Children of the Black Skirt

Angela Betzien

• Publisher: Currency Press
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781925359510
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

Three lost children discover an abandoned orphanage in the bush and become trapped in a timeless world, haunted by spirits of the past and tormented by the ominous Black Skirt, a cruel governess harbouring a mysterious past. The children begin to listen to the stories of the restless spirits of other children who have passed through the orphanage, and by doing so release the spirits from the tragedies of their pasts. This new gothic fairytale for young people tells a history of Australia through the eyes of children from convict times, the Stolen Generations, World War Two and beyond. An evocative play exploring the themes of history, reconciliation and the power of storytelling; this is Roald Dahl meets Charles Dickens under the harsh Australian sun. Children of the Black Skirt has toured widely through Australian schools and is fast becoming a classroom favourite with teachers and students alike.Includes teachers' notes written by Adrianne Jones and Michael Boyle.

An abandoned orphanage somewhere in the Australian landscape.

Three children emerge from the bush. They are lost. They are barefoot and their clothes are dirty and torn.

As the children encounter the orphanage they fall silent. Warily at first, they begin to explore. They pick up old scrubbing brushes, overturn dormitory beds with their dusty sheets, and peer into cobwebbed suitcases and boxes.

One of the children discovers a very old Victorian-style black dress lying on the floor. She shows the others, who dare her to try it on. Attached to the black dress is an enormous pair of scissors. The other two children also find dresses and try them on. They giggle at the game of dress-up.

As the child draws the black dress over her own clothes she suddenly becomes the character who once owned the dress, the cruel governess of the orphanage, known by all as THE BLACK SKIRT.

The other children, as if trapped in this strange spell, also become the characters who once owned the dresses they now wear …

One girl becomes the character of ROSIE, the Aboriginal laundry woman who worked at the orphanage.

The other child becomes NEW ONE, a new arrival at the orphanage. She wears the identity number J78. The J represents her junior status in the orphanage.

The sound of a train.

NEW ONE picks up a small suitcase and sits. She begins to move with the rhythm of a train.

The train comes to a halt and NEW ONE is greeted by ROSIE, who takes her suitcase and leads her through the orphanage to the shower room.

The sound of dripping water.

Rosie Listen now, this is what yer do. Yer take all yer things off, that’s right. Yer got to wash yerself real well, then put these on. These are all yer things. These are the things yer wear at night ’n’ these are the things yer wear at day. Yer understand? That lady in the black skirt gets cross if yer do the wrong thing. You gotta do what she tells yer, everythin’ she tells yer. Hush now, don’t cry, hush now.

ROSIE leaves.

NEW ONE is left to whimper in the dark.

ROSIE presents NEW ONE’s suitcase to THE BLACK SKIRT.

THE BLACK SKIRT opens the suitcase and silently inspects its contents. She withdraws, one by one, an item of underwear, a teddy bear, a book of fairytales.

She’s eight, Missus. Her mother ’n’ father is dead, Missus, she’s a ward of the state, Missus. Yes, Missus, I’ll burn them things, Missus. No, Missus. Do what you say, Missus.

THE BLACK SKIRT places these items back in the suitcase and returns it to ROSIE. THE BLACK SKIRT leaves.

ROSIE goes to the incinerator in the orphanage grounds. She sings as she regretfully burns the contents of NEW ONE’s suitcase. At the last moment ROSIE spares NEW ONE’s book of fairytales and hides it in her washing basket. ROSIE hurries away.

THE BLACK SKIRT appears in the shower room carrying a heavy set of keys. She leads NEW ONE through the dark corridors of the orphanage to the girls’ dormitory, then silently instructs her where she is to sleep.

THE BLACK SKIRT leaves the dormitory.

OLD ONE, a young Aboriginal girl, is kneeling by her bed in prayer. She wears the identity number S78. The S represents her senior status. Senior children share an identity number with Junior children for whom they have a responsibility of care. She quickly finishes her prayers, then jumps into bed.

NEW ONE begins to cry.

OLD ONE withdraws a candle and a box of matches hidden beneath her bed. She lights a match, then the candle. The light startles NEW ONE into silence.

Old One It’s all right, New One, hop into bed. Quick, before she comes back.

NEW ONE gets into her bed. OLD ONE blows out the candle.

The ghostly sound of a baby crying.

THE BLACK SKIRT can be seen nursing what appears to be a baby in the distant corridors of the orphanage.

The voices of spirit children fill the orphanage. They are the ghosts of children past.

NEW ONE covers her head with her bed sheet. She is terrified.

OLD ONE is familiar with the spirits. She tosses and turns in her bed, annoyed that she can’t sleep for all the noise they are making.

The spirit voices fade as the sound of a kookaburra heralds the morning.

OLD ONE addresses the audience.

Hey, all you girls. New One looks like she’s heard a ghost. You have. Them the spirits. Them the sad lil’ fellas come here every night. Look, all you girls, New One so scared she peed the bed. Don’t worry, them spirits won’t hurt yer. Them just kids like us.

THE BLACK SKIRT enters the dormitory. OLD ONE warns NEW ONE to keep her head down. THE BLACK SKIRT claps once. OLD ONE jumps out of her bed and kneels on the floor in prayer. NEW ONE tries to follow OLD ONE’s lead.

This is our Home,

Let Love abide here.

Let us always speak the truth,

Love the truth,

And live the truth.

May contentment dwell in our hearts,

May our home be a place of joy and companionship

Where the love of our matron reigns.

In the name of her we pray.

Amen.

THE BLACK SKIRT claps again and the children make their beds. THE BLACK SKIRT inspects the beds. She discovers a wet sheet on NEW ONE’s bed, picks it up and covers NEW ONE’s head with it. THE BLACK SKIRT claps again and OLD ONE leads the chant of humiliation …

Pee the beds, pe...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Real TV
• A Project History
• Composer’s Notes
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• First Production
• Characters
• Setting
• Children of the Black Skirt
• Teachers’ Notes
• Copyright Page