Chicken!

New revised 2020 version

Mark Wheeller

• Publisher: Salamander Street Ltd.
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781913630331
• eBook ISBN: 9781913630324
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

New revised 2020 version

It's Christmas. Tammy and Chris, cousins and best mates, are both thrilled to get cool new bikes. Give or take the odd unworn cycle helmet everything is great... that is until one morning when Chris has a puncture and Tammy agrees to walk with him. They're late and in a hurry. They decide to race. Chris runs out across a busy main road and then flips open his smart phone to dare Tammy to do the same in front of a fast-approaching car...

Chicken! has been performed 5,876 times, averaging nearly one performance a day since the original version was written in 1992.

This new 2020 version includes many updated references, a brand-new foreword by Adrian New, of StopWatch Theatre Company, more funny lines and a new decision for the actor to make at the end!

Suitable for: Key Stage 2 audience. Key Stage 3, 4, 5 performance, BTEC course as part of the TiE unit (a companion DVD/download showing the complete professional TiE programme is also available)

Duration: 45 minutes approximately

Cast: The play has 9 main characters: 4 male, 3 females and 2+ of either sex.
It can be doubled by 2m 2f 

"A powerful play with a surprising twist."
Charles Vance, Amateur Stage

"[The] performance was lively, skilful, well-paced and enjoyable. Excellent participation, explored lots of issues pertinent to Year 7, including bullying and peer pressure as well as road safety."
Mrs S Scantlebury, Head of Year 7, Chipping Norton School, Oxfordshire

Section 1

A BIKE FOR CHRISTMAS

As the audience arrive music is playing. Throughout the following scene the two families mirror each other on either side of the stage, representing their different homes.

CHRIS: (With a high five.) Chris!

TAMMY: (With a high five.) Tammy!

TAMMY & CHRIS: Cousins and best mates Chillin’ together on the local estates.

TAMMY: Water fights at weekends …

CHRIS:… playing knock-door-run

TAMMY becomes an irate neighbour as CHRIS knocks on her door. She freezes, shaking her fist at him, and as he runs away he uses his phone to take a selfie with her in the background.

CHRIS: Selfie!

TAMMY: (Breaking out of freeze and laughing.) Filming what happens and always having fun!

CHRIS: Showing it to our mates next day makes everybody laugh.

TAMMY: But if your mum caught sight of them she’d drown you in the bath!

CHRIS: She’s not that bad!

TAMMY: She’s… well sad!

TAMMY & CHRIS: Anyway …

TAMMY: Christmas is coming and there’s one thing we’d both like …

CHRIS: A state of the art …

TAMMY: … well sorted …

TAMMY & CHRIS:… mountain bike.

TAMMY: We’ve dropped some blatant hints

CHRIS: … almost every day.

TAMMY & CHRIS: But if Mum/Dad’s bought one, it’s hidden well away. (NB Throughout choral sections, Tammy says “Dad” and Chris says “Mum”)

CHRIS: So a potted introduction has passed before your eye.

TAMMY & CHRIS: And here we are for you today… the “dramatis personae”.

TAMMY: There is one little problem though… we’re meant to be thirteen.

CHRIS: Easy… (To audience.) … suspend your disbelief in every single scene. In Theatre you can conjure up anything at all.

TAMMY: Like what?

CHRIS: A microphone

TAMMY:DJ!

CHRIS:… Pump it Up!

TAMMY:… Good call!

They go into a DJ/rap routine. TAMMY soon stops but CHRIS continues.

Chris! (The music stops.)

CHRIS: At least I don’t wear Peppa Pig pyjamas.

TAMMY: No, you wear Paw Patrol pyjamas!

Anyway we’re here to do this play

So, let’s introduce our folks …

TAMMY & CHRIS:… and get it underway.

CHRIS: My mum… Ann.

ANN: Hello! (As if lighting up her face.)

TAMMY: And my dad… Ray.

RAY: Hi! (As if lighting up his face.)

CHRIS & TAMMY: Come on Mum/Dad tell us, what’s the date today?

RAY & ANN: 15th December.

ALL: Ten more days till Christmas!!!

TAMMY & CHRIS: Mum/Dad. I’d really like a bike for Christmas.

RAY & ANN: We’ll see…

TAMMY & CHRIS: You always say (Imitating.) “We’ll see”.

RAY & ANN: Well! We’ll see! Now time for bed!

TAMMY & CHRIS: Do I have to?

RAY & ANN: Yes… or do you want a goodnight kiss?

TAMMY & CHRIS: Yeuch! Maybe I will go to bed!

Exit.

RAY & ANN: iPad. Online shopping!

(They each grab an iPad – exaggerated mime – and open it.)

Best Bikes Dot Com.

(They point at the screen.)

That one! That one! That one!

(Finally they point at the same one.)

That one!!!

RAY: She’ll be ever so pleased with it!

ANN: I can’t wait for his littl...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Review of the StopWatch production
• Reflections
• Chicken!