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Prologue
Theatre foyer.
Venues will be encouraged to set their foyers up in the style of the play.
Celebration of the shearing way of life – hay bales, eucalyptus trees, fencing, memorabilia from shearing sheds, etc.
It is hoped local schools will display artwork commemorating the world of Pete the Sheep.
Country music feel to the front of house music.
Two shearers, RATSO and BUNGO, appear with their dogs, BRUTE and FANG. RATSO whistles.
RATSO: Brute!
BUNGO: Fang!
RATSO & BUNGO: Round ’em up!
BRUTE: Woof. Woof!
FANG: Grrrr.
BRUTE tries to cock his leg and relieve himself on one of the audience members.
RATSO: Git away from there. Whaddayathink this is? Bush week?
BUNGO: Check out the fleece on this one.
RATSO: Bunch of rejects from the Tamworth [apply local town reference here] Show here for sure.
BUNGO refers to another audience member.
BUNGO: This’ll get a good price. Plenty o’ yarn.
RATSO: Oooh, yeah. Enough to knit a scarf from here to the back o’ Bourke!
They exit as the audience moves into the auditorium and are seated.
As the audience enter the auditorium a pre-show bush farm soundscape is heard – sheep, cockatoos, beautiful bird sounds, magpies.
As the lights go down …
Voices come over the PA system (in a sheep accent), accompanied by the sound of a tapping hoof and blowing ‘fff-fff’ through the microphone:
AUNT WOOLLY: [off] Is this on?
SHAUN: [off] Yes, Aunt Woolly.
AUNT WOOLLY: [off] G’daaay, ewes and wethers, welcome to Shaggy Gully. No chewing or eating in the shearing shed. And no photos – our sheep are very shyyy … and don’t be a dag – turn off your mobile phones. Now … sit back, relax, and enjoy the show brought to ewes by Monkey Baaa.
SHAUN: [off] Thanks, Aunt Woolly.
Scene One
Shearing shed interior. Monday morning.
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