Positive Stories For Negative Times, Volume 2

Seven Plays For Young People to Perform in Real Life or Remotely

Wonder Fools

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9781350276086
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781350276109
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Seven exciting new plays for young people written specifically in response to a world in the midst of a pandemic, accompanied by a handbook from Wonder Fools with guidance for staging the plays, and other creative responses, either online or live in the space.

Commissioned as part of Wonder Fools' national participatory project Positive Stories for Negative Times: Volume 2, these plays offer a variety of stories, styles and forms for ages between 6 and 25.

Spyrates 2 (Spies vs Pirates): Journey to the Forbidden Island by Robbie Gordon & Jack Nuse
Featuring spies, pirates, robots, talking animals and everything in between, 'Spyrates' is an interactive, playful and imaginative adventure story. Ages 6+

At First I Was Afraid… (I Was Petrified!) by Douglas Maxwell
A feel-good comedy drama about a girl who keeps a diary of all her anxieties; but as she moves from Primary School to Secondary, from normal life to Lockdown, all of her worries appear to come true. Ages 11 +

The Raven by Hannah Lavery
A play full of adventure and an exploration of what shapes and what divides us, exploring issues of blended families, bullying, overeating, depression and isolation. Ages 11 +

Thanks For Nothing by The PappyShow
This not a play, but a process. It explores what it means to be thankful in this world we live in today. It's a mix of games, challenges and exercises for you to tell your own stories, in your own way. Ages 11 +

Revolting by Bryony Kimmings
A series of tasks and actions that make a narrative to be performed with props. We are agents of the revolution. How do we revolt? How do we not get into trouble? Where do we get power, and then how do we use it for good? Ages 13 +

The Skirt by Ellen Bannerman
An absurdist feminist fable for the next generation of feminists. Ages 16+

Write To Rave: Step Pon by Debris Stevenson
A play about the political power of a rave. Who has the right to rave, to dance and move freely? What is it to feel truly free in your own skin? It tells the story a queer group of humans trying their best to rave whilst the world tries it's best to stop them. Ages 18 +

The accompanying handbook includes an exploration of Wonder Fools' theatre-making process, step-by-step guidance in how to produce the plays either online or live in the space, and bespoke exercises and instructions in how to approach directing each play.

1. Pick your play

You’re at the start of the process. The world is your oyster.

What a buzz!

The first thing you need to do is pick your play.

We have a brilliant collection of different styles and forms for you to pick from this year. Some are brilliant narrative-based scripts, and others are exciting devising processes. We hope there is something for everyone. So have a wee look at the list below and think about what feels most appropriate for your group. Maybe it’s more than one?

Spyrates (Spies vs Pirates) 2: Journey to the Forbidden Island

by Robbie Gordon & Jack Nurse

Featuring spies, pirates, robots, talking animals and everything in between, Spyrates is an interactive, playful and imaginative adventure story with an accompanying process drama.

Age: 6+

Cast size: 14+

At First I Was Afraid...

(I Was Petrified!)

by Douglas Maxwell

A feel-good comedy-drama about a girl who keeps a diary of all her anxieties; but as she moves from Primary School to Secondary, from normal life to Lockdown, she’s starting to believe that the diary might have dark magical powers, making all of her worries – no matter how crazy – come true.

Age: 11+

Cast size: There are 19 named speaking parts in the play. Many of the smaller parts can be “doubled up”, so the same actors could play a few roles. For bigger groups, there is a narration that is designed to be read aloud, like a storyteller. However, the narration is also disposable – meaning that if you have a smaller group, you could cut the lines completely and treat them as stage directions.

The Raven

by Hannah Lavery

A play full of adventure and an exploration of what shapes and what divides us, exploring issues of blended families, bullying, overeating, depression and isolation.

Age: 11+

Cast size: 5+

Thanks for Nothing

by The PappyShow with Lewis Hetherington

This isn’t a play but a blueprint for performance. What are you thankful for? Not the big things. Not the deep things. What are the little, everyday things which give you moments of gratitude and joy?

Age: 11+

Cast size: 6+

Revolting

by Bryony Kimmings

A series of tasks and actions that make a narrative to be performed with props. We are agents of the revolution. How do we revolt? How do we not get into trouble? Where do we get power, and then how do we use it for good?

Age: 13+

Cast size: 1– 100.

It is autobiographical. It has no

characters, so it can be split up however

groups would like and is very much fun,

funny and self-authored.

The Skirt

by Ellen Bannerman

An absurdist feminist fable for the next generation of feminists.

Age: 16+

Cast size: 1-100

Write to Rave: Step Pon

by Debris Stevenson

A mash-up of movement, music, poetry and lyrics. As funny and surreal as it is moving and political.

Age: 18+

Cast size: 1-100

2. Prepare your process

Our beliefs

When Wonder Fools are preparing projects, we think first about creating a safe environment for young people and to do so we embed the same principles into all of the work we make.

There are three cornerstones of any Wonder Fools work:

1. Create an open, safe and inclusive space.

2. Build a creative and fun environment to work in.

3. Form positive relationships through active listening, storytelling and discussion.

We always feel like if we get these things right, the good work will follow!

In tandem with our principles about creating and making work, we have organisational beliefs about the safeguarding of the children and young people that we work with:

• The welfare and safety of children and young people should always be protected and promoted.

• Children and young people are individuals with their own needs, wishes and feelings.

• Children and young people should be able to use the internet for education and personal development, but safeguards need to be in place to ensure they are always kept safe.

If you’re working online, it’s best to think about your organisation’s principles and how to best achieve them in a digital space. You may already have your own set of beliefs or values, and if you do, that’s brilliant. If you don’t, that’s absolutely fine too. This project is potentially a catalyst to create them, redefine them or think about what they could be in the future.

What you will need

Importantly, as well as a set of beliefs and values, you will need the following in place to begin work:

• Your chosen script!

• This handbook.

• A group of young people.

• A space to work. This could be physical or digital. It’s completely up to you!

• Paper, pens and pencils.

If you are working with young people under the age of 18 you will need:

• Child Protection Policy

• Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO)

• Criminal record checks in place

• Code of Conduct for staff

• Code of Conduct for ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• About the project
• Editors’ note
• About Wonder Fools
• About the Traverse
• Creative team biographies
• Steps of the process
• 1. Pick your play
• 2. Prepare your process
• 3. Create an open, safe and inclusive space
• 4. Build a creative and fun environment to work in
• 5. Form positive relationships through active listening, storytelling and discussion
• 6. Explore the play
• 7. Make a response
• 8. Upload your work
• 9. Share and celebrate
• 10. Evaluation
• Spyrates (Spies vs Pirates) 2: Journey to the Forbidden Islandby Robbie Gordon and Jack Nurse
• At First I Was Afraid . . . (I Was Petrified!) by Douglas Maxwell
• The Raven by Hannah Lavery
• Thanks for Nothing by The PappyShow with Lewis Hetherington
• Revolting by Bryony Kimmings
• The Skirt by Ellen Bannerman
• Write to Rave: Step Pon by Debris Stevenson
• eCopyright