Scenes 1 & 2 Sample

The play starts by introducing most of the characters

TOO MANY APPLES

by Robert Smith

Production Notes

In the original production, all the children were seated on stage blocks, or raised seating. They formed the Chorus. The narrators stood up from their seats when they talked. The children acting the named parts came out of the chorus when it was their scene, or they came from off-stage.

The 'Youth of Today' (pages 3 & 4) were dressed extravagantly, as befits modern youth. There are speaking parts for 4 Youth but I used about 15 for the rap, which they danced and strutted quite aggressively! I used solo voices for a verse or two in a lot of the songs. I also had a girl play 'Harry' so it's quite gender non-specific.

The play opens with one child on the stage, huddled in a blanket or a cardboard box.

Scene 1

Narrator 1

These are terrible times in which we live.

Chorus

Hard, hard times.

Narrator 1

There is much that is wrong in today's society.

Chorus

Sadly, sadly wrong.

Narrator 1

Here is a boy, name of Harry.

Chorus

Poor poor boy.

Narrator 1

Lives on the streets, sleeps on the streets, in doorways, under bridges, wherever he can find shelter.

Chorus

Poor poor boy.

Narrator 1

It's a terrible way to live; no warmth, no joy, no security, no love.

Chorus

No kind of life at all.

Harry's song

Narrator 2

You must ask yourself, how? How does he live like that? and Why?

Chorus

Who is to blame? (Rex comes out of the Chorus)

Narrator 2

Here is a man, name of Rex King, though you must call him Mr King

Chorus

A big shot.

Rex's Song

Narrator 2

Mr King is a businessman. He knows that everything has a price and, as any good businessman will tell you, he knows the right time to buy and the right time to sell, the right time to lend and the right time to demand it back. He put Harry on the streets. He lent Harry's parents the money to buy a house, but wanted it back when they couldn't keep up the payments.

Chorus

Nothing personal, just business.

Narrator 2

Then, when Harry's mum got sick, and Harry's dad had to go with her to hospital, Harry had nowhere to go, so here he is.

Rex

Don't try to blame me, don't come whinging to me about life's drop outs and hangers-on. It's business, pure and simple.

Chorus

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Rex

Right. (Stella comes out of the Chorus)

Narrator 1

Mr King has a beautiful wife, name of Stella. She works hard too, tho' not in the way her husband does. She keeps the house, supervises the domestic arrangements, has meetings with her friends, goes to town, organises dinner parties. She is a very busy lady.

Chorus

Busy busy busy.

Song: Busy Busy Busy

(Celia steps out of the Chorus)

Narrator 2

The Kings have a daughter, name of Celia. Mr King might wish he had a son....

Rex

I won't say I'm disappointed that my wife has not given me a son.. yet, but Celia, that's my daughter's name, she seems to be all right. To be honest I don't know much about girls and she's usually in bed by the time I get home.

Narrator 2

But Celia is lavished with everything money can buy.

Narrator 1

Because Mr and Mrs King are so terribly busy, Celia spends lots of time on her own.

Chorus

How wrong can you get? What about the au pair?

Rex & Stella

That's absolutely right. How dare you insinuate that we are anything less than perfect parents.

Rex

We give her everything that money can buy. I would give anything to have had the chances she has, that she takes for granted.

Stella

We've got to have a life of our own anyway. Having a child isn't a life sentence to drudgery and boredom you know.

Narrator 2

Of course Celia is properly looked after. She is never on her own in the house. There is always an au pair to look after her. It's just that they don't stay long.

Chorus

Parlez vous francais? Au revoir. Parliamo italiano? Arrivederci. Sprechen zi deutsche? Auf wiedersehn. (All except Harry go back into the Chorus)

Scene 2

Narrator 2

The Kings live in a big town, name of Birchpool. Mr King makes all his money in the town. There are many people who need his services and his peculiar skills. These poor folk live in a certain part of the town.

Narrator 1

Mrs King attends to all her many duties and pleasures in the big town. The people she meets live in a different part of the town.

Chorus

Come to Birchpool, a town to meet all your needs, a town for everybody. (Youth of Today come out ready for the Rap)

Narrator 1

Many of the young people who live in Birchpool find their needs are met best on the streets. Of an evening, groups of young people can be seen gathering. With nothing much to do and nowhere much to go, they often find themselves up to mischief.

Chorus

The youth of today. What is the country coming to?

Song: Youth Rap

Phil:

So what's your problem then?

Del:

Yeah, what's your problem?

Phil:

D'you think we're disgusting, is that it? Rude? Badly brought up?

Del:

Scruffy? Uncouth?

Phil:

Yeah, we're all of those things.

Del:

And we don't care.

Toni:

At least we don't mess up the place with sleeping bags and cardboard boxes and bits of blankets and can you spare a bit of change please.

Freddie:

Like that little weasel over there. Look at him.

Del:

He's a disgrace.

Phil:

A waste of space.

Toni:

Let's rearrange his face.

All

Let's go!! The youths chase after Harry who gathers up his belongings and scampers off