is there something I can do for you?

PRINCE
Please don�t ask! It�s the end of my life!
My father says I must take a wife!

DANDINI
A wife? Okay, that�s not so bad!
There�s plenty out there who�d love to be had!

PRINCE
But it�s love I want! Don�t you understand?
Before I put on the wedding band.

DANDINI
Love you say? Is that all?
Then tonight you must have a ball!

PRINCE
A ball? You mean a great big dance?
How will that help me to find romance?

DANDINI
To every girl throughout the nation �
You must send an invitation!

PRINCE
Ah yes, perhaps! I see what you mean!
One I will love � and she�ll be my queen!

DANDINI
Of course! You know I�m always right!
Now, let�s get things ready for tonight!
(Exit Prince and Dandini.)


SCENE 2
(The Slobb household. Morning.)

SLOBINA (entering)
I�m so hungry I could eat a horse!
With chips and cheese and lots of sauce!

SLOBETTA (entering)
Oh what a lovely dream I had!
I was naughty, nasty, mean and bad!

SLOBINA
Good morning Slobetta, sister sweet �
What�s that smell? Oh, it�s your feet!

SLOBETTA
Don�t be so sure, my sister-o
I think it is your bad B.O!

SLOBINA
Sweetest sister! You know just what to say!
Your words, like your teeth, are full of decay!

SLOBETTA
Oh ha ha ha! Oh hee hee hee!
You watch your mouth when you speak to me!

SLOBINA
Come, sister darling! Please let�s not fight!
Not before breakfast! It wouldn�t be right!

SLOBETTA
That�s true. To fight right now it would be wrong.
So instead of that - let�s sing a song!
(They sing a silly song.)

MOTHER (entering)
My darling daughters! You sing so sweet!
But is there nothing for us to eat?

SLOBINA
Good morning, Mummy. No, Cinderella is late.
The stupid girl is making us wait!

SLOBETTA
Come here Cinderella, you lazy cow!
We want our breakfast � and we want it now!

CINDERELLA (entering with tray)
Good morning, sisters. Here is your food.
Is there any need to be so rude?

SLOBETTA
How dare you speak to me like that!
You ungrateful, spiteful little cat!

MOTHER
Cinderella! This tea is cold!
How many times have you been told?

SLOBINA
It�s not only cold! It also tastes bitter!
Please, Mummy, please! Can I hit her?

(They advance on Cinderella who backs away and cowers on the floor. Just as they are about to hit her, there is a knock at the door. )

MOTHER
Cinderella! Get up off the floor!
Go at once and open the door!

DANDINI (entering)
Good morning, ladies, one and all!
Tonight the Prince is giving a ball!

MOTHER
The Prince? A ball? Oh, I�m delighted!
You mean to say that we�re invited?

DANDINI
He�s inviting every young girl from far and wide.
And one of them will become his bride!

SLOBETTA
His bride? His wife? Hooray and yippee!
Of course, you know, he�s bound to choose me!

SLOBINA
You? Ha ha! You must be joking!
One look at you and he�ll be choking!
(They fight.)

MOTHER
Girls! Please don�t fight! We have a guest!
Won�t you come in Sir, and have a rest?

DANDINI
I�m sorry, I can�t. Please let me go!
I�ve business to do! Get off me! No!
(He runs off.)

CINDERELLA
How wonderful to go to a dance!
Even if with the Prince I haven�t a chance!

SLOBINA
You�re not going! Don�t make me laugh!
You�re staying home and cleaning the bath!

SLOBETTA
The idea of going don�t even think!
You can stay here and scrub out the sink!

CINDERELLA
How can you be so cruel and mean,
When every day I cook, sew and clean?

MOTHER
Shut your mouth and clean up this mess!
While you and I girls, go upstairs to dress!
(They go off.)

(Cinderella sits, looking very sad. An old blind woman comes in � really the fairy in disguise.)

FAIRY
A glass of water, if you would be so kind �
For a poor old lady who is crippled and blind?

CINDERELLA
Come let me help you. Sit next to me �
And I will pour you a nice cup of tea.

FAIRY
Thank you dear. But why are you sad?
Things can�t be all that bad.

CINDERELLA
Oh yes they can! I am full of woe!
It�s the Prince�s dance tonight � and I can�t go!

FAIRY
My dear, you will find that sadness never lasts for long!
Whenever I am sad, I sing this little song!
(She sings �When You�re Smiling�.)

MOTHER (entering)
Cinderella! Can�t you hear me when I shout?
What�s this woman doing here? Throw her out!
(She throws the fairy out.)

CINDERELLA
How can you be so heartless and cold?
That poor sweet lady was blind and old!

MOTHER
What�s that to me? Why should I care?
Now come and help me with my hair!

SLOBINA (entering)
Dearest Mummy, look and tell �
Of the ball � won�t I be the belle?

SLOBETTA (entering)
No, no Mummy! Look at me!
Is there anywhere a lovelier sight to see?

MOTHER
My darling girls! You are a wonderful sight!
The Prince must choose one of you tonight!

(The sisters sing �Tonight� horribly. The all go off to the dance leaving Cinderella alone and crying. The Fairy enters � this time as herself.)

FAIRY
Crying won�t help things at all!
It�s time to get ready to go to the ball!

CINDERELLA
The blind old woman? But you can see!
Who are you? And what do you want from me?

FAIRY
Forget the cleaning and forget the dishes!
I�m a fairy and can grant your wishes!

CINDERELLA
You know I want to go to the dance.
But dressed like this I don�t stand a chance!

FAIRY
Put a smile on your face and don�t be tragic.
I can work wonders with my magic!

(She waves her wand and an angel comes and gives a beautiful dress to Cinderella.)

CINDERELLA
It�s the most beautiful dress I�ve ever seen!
Wearing this I will look like a queen!

FAIRY
And in addition, here are your shoes �
To help you dance away your blues!
(Another angel presents Cinderella with a pair of shoes.)

CINDERELLA
Oh thank you! Thank you! What can I say?
I feel as if I�m in a play!

ANGEL 1
But before you go we must give you warning!
You must leave the dance before it is morning!

ANGEL 2
If you stay any longer than the stroke of midnight �
Your clothes will change � and you�ll look a sight!

CINDERELLA
I�ll do what you say � you needn�t worry!
There isn�t much time � so now I must hurry!
(She runs off to dress. The fairy and angels go, looking very pleased with themselves.)



SCENE 3

(At the Palace. The King and Queen sit with a vacant chair between them. The hall is filled with women waiting for the Prince.)

QUEEN
The ladies are here and the party�s begun,
It�s getting late � where is our son?

DANDINI
He�s in his room � Can you wonder why?
I�ll go and get him � he�s feeling shy.
(goes)

SLOBINA
Where is the Prince? Was this some kind of trick?

SLOBETTA
Yeah! Why are we waiting? I�m bored sick!
(Slobina and Slobetta start chanting �We want the Prince!� and other women join in.)

KING
Patience ladies! I think you�ve got this wrong!
Until the Prince arrives, I�ll sing a little song!
(King sings a song. The Prince appears.)

KING
Ah here you are son! Where have you been?
One of these girls you must choose as your queen!

PRINCE (after inspection)
I�m sorry Dad, I�m afraid that cannot be.
There�s not one here I like that I can see!



CINDERELLA (running on)
Forgive me everybody for being so late!
There was a traffic jam and my coach had to wait!

(The women start whispering among each other � �Who�s that girl?�)

PRINCE
This is the girl! I can tell at a glance!
Excuse me, my dear. Do you want to dance?

(Music and everybody dances, until a clock strikes midnight. The music stops and everyone freezes.)

CINDERELLA
Midnight! It�s late and I must fly!
I hope I�ll see you by and by!

(Cinderella runs off, losing a shoe. The Prince pursues her, but it is too late. He comes back and picks up the shoe.)

PRINCE
She�s gone. I�ll search the country far and wide.
Whoever this shoe fits will be my bride!

(Everybody sings �The Party�s Over� and slowly drifts off.)



SCENE 4

(The next morning at the Slobb household. The sisters are sitting at the table. Cinderella is scrubbing the floor.)

SLOBINA
Oh Cinderella! You should have seen last night!
He danced with me and he held me tight!

SLOBETTA
Slobina, darling can I borrow your lighter?
He danced with me � and he held me tighter!

MOTHER (entering)
Why are you sitting there with that smile on your lips?
Get to the kitchen and cook us some chips!

(Cinderella goes out. There is a knock at the door.)

SLOBINA
A knock at the door! Who could it be?

SLOBETTA
Well, don�t just sit there! Go and see!

(Slobina opens the door. The Prince and Dandini come in.)

SLOBINA
The Prince!

SLOBETTA
It can�t be!

SLOBINA
It is!

SLOBETTA
Oh is it?

MOTHER
What is the cause of this wonderful visit?

DANDINI
The Prince will discover his girl to love
Whose foot fits this shoe like a hand in a glove.

SLOBINA
What? Do you mean it? Give it to me!
It�s sure to fit mine! Just wait and you�ll see!
(She snatches the shoe and tries it on but fails.)

SLOBETTA
You�ll never succeed and everyone knows!
Just look at the size of your big lumpy toes!
(She grabs the shoe but can�t get it on.)

PRINCE
I�m afraid we must go. You�ve had your chance.
I must find that girl who I met at the dance.

DANDINI
Before we go � No, we won�t stay for beer �
Wasn�t there another girl when last I came here?

MOTHER
No there wasn�t! Would I tell you a lie?
And now if you�re going, we wish you goodbye!

CINDERELLA
(coming in from kitchen)
With the chips would you like some mince?
Oh my goodness! It�s the Prince!

PRINCE
This is the girl! Put on the shoe!
Then I will know you�re my love so true!

(Dandini puts the shoe on her foot.)

DANDINI
It fits! It fits! This is your wife!
The one you will love for the rest of your life!

PRINCE
Come to the palace, my heart�s delight!
Tonight will be our wedding night!

SLOBINA
I�m so unhappy I could scream!

SLOBETTA
This is like a horrible dream!

CINDERELLA
My dreams have come true! It�s the ending now, is it?
Goodbye my dear sisters � and don�t bother to visit!

(The Prince, Cinderella and Dandini leave. The mother and sisters scream, stamp and tear their hair with rage.)

(Finale � all the actors sing the bright song that opened the play.)


THE END

[dmb]

[Baba Alex]

[dmb]

Last I heard Thrifty was learning to play the bass guitar and brushing up his lines for the audition of Prince Charming. He does want to go to the ball... apparantly it's a free pi$$ up and as an EFL teacher he will do anything for a free beer.

[Otterman Ollie]

Think that applies to most of us ,so where is this pi++ up ?

[sandyhoney2]