New Plays for Young People

Charles Way

• Publisher: Aurora Metro Books
• ISBN:
  9781906582715
• Topic: Letteratura
• Subtopic: Teatro europeo

A sparkling collection of three new plays by distinguished children's playwright Charles Way. They have been successfully produced by professional theatre companies for children in the UK, the US and Germany.These plays work equally well for use in schools, colleges or youth theatres. With contemporary themes and challenging roles, this is a collection that offers enjoyable theatre for young people of all ages to perform.MISSING – a modern take on Hansel and Gretel, about the nature of poverty. This play won the German Children's Theatre Prize 2010 and has had eight productions in Germany alone.NIVELLI'S WAR – about a six-year-old German Evacuee and his journey home at the end of WW2.PIRATES! – about a boy at sea, this was nominated both for the Writer's Guild Best Children's Play award and a Helen Hayes Award in America for 'Outstanding New Play'. Winner of the the American Alliance for Theatre and Education 'Distinguished Play' Award 2012.

MISSING

Missing, or ‘Looking for Grethel’ was jointly commissioned by Consol Theatre, Gelsenkirchen, Germany and Theatr Iolo, Cardiff, Wales. For ages 10 and over.

Characters	Welsh	German
Hansel	Nick Hywell	Tobias Novo
Grethel	Lucy Rivers	Hanna Charlotte Kruger
Father	John Norton	Markus Kirschbaum.
Stepmother	Caroline Bunce	Eva Horstmann
Cousin of Stepmother (Played by Father)

The play was written for a cast of four – two male and two female.

Part 1: Hansel and his Family

Part 2: Looking Back – Four Points of View

Part 3: Looking for Grethel

Part 4: Aftermath – Four Points of View

Notes

Missing is a piece of physical theatre with text. There are occasions when movement/action alone will be all that is needed to tell the story, and the text is an active ‘stage direction’. To indicate this I have underlined certain sections which are quite clearly not necessary as spoken text. These are examples only and the director/company may make other choices depending on the nature of the production.

The opening prologue is shared by all the cast, and the following sections are led by one character, as indicated by the larger numbered headings. However, these are not required to be monologues. Within each section I have indicated which lines would belong to characters other than the lead.

PART ONE

Hansel and his Family

1 CAST

The papers said he looked like something the devil cooked up for dinner

They didn’t like the way he hid his face with a hood

They didn’t like the way he clung to the shadows

To the side of the street – like a cat – up to no good.

His name is Hansel.

From his bedroom window Hansel can see the old mine

Where his grandfather used to work.

It’s a huge, red rotting thing

An iron shape cut out against a clear sky.

Sometimes Hansel climbs up the side of the air shaft through rusting iron hoops

On to a ledge that gives a good view of the field, the mine and the city beyond.

It’s forbidden of course but he likes it there – he sits and smokes – watching the city lights –

Up there no one can creep up from behind

It feels safe and gives him a chance to think.

What does Hansel think about?

His family.

His father – used to work the mine too before it closed down.

After that he became a driver delivering parcels all over Europe.

Until he lost the job.

He says he misses his friends from the old days and that’s why he drinks.

He says work gave his drinking shape – but now he can drink all day.

On those days he forgets to ask Hansel –

Where have you been?

Who were you with?

What were you doing?

Come home at a reasonable time.

The only thing Hansel does is look after his little sister –

Grethel.

His mother had asked him to do this – she trusted him –

And he does – he looks after her – protects her.

Sometimes he fights for her – with his bare fists in the field below.

Where’s their mother?

She’s dead.

She died when Hansel was ten.

When he was twelve his father married again.

Once he told Hansel that he loved alcohol more than he loved his new wife –

Their stepmother.

At first Grethel was pleased – she so wanted a mother – like the one Hansel spoke about –

A mother who loved you – who told you stories.

PART TWO

Looking Back – Four Points of View

1 HANSEL

Grethel was very young when mother died.

When Father told her she was going to have a new Mum, Grethel was happy. She smiled and smiled.

When stepmother didn’t turn out to be what she’d imagined Grethel smiled even more –

Like she was too scared to relax her cheeks.

I didn’t like our new mother from the start.

She was all smiles herself to begin with

But when she wasn’t looking at us directly the smile dropped from her face

And her face was mean and hard.

At first the battle between us was silent.

She took over the house, which was what Father wanted.

She did everything for him, lots of little things he could easily have done for himself

Like collecting Grethel’s child benefit money – or – paying the gas bill

And gradually he became – smaller and smaller – like he was shrinking.

He never asked me about anything – about why I didn’t go to school or anything.

I tried to get work, but I’m not good with people.

To work in a cafe you have to smile and talk about things that don’t mean anything.

I don’t like talking – I feel weak after. Silence is powerful and I like that.

I did get a job once but I got the sack because I took money from the till.

Father said –

FATHER

You little thieving rat – you’re no son of mine – You’re a monster.

Which was good.

FATHER

I don’t know where you bloody came from.

Which was odd.

His wife stood behind him smoking and smiling

STEPMOTHER

I told you so – I told you he was no good. The s...