Josef Weinberger Junior Collection
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Tin Pan Ali
It's the familiar story of Ali Baba, the Arabian peasant whose discovery of a magic cave containing a trove of stolen riches leads to wealth and relentless pursuit by a band of forty thieves, except now the setting is Prohibition-era Chicago, our hero is a street sweeper, and the thieves are a bunch of inept gangsters – a tuneful, charming, inspired adaptation of an old chestnut."Music that would appeal to any generation." - The Daily Telegraph
"Children's Theatre at its best." - Times Educations Supplement
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Adventures Of Mr. Toad, The
The irrepressible Mr. Toad tears up the English countryside in this engaging adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's endearing novel. Toad's passion for excitement has his slower-paced friends Mole, Rat and Badger reluctantly bailing him out of scrape after scrape, until an attempted coup of Toad Hall by some evil Weasels presses the four into action and quenches his appetite for adventure.Opened December 1984
"Splendid, bright and as overblown as a Disney cartoon."
-- The Stage
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Alice (Leisy/Eberhard)
Loosely based on the famous `Alice' stories by Lewis Carroll, this delightful adaptation portrays the plucky Alice accidentally finding her way into a bewildering plot, as she follows the White Rabbit from a seat in the audience! After much frustration and intriguing encounters with such popular characters as Tweedledum and Tweedledee she gains entry to Wonderland itself, where her adventures include playing croquet with the volatile Queen. A remarkable show brimming with memorable songs. Ideal for middle and secondary schools. Details
Ballad of Salomon Pavey, The
The compelling story of two rival groups of boy actors at court during the reign of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. Salomon Pavey, an outstanding young actor with a flair for playing the parts of old men, unwittingly becomes involved in the politics of the Royal Court with tragic results - a victim not only of his enemies, but also of his success. A ballad opera that uses popular music of the period, capturing beautifully the spirit of the Elizabethan age. As seen at Shakespeare's Globe
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Brilliant the Dinosaur
In the near future the Banks family are living in a town on the South Coast of England. When a storm opens a cave in the cliff, it reveals the town's oldest inhabitant - a female diplodocus. The Banks children discover her and help her hide, but concealing thirty metres of reptile is not an easy job, and eventually the diplodocus and the grown-ups meet face to face. With a tuneful score, this funny, moving work provides many opportunities for a large cast and inventive staging.Duration 55 minutes approx.
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Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The
C. S. Lewis' tale of the fabulous land of Narnia, rescued from the evil of the White Witch by the mighty Aslan and - from the other side of the wardrobe - two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve. This new musical adaptation for upper juniors and lower seniors beautifully captures the mood and drama of the novel's supernatural setting, affirming the positive values of the Christian ethic, redemption through love.Details
Scrooge
A new setting of A Christmas Carol. Scrooge, woken on Christmas Eve by the ghost of Marley, is warned of his impending fate - to walk the earth, dragging chains in agony and shame. Scrooge is then visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future, who reveal the misery of Christmas for the poor. Determined to alter his miserly ways, Scrooge buys presents for his employees and raises their salaries to the amazement and delight of them all. Catchy melodies and a witty script make this ideal for primary and secondary school Christmas productions. Duration: 90 minutes.
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Shepherd King, The
The well-loved Old Testament story of David, chosen by God to be the King of Israel. It traces his life from humble beginnings as a shepherd boy, to the slaying of the giant Goliath, his marriage to Saul's daughter and his crowning as King when Saul is defeated and killed by the Philistines. With infectious tunes such as "Nine Feet Tall", and "Saul, Saul, Saul" this fun musical is ideal as an end-of-term production for junior and lower secondary schools. Duration: 50 minutes. Details
Snow Queen, The
A delightful fairy-story by Hans Andersen and the well loved music of Grieg make an inspired combination. Gerda's search for her lost brother Karl involves many strange adventures and encounters with magical characters, but the youngsters triumph in the end over the villainies of the Hobgoblin and the icy machinations of the beautiful Snow Queen. A short (one hour and three quarters) but enchanting musical play. Suitable for juniors. Details
Treasure Island (Ornadel/Shaper)
Direct from London's Mermaid Theatre, where it won the coveted Ivor Novello Award for the best English musical of the year. Based very closely on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, its story of Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver and pirate's treasure is one of the world's favourite adventure stories. Plenty of scope for an imaginative producer, with rowdy songs and sea-shanties galore. Lots of chorus work, although a limited amount for the ladies. Details
Walter and the Pigeons
Walter, a hen-pecked, insignificant little man, is driven to the verge of despair when he discovers that his beloved pigeons have been set free from the pigeon coop by his nagging wife. At the very moment he is about to jump off the roof of his house he is interrupted by two plump pigeons, Crum and Plum . . . and so begins his magical adventure into the world of birds - and a marauding cat!With lots of tuneful, catchy music and plenty of scope for imaginative staging and costumes, this delightful show is ideal for 9 - 14 year olds.
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Bendigo Boswell
On a farm in the Kentish countryside, the clash of cultures between Kentish locals, London cockneys, and a Romany gypsy tribe spells tragedy for an unlikely romance between a gypsy boy and a beautiful cockney girl. A heart-rendering examination of the dangers of prejudice, with an ending and message as powerful and poignant as "West Side Story."
"A joyful, life enhancing experience, skillfully encompassign all the emotions" - The Scotsman
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Dragon Fire
DRAGON FIRE takes its inspiration from ancient Japanese folk tales. It tells of a village terrorized by a ferocious fire-eating Dragon. Patches, a cheeky child, is the only villager brave enough to make the perilous journey across the mountains to visit the wise Goddess who can reveal how the Dragon can be defeated. DRAGON FIRE tells the story of her journey, of the strange creatures she encounters along the way, and of her meeting with the Goddess. The story ends with Patches' triumphant and ingenious defeat of the Dragon.
DRAGON FIRE was written for an all-girl cast, but can equally be performed by boys or mixed groups. The size of the cast is flexible. There are seven main parts, and six groups of other characters, who can double up as necessary. The ideal age range is 9-13.
DRAGON FIRE was first performed by Malvern Girls' College (Junior House) on July 1st 1995.
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The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch
"Our most experienced writer of children's plays, David Wood, has done an excellent job of adapting the novel by Ronda & David Armitage.... the pupils really put their heart into belting out [the] tuneful songs... a delightful stage version" Oxford Mail
The first of Ronda and David Armitage's delightful series of books about Mr. & Mrs. Grinling, the Lighthouse Keeper and his wife, is now a delightful musical for schools and youth theatre companies, adapted for the stage by our most popular and prolific writer of children's plays, David Wood.
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