Title: Ring a ring of posers
by Matthew from West Yorkshire | in writing, fiction
(Setting of school hall, a table with leaflets on, a notice board and a huge banner with 'Welcome to our overseas visitors!' written on it. A group of adults are talking on stage right, obviously separated from the teenage boy on stage left. He is leaning against the wall looking annoyed, scruffy white t-shirt and clothes, staring at the ground. An adult from China separates from the group as the adults leave, he walks over to the boy.)
Man- What is it like to be young today?
(Boy continues to stare at the ground and shrugs. Awkward silence. Boy points at the leaflets. Man looks at the leaflets and shakes his head.)
Man- Simply speaking.
(Boy points without looking at the notice board. Man shakes his head.)
Man-Simply speaking.
(Boy gets angry and moves face to face with the man lights dim, notice board, table and banner taken offstage.)
Boy- (angrily) How about nursery simple? Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. (Another boy appears in the background, sits on a low wall, overweight and depressed.)
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. (Two youths come on stage, make gestures about the boy's weight. Boy tries to get up but they both push him off the wall)
All the king's horses and all the king's men. (Two youths run off and an ambulance crew arrive.)
Couldn't put Humpty together again. (Two ambulance crew try to treat the boy but shake their head. All exit except boy and man)
(Man tries to back away but boy moves forward and continues to speak.)
Boy- (irritably) Half a pound of tuppeny rice. (A gang of youths enters.)
Half a pound of treacle. (Another gang enters and enters and stand off with the other gang)
That's the way the money goes. (In the background a placard appears entitled, 'Youth Group closed-lack of funding')
Pop! Goes the weasel. (Both gangs pull out guns, lights dim.)
Man-(shocked) Is there no bright side?
(Boy smiles as a girl approaches.)
Boy- Mary!
(Man smiles as boy walks off to talk and joke with Mary in the background.)
Man- Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow. (Mary and boy laugh in the background)
And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go. (Mary and boy stand up hold hands and walk off stage. Man follows soon after.)
Quite obviously i was inspired by nursery rhymes. They are one of the first things all young people learn. I wanted to see if nursery rhymes still applied to the teenagers when it came to events concerning their world.
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