Lights, Camera, Action Series: Foreigners In Oztralia by Teacher Superstore

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Foreigners in Oztralia

By Jacquelin Melilli

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For primary/secondary students © Rea dyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Written by Jacquelin Melilli. Illustrated by Melinda Brezmen. (© Ready-Ed Publications 2005) This edition published by Ready-Ed Publications (2010) P.O. Box 276 Greenwood Western Australia 6024 Email: info@readyed.com.au Website: www.readyed.com.au

COPYRIGHT NOTICE Permission is granted for the purchaser to photocopy sufficient copies for non-commercial educational purposes. However, this permission is not transferable and applies only to the purchasing individual or institution.

ISBN 978 1 86397 640 4

Inquiries

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Inquiries regarding performing rights and sales should be addressed to:

Website: www.jacquelinmelilli.com

About the Author

This play is fully protected by copyright and is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the Author’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover than that in which it is published.

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Email: drama@jacquelinmelilli.com

Jacquelin Melilli was born in France to a French father and Spanish mother. She came to Australia at the age of four and a half. After mastering the English language, writing stories became her passion.

Inquires should be addressed to the above address. Permission to perform any play must be obtained from the author or the author’s agent. Royalties must be paid for each and every performance.

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Jacquelin also pursued her love of acting, performing in theatre and some small roles in film, television and corporate videos. In 2001, Jacquelin began teaching drama at the Coffs Regional Conservatorium to students aged between 8 and 16 years. She has written five plays and produced and directed two of her plays into short films. These were screened at the Sawtell Cinema in 2002 to a full house.

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Subject to the conditions prescribed under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may lawfully be reproduced in any form or by any means – photocopying, typescript, electronic, recording (including video/digital recording) manuscript, mechanical or otherwise or be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without prior written permission.

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Photocopying of any part of the play script contained herein is expressly forbidden without payment of photocopying licence.

Jacquelin’s plays require little rehearsal time, minimum props and very simple sets, making them ideal for schools, travelling groups and for performing at Theatre Festivals. A smaller cast makes travelling to different venues easier to manage and the chance of all actors being present at every rehearsal are greater. Jacquelin tries to avoid writing small roles, as she knows most actors like to be on stage as much as possible! Her plays are also ideal for converting into short film scripts, radio plays and puppet shows.

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Copyright Information ............................................ 2 About the Author ................................................... 2 About this Series ................................................... 4 Introduction ........................................................... 5 Teachers’ Notes .................................................... 5 Curriculum Links ................................................... 6 Production Roles ................................................... 7 Stage Directions .................................................... 9 Extra Crew for Film Production ............................ 10 Where to Start ..................................................... 11 Storyboarding the Script ..................................... 12 Theatre/Film Planning ........................................ 14 Filming: Suggestion Notes .................................. 16 Using the Camera ............................................... 18 Shooting the Scenes ........................................... 19 Editing a Film ...................................................... 20 Producing a Radio Play ....................................... 21 Putting on a Puppet Show ................................... 22 Suggested Shooting Script .................................. 23

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Foreigners in Oztralia

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Student Workheets: Teachers’ Notes .................................................... 27 Analysing Characters (Students’ Notes) ................ 28 Character Profiles ................................................. 30 Story Comprehension Activities ............................ 32

o c . che e r o t r s super Foreigners in Oztralia About the Play ...................................................... 34 Suggested Costumes and Props .......................... 35 Cast and Background ........................................... 36 The Script ............................................................ 37

Ready-Ed Publications

About this Series This Lights, Camera, Action! series is designed as an informative starting point for creating professional dramatic arts performances through either film, stage play, radio show or puppet show. Each book contains an award winning script that is highly entertaining as well as topical. Comprehensive ideas and recommendations have been given throughout the series for making the most of these plays.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S There are four titles in this series:

Little Red Meets the Dingo Foreigners in Oztralia

Can Anybody Hear Me? Goldisocks and the Three Koalas

Each book in the series contains a full script that can be performed as either a screen play, stage play, radio or puppet show. Because many of the production roles are similar for each of the performances above, this information has been kept in one section and should be followed for all forms of the play. Presenting the material in this manner, allows you to decide what options to go with for your production (e.g. film, stage, radio or puppet show). Production Roles

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Many of the behind the scenes roles are similar in nature (e.g. sound effects, costume design) and can be applied to any type of performance. Specific roles (e.g. film editor for a film, stage manager for a stage play) have been given special mention where relevant.

aa Film © Making Re dyEdPubl i cat i ons This book contains very useful introductory notes on film production roles, storyboarding, camera shots, shooting sequences, editing filmn andl much •f or r evi ew p ur p ose sao ymore. •You will note that the shooting sequences varies from the actual script so it is

Stage Play

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recommended that you read the full script (see Page 37) before being able to understand the suggested shooting script (see Page 23).

Extensive guidelines for staging a play are included as well as a section on stage directions for organising the entrance and exits of cast members. Puppet Show and Radio Show Play

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Information is provided specific to producing the plays in this manner, however, the book mainly concentrates on requirements for film and stage play production. Much of this stage and film information can be applied to radio and puppet shows. There is much less work involved in putting on a radio play as there is no need for costumes or set design, lights, film etc. However, a thorough understanding of the script is an important part of preparation. This can be achieved by completing the student activity sheets on Pages 27-32. A radio play relies heavily on a director’s interpretation of the script and the actors’ interpretation of the characters.

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A puppet show is similar to a stage production with the exception that it’s the puppets who are seen by the audience rather than the actors, so directions for putting on a stage production should be followed. Activity Pages To allow students a better understanding of characterisation, photocopiable activity pages have been included. Ideally, these sheets should be used early on, once an initial read-through of the full script has occurred.

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Teachers’ Notes A Successful Production Begins with a Good Script

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Foreigners in Oztralia is a fun play about different people’s lifestyles and dealing with expectations that are not met. Two worlds come together when Anita and Frederick, an upper crust couple from England, come to stay at Shazza and Bazza’s “Oztralian” homestead. Anita and Frederick’s high expectations of luxury and first class service are dashed when Shazza and Bazza proudly show off their homestead, which not only lodges foreigners but a very pregnant cow! There’s a little lesson to learn about materialism and judging people by external appearances. Happiness is where the heart lives!

Drama

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Half the battle of creating a production is the time-consuming task of writing a good script. An effective script should be clear and easy for the audience to follow and preferably have a solid message that will stay in the mind of the audience. Dialogue should flow and be natural and the characters should be interesting and memorable. Finally, it needs to be entertaining with bursts of energy to keep the pace exciting. This makes choosing a good script a much easier task than writing one.

Why is drama so beneficial?

Drama is a great way to learn about human behaviour and, if delved into, can be quite complex with aspects of psychology being used to understand the characters portrayed. Understanding human behaviour is empowering as it allows students to better understand themselves and their peers, which in itself builds self-confidence. Drama also helps tremendously with communicating self-expression in a non-threatening way by enabling the actors to self examine their own feelings when portraying a character. Most actors are attracted to roles that they can relate to in one way or another.

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Not everyone likes to perform in front of an audience, yet most enjoy watching performances and having participated in the production in some way can be very rewarding. Ideally, encourage engaging the talents of the whole class to work behind the scenes in one way or another.

Using Foreigners in Oztralia in the classroom:

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Using the stage play as part of a reading program is a fun way to get students to enjoy reading. A read through would involve each student reading a section of the script, whether it is one line of dialogue or the action description. The script can then be read around the class and then continued from the first student down to the last again. In using this method, no set student plays a particular character role. Once students get through the first round, you’ll find some interesting voices will emerge! After the read through, work through the accompanying student activities: Analysing Characters/Character Profiles sheets and the Story Comprehension Activity Sheets provided on Pages 30-33. Students can work in groups to create the most interesting voices for the characters and record them on CD to be presented as a radio play. This is a very good exercise in helping children express themselves via use of their voice. Those students, who do not like acting in any form, will still be needed to create the sound effects and music required for background noise.

Radio Play

Theatre Production Ready-Ed Publications

Involves the whole class in the process of putting on a production and the importance of working as a team for successful results. This book contains detailed sections on what will be required.

Puppet Show

Students can work in groups with some being voice actors and others in charge of music, lights and sound effects. Puppets can be made by the students or dolls and stuffed animals can be turned into puppets and dressed accordingly.

For the more ambitious, and for those who have access to a digital film camera and editing software, an introduction into filmmaking has been included. Making a film is a lot more involved and time consuming and therefore the project can be done over the year or over three terms. Choosing a short script of around 30 minutes is sufficient. It is strongly recommended that you shoot the scenes in a blocked period of two or three days to keep with continuity. If you shoot it over weeks or months you will get all sorts of problems such as the actor’s hair growing, a pimple that wasn’t previously there and so on – the list is endless. If all the preparation has been done thoroughly prior to shooting, there should not be any problems with shooting the script in two days and allowing a third day for any re-shoots or scenes the director is not completely happy about.

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Then again, you may not want to take the film project too seriously, but simply use it as a means of experimenting with the camera, angles, using different directors and comparing how differently each one would shoot a scene. You may want to break students up into groups and allocate them a scene each for filming. Use different actors and allow everyone to take on different roles in the crew – after all, it is only an introduction to filmmaking. We all need to start somewhere. Playing around first allows you to get a good feel for it.

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Film Production

For more information on putting on a stage play, radio play, puppet show or making a film visit: www.jacquelinmelilli.com

Curriculum Links

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South Australia – Arts Strands: Arts Practice - 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3; Arts Analysis and Response – 2.4 Arts in Contexts – 2.6

Victoria – The Arts Strand: Performing Arts Sub-strand: Arts practice – ideas, skills, techniques and processes: 2.1, 3.1 Sub-strand: Responding to the arts – criticism, aesthetics and contexts – 2.2, 3.2

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Queensland – The Arts Strand: Drama; Level 2 Core: DR 2.1, DR 2.2, DR 2.3; Discretionary: DDR 2.4 Level 3 Core: DR 3.1, DR 3.2, DR 3.3 Western Australia – The Arts Strand: Communicating arts ideas; CAI 2, CAI 3 Strand: Using arts skills, techniques, technologies and processes; STP 2, STP 3 Strand: Responding, reflecting on and evaluating the arts; RRE 2, RRE 3, RRE 4 NT, ACT and Tas. (National Curriculum) – The Arts Strand: Drama Creating, Making and Presenting: Band B; Past and Present Contexts: Band B

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Production Roles The producer is responsible for raising funds, publicity, overseeing the budget and is overall in charge of the production. All decisions must be reported back to the producer. It is recommended that the teacher take this role with possibly an assistant producer to “learn the ropes”, especially where budgeting is concerned. A producer will need to draw up a budget with all the foreseen expenses listed and then calculate the cost of each ticket to recoup expenses and make a profit that may be set aside for the next production.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Director

Creates the vision of how the play/film is to be performed. Works as head of the production team to approve cast, costumes, set construction, lighting, sound, movement on stage/set, appearance of the stage/set, etc.

Assistant Director Stage Manager

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Producer

(Film) Carries out tasks set out by the director, such as organising casting calls and rehearsals; making sure the actors are ready to go on set; making sure everything runs smoothly and sorting out problems as they arise.

(Theatre) Is the first to arrive at the theatre prior to a performance and the last to leave the theatre after a performance. A stage manager oversees all activities on the stage and is responsible for any problems that may arise during a performance. Prior to a performance, the stage manager thoroughly checks all scenery, props, costumes, lighting and sound to make sure everything is ready and in place for the performance. The stage manager arranges for the actors to be at the theatre at least an hour prior to performance and advises actors of “half hour curtain call”, “fifteen minute curtain call”, ”five minute curtain call” and finally advises the actors to take their places prior to calling “Curtain!”. The stage manager must also communicate with the lighting and sound directors and the ushers to make sure everything is ready prior to calling “curtain”.

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Costume Designer

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Chooses team members to help design costumes and make the necessary arrangements to obtain them. This may mean compiling a note to send home to parents with detailed information/drawings of what exactly is needed. Second hand clothing shops are an excellent place to find costumes, wigs and even props! You may also be able to get the co-operation of the Textiles and Design class to make costumes for the production.

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Chooses team to help with putting on make-up, styling hair and wigs. A basic make-up kit should consist of: foundation (to suit character), powder, make-up pencils for brow and lips, brushes and sponges, make-up remover and hair spray. Most actors will already have these items and may prefer to bring their own make-up bag to rehearsals.

Set Designer

Chooses team to design the set as per the director’s instructions. This may be as simple as choosing class members who are talented artists to paint backdrops, on either butcher’s paper or suitable fabric to be hung as a background. Props can also be made from cardboard boxes, papier mâché, etc.

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Prop Assistant/s

Prompter/s

Need to organise props and familiarise themselves with the script to make sure props are in place when required during the performance. Must have replacement props organised in case any prop gets damaged or lost. Must be at every rehearsal.

Must be very familiar with the script and actions of actors. Responsible for prompting actors quietly from backstage if they forget their lines. Must be at every rehearsal.

or eBo st r Lightinge Director p ok u S Sound Director

Fundraiser/s

Works with the director to create appropriate sound effects or music to accompany production. Special care must be taken to come in exactly on cue with music or sound effects. Must be very familiar with scripts and be at every rehearsal.

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Works with the director to create appropriate lighting and mood during the performance. The lighting director must be familiar with the script and be present at every rehearsal.

Funds may need to be raised depending on the scale of the production. A budget will need to be worked out and discussed between the director and producer. Playing Theatre Sports is a fun way to raise funds. For more information visit: www.jacquelinmelilli.com

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Stage Directions

It is good practice for the director to use the correct referrals for directions on stage. Refer to the diagram below and ensure everyone has a copy. A fun warm-up game prior to rehearsals is for the director to call out a section of the stage randomly and have the actors run to that section as quickly as possible.

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The back of the stage: UPPER STAGE RIGHT, UPPER STAGE CENTRE, UPPER STAGE LEFT

The front of the stage: (closest to the audience) DOWN STAGE RIGHT, DOWN STAGE CENTRE, DOWN STAGE LEFT

Note:

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The centre of the stage: CENTRE STAGE RIGHT, CENTRE STAGE, CENTRE STAGE LEFT

The director who is watching/directing the actors from the audience’s point of view must remember that his/her RIGHT is the actor’s LEFT hand side. So care must be taken when giving instructions to actors so as not to cause confusion.

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Extra Crew -

For Film Production Camera Operator/DOP

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An excellent exercise for the entire class to be involved in. Students may work in pairs or groups. Each group must have access to a computer with editing software installed and make up their own edited version of the production. You will find each version to be edited differently according to the student’s interpretation and talents. Let the audience be the judge as to whose version they prefer.

Lighting Director Sound Director

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(DOP=Directory of Photography) This may be one person or a team who takes turns in operating the camera. A DOP should be creative and work closely with the director in regards to using different angles to create a mood or sense of presence for the audience.

Must be aware of both interior and exterior lighting. Works with a crew.

Needs to be aware of sounds that may not be picked up by the camera’s microphone. They can still be recorded separately on the day of shooting and added later during editing. Sound director works with a crew.

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Takes notes and photos (a digital camera is very handy) of every single take in filming so that continuity is kept between the different setups of the scene. For example, an actor may be eating a banana in one scene. If he/she has only taken one bite in the first take, it would look out of place if half the banana is gone in the final take. Or an actor may be wearing glasses in a scene and may forget to put them back on for the following scenes. A team of two people would be better – one to take notes and one to take photos. Notes should also be taken on camera angles, lighting, props and furniture, etc. A storyboard is a series of drawings of the scenes as they will be shot on film. Each scene is drawn in the camera angle in which it will be shot as discussed with the director. Every detail is drawn, including the cutaways (see Page 20) so that when the time comes to shoot the scene, everyone is clear on how it will be filmed and will know which angles and what effects/moods the director wants to create.

Storyboard Artists

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o c . che e r o t r s super Clapper

The two sticks that are struck together to mark a sync sound take at the commencement of each scene. It is helpful to have a small whiteboard detailing the scene and “Take” number held up in front of the camera when filming of the scene begins. Hitting a pen on the whiteboard can create the clapper sound needed. All this helps with editing later. A director will usually call “Rolling” to start the camera rolling, and then call “Mark it” to the person holding the clapper.

Dailies/Rushes

Someone will need to arrange for the day’s unedited work print of the film to be seen by the director and camera operator. This can be done on a television monitor to ensure that everything shot that day was successful and doesn’t need to be re-shot the following day.

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Where to Start

The teacher/producer will need to choose a suitable director. Both director and producer need to become very familiar with the script as they will be choosing the cast and crew and making all the major decisions whilst working closely together. The assistant director/ stage manager will also be closely involved.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Read Through

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Start with a read through of the script, allowing different students to read different roles until the director can decide whom to cast in each role. It is important for everyone to be present at the reading – even the crew will need to be very familiar with the script and the directions for sound and lighting given in the script. Choose a few of the crew to read the stage directions out loud during the read through. It is important for actors to understand the characters they are playing so as to avoid situations where actors play themselves or overact in an unnatural way. The Analysing Characters and Character Profiles worksheets (see Pages 28-31) will help develop an understanding of the roles and are very beneficial for the whole class to do after having read through the script a number of times. Allow students to choose which character they would like to analyse, making sure all characters are covered.

Character Research

Choose Cast Crew © Re ad yand E dPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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The producer can assist here by making sure that “friends” are not chosen for specific roles, and that the most suitable person for each role should be carefully selected. Actors play a very important part in the overall success of a production and therefore it is very important to choose the right actor for the role. Consideration needs to be given when casting that a daughter/son is not taller than her mother/father and if possible, an effort should be made to keep a balance with resemblances. Once the cast and crew have been chosen, the director should allow each person to do their job and bring their own special talent to the production. A director should not become a “control freak”. They should be flexible in some areas, yet remain firm when it comes to the final decision about how the production should be performed.

It is recommended that you select understudies for the cast. If someone is away or becomes sick or injured during a scheduled performance, it could jeopardise all the hard work that has gone into making the production. If you are working on a theatre production and you have a large class, you may consider splitting the group into two and having them perform on alternate nights.

o c . che e r o t r s super Rehearsals and Blocking

Actors: Once rehearsals begin the director can begin to block where he would like the actors to stand/move for each scene. For short plays, it is recommended that actors read their scripts for two rehearsals only. They should make an effort to remember their lines as soon as possible to allow for character development and freedom of movement without the hindrance of holding a script. From this point on, PROMPTERS are an important part of rehearsals and must be in tune with each of the actors on the stage so as not to cause long pauses when prompting!

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Storyboarding the Script r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

The director would have a vision of how he/she wants the story viewed by the audience which is where the use of “Close-up”, “Long Shots”, etc. comes in. If the director wants the audience to see a particular expression on an actor’s face, he/she would choose a close-up shot. If the director wants to emphasise an action, he/she would choose a longer/wider shot. Storyboarding all of these shots makes it clearer to the camera operator and crew involved on exactly how to set up each shot when filming begins. This saves valuable time further down the track when weather conditions or time limits can affect the shoot. See the illustrations on the following page for examples.

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For Film Production: The director and storyboard artists will need to work together to sort out how the shots will be filmed. As this is quite a time-consuming task, this process should begin at the same time as rehearsals. It would be a good idea to have the storyboard artists present at rehearsals so they can listen in to the director guiding the actors. They can then create the storyboard according to these instructions.

The StoryBoard

Picture 2. LONG SHOT: Biker rides towards camera, race banner in background

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Picture 4. VERY LONG SHOT: Biker rides to screen right Picture 5. CLOSE-UP: Boot on pedal

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Picture 3. MID SHOT: Profile - biker rides to screen right

o c . che e r o t r s super Picture 6. CLOSE-UP: Exhaust pipe shooting flames

Picture 7. LONG SHOT: From rear, biker rides towards finish line Picture 8. CLOSE-UP: Biker’s head as he passes finish line flag

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LS Biker rides toward camera, race banner in background

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CU Biker puts helmet on

CU Boot on pedal

CU Exhaust pipe shooting flames

LS Biker rides away from camera

CU Biker in helmet

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MS profile biker rides to screen right

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Illustration based on material from “Producing Videos: A complete guide” by Martha Mollison. Illustrator: Anthea Stead

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Theatre/Film Planning Props and Costumes

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Some costumes may need to be altered if they are to be used in a fight scene or a scene that requires a quick costume change. Velcro dots glued or sewn to fabric just behind buttons are excellent for a quick change or for fight scenes where the costume needs to be ripped. For a ripping scene, preprepare the costume by cutting the fabric where the rip should be and glue or sew Velcro dots in place. You’ll also get the added ripping sound of the Velcro when it is pulled apart.

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Actors should work with props, wigs and costumes as soon as possible so as to become familiar and comfortable with using or wearing them. If costumes are not ready, then rehearsing with similar clothing is helpful. The costume designer should be working behind the scenes during rehearsal time to prepare costumes and make sure they are clean, ironed and properly put away for the next rehearsal/performance. They should also be present during rehearsals to assist actors with costume changes.

With amateur productions it is best to keep things simple. If there are limitations with staging, then try to improvise by perhaps using freestanding lights or lamps and even a torch as a simple spotlight. Make sure you have new batteries in the torch and a spare torch handy (with new batteries) in case the inevitable happens and the torch dies mid-performance. If a proper stage is available then experimenting with the lights whilst actors are rehearsing is an advantage. Lighting is important, particularly if shooting a film, as bad lighting or the wrong use of coloured gels can make an actor’s face look splotchy, especially if heavy stage make-up is used.

Lighting

On a stage, lights are already set in place. Learning to operate them is not difficult. For beginners, keeping things simple is best. If you have an experienced lighting director then the use of gels, spotlights and stroboscopic lights may be discussed with the director. Care must be taken if using stroboscopic lights during a performance as the constant flashing may cause some people to have epileptic fits. If using stroboscopic lights, a warning must be given in the performance program of their use. It is best to keep the use of stroboscopic lights to a minimum. Importantly, the lighting director should be present at every rehearsal.

If the performance space is small, a CD player can be used for recorded sound effects and/or music. Keep in mind that the audience must be able to hear it, so the sound person should position him/herself in view of the actors but remain out of view of the audience. If it is to be an open-air performance, the use of body microphones would be a big advantage. If not, stand up microphones can be placed down stage left and right at each corner with perhaps some microphones on short stands placed in front, down stage centre also. If performing on a stage, the sound director should be present at every rehearsal and be very familiar with the sound equipment so no technical problems arise during the performance. For filming, the use of body microphones is also highly recommended.

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Sound

o c . c e her r Set Design o t s super

Set design need not be expensive. For an amateur production, making simple backdrops is sufficient. For example, a backdrop can be made by joining pieces of butcher’s paper together and painting a background on it to suit the scene. This can be taped onto the wall. Another alternative that can easily be stored away and reused is painting a backdrop on calico that has been sewn together. Glue the top of the background onto a long roll such as what is used for roll down blinds and attach the roll to a pre-made A-frame or hang the backdrop from the ceiling if possible. If more than one background scene is required, they can easily be changed around between curtain calls. Furniture can be borrowed and moved around. If the scenes change from one room to another, simply throwing a cover over a lounge or chair can make it look different or, alternatively the furniture can be moved around. Filming is easier as the cast and crew can move to different locations, such as the kitchen or lounge room.

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Make-Up

HOT TIP GENERAL APPLICATION: The first step is applying the foundation with a colour to suit skin tone. Foundation should be applied to all exposed areas up to the hairline, around the ears and down the neck to the top of the costume. Then apply the rouge to the highest part of the cheekbone and blend it downwards. Eye shadow is applied first on the upper eyelid and then eyeliner is applied to the upper and lower lids to make the eyes appear bigger. Use a lip liner to trace the lips. For fuller lips trace just above the lip line and then colour in with lipstick. OLD PERSON: To create the look of an old person, apply a darker foundation starting first with a darker shade under the eyes and in the cheek hollows. A brown eye pencil can be used to draw fine lines around the mouth and eyes. Then apply the foundation. Brown shadow makes the eyes look old. Talcum powder combed through the hair will give a grey appearance if a wig is not available. Streaks with white mascara are also good.

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There are three types of theatre make-up: grease paint, pancake and crème stick. For small theatres and film, a more natural look is best when applying make-up. Heavily applied make-up with brighter shades is normally used for large theatre or open-air performances where the actor’s features need to be seen from a further distance. Mostly, make-up should be used sparingly and checked at dress rehearsal under the stage/set lighting so that any adjustments can be made.

Once the director is happy with the look of the make-up and it has been checked under the lights and through the camera (if filming), apply loose powder to the face to set the make-up. The loose powder also diminishes the “shiny” look. When performing, the heat radiating from the lights can make an actor perspire, so loose powder needs to be kept handy and re-applied when needed. (Theatre) As previously mentioned, the stage manager is the first to arrive at the theatre prior to a performance and the last to leave the theatre after a performance. He/she oversees all activities on the stage and is responsible for any problems that may arise during a performance. Prior to a performance, the stage manager thoroughly checks all scenery, props, costumes, lighting and sound to make sure everything is ready and in place for the performance.

Stage Manager’s Role

If you are putting on a show for the public, you will need a publicity team to spread the word in advance. This can be done via use of posters, flyers, Internet newsletters, word of mouth, newspaper editorials, radio and possibly television spots. Create a buzz so that people become curious to see what all the fuss is about. Supply photos of the cast to newspapers and ask for interviews for newspapers, radio and television. Ticket sales should start at least two weeks prior to opening night.

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Publicity

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(For Film Productions) Editing can make or break your film. It is often overlooked when watching a film but editing is a very important part of telling a story. The editing process is something every student can have a go at. It is a lot of fun and fairly simple to learn. (See Editing a Film on Page 20 for more information.) Editing software for Apple Macs is called iMovie and is usually already installed on the Macintosh. Windows XP computers should come with a copy of Windows Movie Maker installed. For more details check:

Editing

iMovie: Windows Movie Maker:

www.apple.com/ilife/imovie www.windowsmoviemakers.net

Ushers

The stage manager will be in charge of ushers. Ushers are primarily there to serve the audience and make them feel welcome and comfortable. They are responsible for collecting tickets and guiding people to their seats promptly so that the show can start on time. Ushers will need to advise the audience about rules regarding flash photography and unauthorised filming of the show.

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Filming: Suggestion Notes r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Filming is done out of sequence to the story, with all the indoor scenes filmed separately to the outdoor scenes. A Suggested Shooting Script has been provided on Page 23.

Choice of Shots

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If you have decided to film the production of Foreigners in Oztralia the following notes can be used as a guide to filming techniques and suggestions for how best to approach the project. Keeping in mind that filming will usually take place in the school grounds, improvising will be needed to suit each situation. The indoor scenes can be set up on stage as they would in a theatre production. Outdoor scenes can be filmed in a suitable part of the school grounds.

An important part of telling your story depends on the careful choice of shots. Because of the limits of the camera’s frame, an action shot would require enough distance for the viewers to see what is happening as a whole. For an emotional scene, a closer shot is preferred so the viewers can see the actor’s facial expressions. Camera shots and their abbreviations are described as follows:

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Wide Shot (WS): Most opening scenes start with a wide shot such as a view of a particular landscape, building or crowd of people. Very Long Shot (VLS): Where the actor and his surroundings can be seen from a distance.

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Long Shot (LS): A full body shot of the actor from head to feet, fitting into the frame.

Medium Long Shot (MLS): A shot of the actor’s head to thighs, fitting into the frame.

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Mid Shot (MS): A shot of the actor’s head to waist, fitting into the frame.

Medium Close-Up (MCU): A shot of the actor’s head to chest, fitting into the frame. Close-Up (CU): A portrait shot of the actor, fitting into the frame.

Big Close-Up (BCU): A close-up of the actor’s face fitting into the frame. Extreme Close-Up (ECU): A shot of an object or particular part of an actor such as his/her mouth or eye, filling up the frame.

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Long Shot (LS)

Medium Long Shot (MLS)

Mid Shot (MS)

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Very Long Shot (VLS)

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Close-up (CU)

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Big Close-up (BCU)

Extreme Close-up (ECU)

ILLUSTRATION TAKEN FROM “PRODUCING VIDEOS: A COMPLETE GUIDE BY MARTHA MOLLISON ILLUSTRATOR: ANTHEA STEAD

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Using the Camera r o e t s Bo r e The Tripod p ok u S

The tripod is a very useful piece of equipment. It allows for height adjustment of the camera and avoids the jerky movements of hand holding the camera. It also allows for panning and tilting (see below). It is particularly important to become very familiar with how to set up the tripod so that the legs are secure and tightened before placing the camera onto it.

Moves Using Tripod

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For beginners, hand holding a camera is not recommended due to the difficulty of keeping the shot steady and preventing jerky movements when the operator attempts to walk to keep the action in shot. When setting up the camera it is very important to take into consideration whether the angle is one where the camera is looking down at the actors – making them seem smaller and inferior – or whether the camera is looking up at the actors – which may give the audience a sense of being inferior. Care should be taken by the camera operator who may have set the camera up to accommodate for his/her height rather than the effect required for the scene.

Panning describes moving the camera horizontally from right to left or left to right, to either show the distance between a person and object, or to follow an action. It is important to check that the tripod legs have been set up evenly or the panning may turn out slightly slanted.

Panning

Tilting occurs when moving the camera vertically, both up and down, to emphasise height or depth. For example, starting at a person’s feet then slowly tilting the camera upwards towards the head; emphasising the height of a building by tiliting the camera from bottom to top; or filming an action such as jumping from a parachute.

Tilting

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Using a Dolly

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Cameras have a zoom function that allows you to change the shot size from a long shot to a mid shot without having to physically move the camera and tripod. This action makes it easy to prepare for your next shot or you can zoom into an object or person whilst the camera is rolling. Zooming, however, can create problems later when editing, so be aware of the effect zooming might have during the filming process. The director may want the camera moved closer to the object or actor as opposed to zooming closer or further. If this is the case, a dolly is used which is a wheeled cart to which a tripod can be attached so that the camera can be moved smoothly backwards or forwards, or from left to right to change the angle of the shot. Improvise by using a trolley such as one that is used to carry an overhead projector. Make sure the wheels are well-oiled! Another idea is the use of a wheelchair. This however would mean that the camera operator would have to hand hold the camera which may work well for any walking shots where a bit of shakiness is not as noticeable.

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The camera’s microphone (or “mike” as it is usually referred to) picks up all sounds from all directions. This is ok if you’re filming indoors and you have some control over sound, but if you are filming outdoors the microphone will pick up all the ambient sounds such as birds, traffic in the distance, a dog barking and even the slightest bit of wind. Although it’s good to have these ambient sounds to give your film more realism, it can be a problem if the sounds ruin the mood and the actor’s voices cannot be heard.

Shotgun/gun mikes

These are called “gun” mikes because they are long and thin. They pick up sound from the front and can be used from a considerable distance. Gun mikes can be mounted on booms and then held high above the source of the sound so as not to be seen in the frame when filming.

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Body mikes

Body mikes are tiny microphones which can be clipped to the actor’s clothing or taped onto the body. Care needs to be taken when attaching them so that they are out of sight.

Sound

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Lighting for film is also different to a theatre production. If working indoors, any fluorescent lights are best turned off, as it is difficult for the camera to reproduce correct skin tones and colour balance. To keep things simple, lighting is about being aware of shadows which can either ruin the shot or enhance or create the mood you are looking for. Improvising can be done with the use of lamps. Light reflectors can be large pieces of white cardboard or the silver foil windscreen reflectors used in cars. These are used to reflect light that may cause shadows.

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Sound for film is different to a theatre production. Sound is normally recorded on location or on the set. If your sound equipment is limited you can use the camera’s microphone to separately record sounds or you can use a sound effects CD. It is also possible to download sound effects from the Internet. Check out: www.filmsound.org/sound-effects/libraries.htm soundfx.com

Shooting the Scenes © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons

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Film scenes are shot out of sequence to the story for a number of reasons. One reason is because it helps with continuity if all indoor scenes are filmed in sequence followed by any outdoor scenes or vice versa.

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For example, let’s say you have two different lounge room scenes to shoot which are at two different characters’ homes. Both homes would be decorated differently so rather than packing up and re-arranging the set a number of times to fit in with the sequence in the storyline, it is much easier to film ALL interior scenes in the one lounge room first and then the set can be re-arranged to portray the second character’s lounge room. This method saves time and reduces the chance of costly continuity mistakes, such as in the case where you may forget to include a piece of furniture or prop that was in an earlier scene, meaning that you would have to go back and re-shoot that scene.

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The same rule applies with outdoor scenes where control can be lost to the weather. If you are blessed with the exact type of weather that is required in the script, then shoot as much as possible whilst you are able to and make use of as much natural light as possible. An early start during the day is best, when you can make the most of natural lighting before it becomes too bright during the middle of the day. Brightness can cause harsh shadows and a lot more effort will be needed to balance out the light. The use of light reflectors will help here. Colours are also important with lighting. It is not advisable for actors to wear white as it is extremely reflective of light. Similarly, black or navy blue is very absorbent of light – add stripes or polka dots with these colours and the camera will be thrown off focus!

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Editing a Film

r o e t s Bo r e Editing Terms p ok u S Establishing Shots

Begins with a wide shot to allow the audience to become orientated with the surroundings. Mostly, the first shot in a film begins with an establishing shot, however, establishing shots can also be used further in the film where a location changes completely.

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A film is a story told within a time limit. The story may happen in a day or it could span over a few years. Through editing, time can be manipulated to cover a span of minutes, hours, days or years, all within a few shots! So shortening time, fine tuning and cutting out the bloopers are some of the major purposes of editing. Considering there would have been several takes taken for each scene, there will be a lot of unusable footage. A director and editor cannot afford to get attached to footage. A lot will end up on the cutting room floor, so to speak, no matter how much a director or editor may love that footage. If it doesn’t quite fit in or make sense in the whole picture, it must be removed. A scene which seems to drag on will need to be cut down. Keep only what you need to tell the story.

This is when an actor leaves the frame during a shot and re-enters it in a different scene. It’s a way of shortening the time span and cutting out the unnecessary bits such as a character leaving his house, getting into his car, driving to a new location and entering another building. For this to work when it is finally edited, the frame must be left clear on exiting and remain clear when entering, otherwise the transition will not be smooth.

Entering and Exiting

Cut-ins attention which missed in aa wider shot. Forn example, ©R ead yEwould dotherwise Pubeb l i c t i o sthere may be

Cut-ins are a closer look at something the director may want to bring to the audience’s

a midshot of a character speaking, followed by a cutaway shot of the character’s fingers crossed behind his/her back, followed by a shot of two characters shaking hands.

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Cutaways are snippets of film shot, which are relevant to the story. Cutaway scenes are mostly shot on location at the time of shooting the film. For example, the character may be in the bush, so a cutaway shot might be of a flowing river or a koala in a tree which can later be added to the longer shot when editing.

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Stock Footage

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Stock footage refers to footage that someone else has shot which will fit nicely into your scene, such as a shot of a waterfall which is not on location but may be needed in your scene.

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Although most cameras have inbuilt transitions such as fade in/fade out, it is best to refrain from adding transitions until editing the complete film. Depending on which editing software package (e.g. iMovie) you are using, the transition choices will depend on the director and editors’ decision as to which transition choice is most appropriate for each scene.

This is when a shot fades to either black or white, leaving the screen blank. Fade to black is normally used on the last shot of the film to depict the ending. Fading out followed by a fade in to a new shot depicts the passing of time or change in location.

A dissolve is the term used when one shot fades away and another appears. It joins the two shots together by cross dissolving the footage. The speed of the dissolve is important. You want the dissolve in a chase scene to be quick compared to a dissolve in a waltz dance scene. The editor must always be aware of the mood of each scene.

Dissolve

The audio is the sound recorded with the footage. Your editing software will have audio tracks that allow you to manipulate the audio. You may decide to add music in the background at some point/s. In order for the music not to override the dialogue, you will need to adjust the music track to reduce the volume whilst the dialogue is spoken and then re-adjust as necessary.

Audio

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Producing a Radio Play

A radio play relies solely on a good script, dialogue, music and sound effects to capture an audience and enable them to visualise the story in their “mind’s eye”. Therefore, producing a radio play requires the chosen cast to develop their voices so as to be heard and understood. The voice is a powerful tool. The quality of the voice is dependant on tone, resonance, pitch, power and tempo. Sloppy pronunciation, mumbling or a monotonous droning voice are not acceptable.

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Timing when delivering lines should be well-rehearsed, yet seem spontaneous. Good technical assistance with music and sound effects is very important.

Script

Sift through the script and highlight where sound effects are needed. Select the sound technicians who will be in charge of operating the CD player. They must be present at every rehearsal with a back up technician.

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Most importantly, the director must be chosen carefully and should have a good ear for vocal expression by the actors allowing him/her to direct accordingly.

When preparing to produce a radio play, it is the actors’ voices that must be rehearsed and directed. Actors must learn to listen to themselves and train their ears to hear correct sounds that will enable them to pronounce and phrase the words correctly. This is where recording the dialogue becomes quite helpful. During every rehearsal, the dialogue should be recorded with the inclusion of the sound effects and then played back and discussed. Once the actors are comfortable with their lines and how to portray their character, you may want to proceed with the master recording. The use of an omni-directional microphone is best.

Rehearsals

Sound effects should be used sparingly and should support the story and suggested action. Too many sound effects may make the play difficult to produce and detract from the story. Sounds that must be timed precisely with the dialogue should be done manually, e.g. a knock on the door.

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Sound effects or music that serve as background or mood-setting should be pre-recorded on a blank CD in sequence to the script and marked according to its sound, such as: Track 1: Introduction music, Track 2: Typing on computer, etc. Make sure to leave long enough pauses between sound effects. The specially made soundtrack for the script can then be used at every rehearsal using a CD player or through the sound system to be used during the “true recording”. HOT TIP: Sound effect technicians should stick with using the same sound system they have been using during rehearsals. If a CD player was used throughout rehearsals, then changing to a bigger and better CD player or sound system at the time the ‘true recording’ is to take place, may result in failing the sound effects cues for the simple reason that the sound technician is not as familiar with the new equipment. Don’t make last minute equipment changes!

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Where to find sound effects: There are many sound effects CDs available for purchase or some can be downloaded from the Internet. Try: www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/production/html/sound.html

Converting Foreigners in Oztralia Stage Play into a Radio Play This can be done individually by each student and then notes are compared and discussed as a group. The script notes can be rewritten into the Narrator’s dialogue and Sound Effects can be highlighted in different colours to depict either music or sounds needed. Extra sounds will be needed such as the ambience sound of the bush, kookaburras and cicadas and don’t forget the cow mooing! The radio play version of Foreigners in Oztralia is available at www.jacquelinmelilli.com Ready-Ed Publications

Putting on a Puppet Show Puppet shows are fun and very simple to organise. A show can be as simple as using Barbie and Ken dolls in appropriate costumes and stuffed toy animals. Make sure the scale of the puppets is realistic. A stuffed dog shouldn’t be twice the size of the doll being used.

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Choose the cast who will be the “voice actors”. As they will be out of view of the audience, they will need to have well-projected voices. Secondly, choose the cast who will manipulate the puppets. You may have the cast both manipulate and speak the character roles. However, to enable good voice projection and not be inhibited by the restrictions of the puppet stage, it is best for voice actors to work separately offstage – in view of the puppets, yet out of view of the audience and possibly with the use of a microphone.

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Cast

A very simple puppet stage can be created using two ladders which support the painted backdrop. The painted backdrop can be made using a large piece of calico. Students can then paint the appropriate scenery on the backdrop and glue the top of the backdrop onto a large roller such as is used in pull down blinds. Screw some holes into the ladder and attach the backdrop. The backdrop is then rolled up ready to use. If there are different scenery changes, make a few different backdrops and unroll them between scenes.

Puppet Stage

An even better alternative (if possible) is to use old vinyl roll down blinds and design the scenery with crayons and paint. Have a hunt around second-hand shops or garage sales for old blinds. Include requests in school newsletters.

Keep in mind the same things as you would for a theatre production although, for puppet shows, the lighting is best kept simple. If wanting to depict night time or to create a mood of tension, lights can be dimmed and a torch can be used as a spotlight.

Steps on and off with pull down blinds

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Use old pull down blinds or calico fabric

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A-frame ladder

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S For: Foreigners in Oztralia

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Please note: The script for the stage play Foreigners In Oztralia (on Page 37) has one scene. However, when converting a stage play into a film script, scenes are broken down differently and therefore do not relate in any way to the stageplay’s scene numbers. The following suggested shooting sequence shows how the script could be shot using a total of 15 scenes. The director may, however, wish to break the scenes up even more into smaller scenes.

In the case of filming Foreigners In Oztralia, where the story takes place in Australia’s outback, it is suggested that filming be done on the stage where a simple set has been constructed. You will be filming the theatrical production with stops and starts in the dialogue to accommodate the change of shots needed such as closeups, mid shots, etc. The cow, unfortunately, will not be able to make a cameo appearance due to the difficulty of working with animals, especially large ones! Therefore the cow will be heard and not seen, with the help of the sound technicians. The whole idea of filming is to get some practice setting up the shots and working with sound. You can get creative with the filming and mix in a little realism with a made-up set by editing in shots of a light plane landing or a photo of an old homestead which can be replicated in the painted backdrop. One way to get the cow in the picture is by taking a film snippet of a cow or enlarging a photo of a cow which can then be pasted onto cardboard and used as a prop. Another creative way to decorate the set is to enlarge photographs of native animals and glue them on prop trees or backdrops. A separate set can be designed for the interior of the barn where Anita and Frederick are meant to sleep and where the cow resides while giving birth. If possible, find an image of a cow giving birth that could possibly be edited into the scene. All the exterior shots should be filmed first before changing the set for the interior shots of the homestead.

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IMPORTANT: For those who have never made a film before, you may want to start out with making a five or ten minute film first. If this is the case then use the Suggested Shooting Script sequence as a guide and take excerpts of the script and condense the story to five or ten minutes. Filming terminology has been used in the notes below. Refer to the filming notes on Page 20. At the end of each scene, a note for editing is included so you know where the scene will fit in your film.

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ANITA & FREDERICK ARRIVE AT HOMESTEAD

BAZZA GREETS ANITA AND FREDERICK

(Exterior set)

Establish the shot with the sound of a light aircraft landing. Add some ambient bush noises which should continue in the background throughout the film. Anita and Frederick enter the set.

Plan your shots carefully. Shoot at least three takes of the handshaking scene and pick the best for editing. Don’t forget to get some close-ups of facial expressions!

EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 2

EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 3

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SHAZZA ENTERS

Scene 3

Scene 6

BAZZA SHOWS ANITA AND FREDERICK THE DUNNY (Exterior set)

(Exterior set) Have this scene well rehearsed so it runs smoothly during the shoot. The director needs to have preplanned the shots and discussed these with the camera man. Following the storyboard is essential to make sure everything runs smoothly.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Scene 7 EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 14

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EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 4

When the cow is heard mooing, they all move back inside the homestead

ANITA AND FREDERICK WANT TO LEAVE

Scene 4

(Exterior set)

BAZZA SLINGSHOTS KOALA OUT OF TREE (Exterior set)

Shoot this scene at different angles using at least three takes each. This will give you a good variety to choose from when editing. Don’t forget some close-ups for facial expressions.

A little experimenting with camera work and angles can add to the comedy in this scene. It’s a climactic scene where Anita is at the end of her rope and her not being able to use her mobile to escape the nightmare, is the last straw. Careful rehearsal will help the scene. Contrast between Anita’s hysterics and Bazza’s calm attitude should be evident. Don’t forget Shazza is still in the picture and should plan her moves and reactions according to the actions taking place. Shazza may be un-pegging clothes off the line (remember to include this as part of the stage set up/props). Shazza may look amused at the over reactions of Anita, stare curiously at Anita’s mobile phone and stand with her hands on her hips in amazement of Frederick’s back spasm. These are some suggestions only. Remember to always film a number of takes, especially of Anita’s hysterics, Frederick’s back spasms and of Bazza sending Frederick flying when he slaps him on the back. Amongst those takes, you may capture something spontaneous and wonderful that the actors come up with. It will give you something to play with when editing.

Scene 5

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SHOWING ANITA HOMESTEAD (Exterior set)

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Move over to the painted backdrop of the exterior of the homestead. The beauty of working with a camera is that you can let the audience see only what you want them to see by the angle you position the camera. If you don’t want the audience to see the exterior dunny and bath, then position the camera accordingly. Sometimes it may not be possible to have something completely out of view. In this case, you can then position the actors to stand in front of the item you want to block out of view. In the case of the dunny and bath, even having them partially out of view will detract the audience’s attention from spotting them. EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 13

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Scene 8

KIDS COME BACK FROM SCORPION HUNT (Exterior set) EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 9

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Scene 9

KIDS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES (Exterior set) EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 10

Scene 13

ANITA AND FREDERICK LOOK INSIDE THE HOMESTEAD (Interior set) Once all of the exterior shots are finished, rearrange the set for the interior shots. Keep the cow (or cut-out of cow) out of camera range as she’s not to be seen in this scene.

or eBo Scene 10er st

EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 6

(Exterior set)

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Shoot a few takes of Frederick’s reaction, jumping into Anita’s arms. Don’t forget the facial close-ups. Don’t attempt a close-up of the rubber snake unless you can get footage of a live snake in someone’s hand. It would have to be a close-up shot so as not to give away that it is, in fact, someone else’s hand holding the snake instead of Gazza’s.

Scene 14

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GAZZA SHOWS FREDERICK HIS SNAKE

ANITA AND FREDERICK SPOT THE COW IN THE HOMESTEAD (Interior set) EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 8

EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 11

Scene 15s © ReadyEdPubl i ca t i on Scene 11vi •f o rr e ew pur posesonl y• THE COW GIVES BIRTH (Interior set)

EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 12

EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 9

GAZZA OFFERS ANITA HIS SNAKE (Exterior set)

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Shoot a few takes of Anita swinging her leg into Frederick’s arms. Don’t forget the facial close-ups.

In this scene, although the stageplay states that Anita stops at the barn entrance, the director can decide whether to have Anita and Frederick enter the homestead/barn before Anita sees the cow. If you were able to find an image (possibly on the Internet) of a cow giving birth, edit this in for a few seconds only. The audience should only get a glimpse.

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KIDS TALKING ABOUT THEIR PETS (Exterior set)

This scene, being quite long, will need to be cut down into each actor talking about their pet in sequence. EDIT CUT TO: SCENE 7

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Optional Scenes Cut-ins & Cutaway If there is more than one camera available for shooting, the director may want to consider assigning a camera operator to shoot all the cut-ins and cutaway shots.

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Frederick taking a photo of Bazza Sales ticket on Frederick’s hat Bazza’s beat up hat Bazza whistling for Shazza Shazza’s pregnant belly Anita and Frederick’s luggage Shazza patting her tummy Bazza’s slingshot Rock being put in slingshot and aimed Koala hurling through the air Bazza’s hands catching the koala Anita cleaning her hands with a handkerchief after touching koala Sheets turned down on bed (brown and blotchy) Old buckets in the corner of the room The dunny The bath Cow Gazza trying to stick snake’s head inside bucket Anita’s painted fingernails Bucket shaking in Sheila’s hand Scorpions in the bucket (photo cut-outs) Anita’s open-toed shoes Anita’s mobile phone

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WORKSHEET

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u SStudent Worksheets:

Teachers’ Notes

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STUDENT

Knowing the character is an essential part of preparation for any sort of theatrical production. Understanding the script is another important step. Use the following student worksheets with your class as an introduction to the play.

Character © ReaProfiles dyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Story Comprehension This activity can be completed following initial read-throughs of the script.

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Students can complete a character analysis for EACH character of the play. Alternatively, they can choose to focus on only the character that they will be portraying. Hand out the Analysing Characters activities (sheets 1 and 2 on Pages 28-29) prior to the Character Profile sheets and read through as a class, using examples where possible. Make sure students use the most of the workspace given and encourage them to put as much description into their character analysis as possible.

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Analysing Characters - 1 Use the notes below to help you complete the character profiles on Pages 30-31.

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Era born

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Nationality

What country was the person born in? Does he/ she have an accent?

Examples include fidgeting, fiddling with hair, nail biting, cracking knuckles, nervous twitches, excessive blinking and so on.

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(This point can be left out if not applicable.) Examples are: A hippie born in the ’60s. If the character is older, e.g. a grandparent, find out roughly when he/she was born and study that era. Part of a person’s personality is reflected by the era he/she was born in and the beliefs and values at that time.

Family Background

Same questions may be asked about parents. Were his/her parents hippies? Workaholics? Strict? Easy going? Well-educated? Wealthy? Poor? Famous? Criminals? Did his/her parents divorce? One or both parents die? Was the character put in foster homes, raised in an orphanage or by close relatives? Does the character have siblings?

Is the person young or old? Tall or short? Strong and muscular? Weak and sickly? Hunched over? Hairy? Toothless?

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Characteristic

Introverted , Extroverted

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Aggressive , Gentle

Attitudes and Beliefs What is the character’s attitude to life? Does he/ she take life seriously or is he/she reckless? What is his/her attitude towards family, money, and social issues? What are the character’s personal beliefs? What is the character really passionate about?

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Physical Appearance

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Nervous , Laidback

Good Points

Optimistic , Pessimistic Generous , Stingy Kind , Cruel

Does the character have any particular talents or skills? Does he/she take the time to help someone in need? Is he/she reliable?

Popular , Unpopular Hard worker , Lazy Leader , Follower

Over reacts , Stays calm Bossy , Takes orders

Bad Points Is the character selfish or have an ego problem. Does he/she tend to run away from problems or pass the blame?

Honest , Sly 28

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Analysing Characters - 2 Use the notes below to help you complete the character profiles on Pages 30-31.

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Dress Code

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A person’s hairstyle may also be influenced by the era they grew up in. Some people keep the same hairstyle they have always had as it gives them a sense of security. Once again, an extroverted person may have a radical hairstyle or high maintenance hair (bleach blonde, coloured, teased and sprayed). A job or occupation can also dictate hairstyles.

• What circumstances, conditions and events from the past are responsible for the present life of the character?

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Some extroverted people like to wear loud, unusual or revealing clothes. Introverted people may be more conservative. A person’s job or occupation may also dictate what he/she wears. For example, a businessman may wear suits whereas an artist may choose casual clothes.

• Does the character have strong ideas, opinions and feelings? Is the character easily swayed from these convictions?

• Are the character’s goals worthy or are they dishonest?

Give details about his/her type of job, hobbies and interests if applicable.

• How does this character feel about those who stand in his/her way?

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Biggest Influences

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• How have other characters been affected by one character’s success or failure?

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Is the character academic? Creative? Sporty? Welleducated? Entrepreneurial?

• What do you like or dislike about this character’s personality?

o c . che e r o t r s super Personal Goals

Who were the biggest influences in the character’s life? Was it a parent, sibling, relative, friend or possibly an outside source?

• Are there strong motivations for what this character says and does?

What are the character’s personal goals and how does this influence his/her behavior? What lengths does the character take to achieve his/her goal/s?

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Character Profile A Complete the character profile and paste or draw a picture into the box.

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Characteristics: ________________________

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_____________________________________

Mannerisms: __________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

Family background: _____________________

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Age: _________________________________

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Era born: ______________________________

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Nationality: ___________________________

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Physical appearance: ___________________

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Attitudes and beliefs: ____________________

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_____________________________________

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Name: ________________________________

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Character Profile B Type of job: ____________________________

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Good points: ____________________________

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Bad points: _____________________________

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Hobbies and interests: ____________________

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Dress code: (include hairstyle, jewellery, etc.)

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Biggest influences: ______________________

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Education: _____________________________

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Personal goals: _________________________

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STUDENT

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Story Comprehension Activities

Read through the script of Foreigners in Oztralia and complete the following.

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1. What kind of people are Anita and Frederick?

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4. What kind of lifestyle do Shazza and Bazza have?

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5. Why do you think Anita and Frederick are so shocked with Shazza and Bazza’s lifestyle? ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________

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2. What kind of lifestyle do Anita and Frederick have?

___________________________________ ___________________________________

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3. What kind of people are Shazza and Bazza?

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6. Do you think Shazza and Bazza are happy with their lifestyles? Why / Why not?

___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

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STUDENT

WORKSHEET

Story Comprehension Activities

Read through the script of Foreigners in Oztralia and complete the following.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

7. Do you think Anita and Frederick are happy with their lifestyles? Why / Why not?

10.Happiness means different things to different people. What does happiness mean to you?

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8. Do you think we should judge other people by their lifestyles or appearance? Why / Why not?

Draw your favourite part of the story.

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9. Is it fair to expect others to have the same lifestyle as you? Why / Why not? ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________

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Foreigners in Oztralia

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About the Play

An Australian Farce WRITTEN BY JACQUELIN MELILLI (©) 2002

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Original Cast

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Coffs Regional Conservatorium Drama Troupe

Anita Higginbotham ..................................... Laura Strange Frederick Higginbotham...............................Sam Marchant Bazza ...........................................................Mitchell Parker Shazza ............................................................ Hannah Leal Gazza ................................................................Luke Wright Sheila ............................................................. Sabrina Gam Gecko ............................................................ Sineidin Duffy Freckles............................................................. Cara Diffey Bony ................................................................. Karli James Squirt....................................................Rachel Vandenberg

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Anita:

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Suggested Costumes r o e t s Bo r e and Props ok up Costumes:

Tailored skirt and jacket with matching coloured handbag and high heels, white blouse, pearl necklace, bracelet and matching earrings, wristwatch, wedding ring, long painted fingernails, hair neatly brushed in a bun, Crocodile Dundee-type hat with croc’s teeth. Dainty, white laced fan, mobile phone.

Tailored pants and jacket, white shirt, colourful bowtie, braces © Rea d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s for pants, wristwatch, wedding ring, shoes, Crocodile Dundeetype hatw with sales tagr still attached, two matching suitcases, •f orr ev i e p u p o s e s o n l y• camera, binoculars. Frederick:

Dirty torn jeans, singlet, work shirt with sleeves rolled up and buttons undone, work boots scuffed with mud, old worn hat.

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Bazza: Shazza:

Old work clothes, boots, pregnant belly, work hat.

Kids:

Old clothes, boots and hats.

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o c . che e r o t r s super Props:

Sling shot, stuffed koala, dunny shed (can be made from large fridge cardboard box), makeshift bath, shower curtain, rubber snake, small bucket.

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An Australian Farce Cast

Anita Higginbotham ........................ nervy, high maintenance Frederick Higginbotham............ Anita’s hen-pecked husband Bazza ...................................... good natured and easy going Shazza .................... Bazza’s pregnant wife and mother of six Gazza ................................... oldest son of Bazza and Shazza Sheila ........................... oldest daughter of Bazza and Shazza Gecko.................................... Sibling. Can be male or female Freckles ................................. Sibling. Can be male or female Bony ..................................... Sibling. Can be male or female Squirt.................................... Sibling. Can be male or female

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r o e Foreigners t s Bo r e p o u k in Oztralia S

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Setting the Scene

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An Australian farce set in the outback with Anita and Frederick Higginbotham, an upper crust couple from England, visiting the outback for a taste of the real Australia (as portrayed in the travel brochure). Bazza and Shazza, the laidback, kind-hearted couple are their hosts living out in the sticks. Having first touched down in Sydney amidst the duty free shops, Anita and Frederick are in for a real shock when the reality of outback living is introduced to them. Bazza and Shazza’s six kids educate Anita and Frederick about Australia’s native animals with some hilarious results.

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Script

Scene One r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Stage curtain closed. SFX: Light airplane landing. Anita and Frederick enter stage from audience. They look horrified. SFX: Light airplane taking off. Frederick is carrying two suitcases and has a camera and a pair of binoculars hanging around his neck. Anita:

Oh, Frederick, this place is just awful!

Frederick:

You’re quite right Anita, it’s simply ghastly.

Anita:

The brochure said, “Country Homestead nestled in the real Australian where native animals are © Rea dy E dPubush bl i c at i ons considered pets.”

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Anita:

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This is far from a country homestead. It looks more like a barn.

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Frederick:

A poorly built one at that. How do the poor animals stand it?

o c . che e r o Enter Bazza, centre stager right. Frederick takes a photo of Bazza as t s s r u e p he approaches. Bazza:

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Oh look, here comes one of the servants.

G’day folks. Welcome to “Back Of Beyond Homestead”. Weeze been expecting youse.

Anita fans herself nervously with her white laced fan. Bazza holds his hand out to Frederick and gives him a hearty hand shake. Frederick’s whole body wobbles from head to toe, knocking his hat off in the process.

r o e t s B r e Bazza bends down top pick up Frederick’s hat. o Heo notices the sales k ticket still attachedu to it. He reads out loud. S Sorry there, matey. Here, let me get that.

Bazza:

Frederick:

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Bazza:

Yoshihara’s Duty Free shop. (His mouth drops open in horror) Blimey, this can’t be right, $99.95 for a hat? Did ya outfit come with it?

Certainly not! (Snatches hat from Bazza) It’s a pure wool hat with real crocodile teeth just like in © Re a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s Crocodile Dundee.

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Frederick:

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What on earth is so funny?

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Bazza bursts out laughing. He sounds like a kookaburra. Holding his aching belly, he wipes the tears of laughter from his face using his shirt sleeve.

o c . che e r o He looks over at Anita’s hat. Anita recoils at his closeness. t r s super Bazza:

Ya paid $99.95 for a hat?

Bazza:

You too? Struth! Talk about blowing ya dough. I feel sorry for you folks already.

Anita:

I beg your pardon? Are you speaking English?

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Bazza:

(Chuckling) Too right! You guys ‘ave been sucked in good and proper. Two hundred bucks on hats! Wadya expect from the Big Smoke, hey? That place is an armpit. See this hat? (Takes his hat off still chuckling) Take a look at that. $9.95 at Big W, they sell for less ya know.

Anita:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Look, I’m glad our hats have given you cause for

Bazza:

Yes, well yours doesn’t have the crocodile teeth on it.

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Frederick:

amusement but we’d like to be driven to the homestead now to meet the owners and freshen up. There’s no need to drive, ma’am, the homestead’s just ‘ere! (He points behind him using his thumb)

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Struth! Ain’t ya the ants pants. Ya’ll be asking for the red carpet next. Never mind, being paying guests and all. I’ll get me missus to lend a hand with those.

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Bazza:

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Bazza puts his fingers to his mouth and lets out a loud whistle. SFX: Whistle. Shazza enters, centre stage right. She is heavily pregnant. She stops next to Bazza and scratches her protruding belly. Shazza: Bazza:

G’day, how are yers?

So, I’m Bazza and this is me missus, Shazza. We’ll be looking after ya.

Frederick and Anita look at each other in disbelief. Ready-Ed Publications

Frederick:

Oh, right-o then. Are the owners away?

Bazza:

Ya got wax in ya ears or somethin’? We are the owners. Come on then, grab ‘em bags there Shazza and chuck ‘em inside will ya, luv.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S(Outraged) I’m not going to let a woman carry our

Shazza nods and reaches for the luggage.

Bazza:

What d’ya mean insulting? She’s got a right to carry them bags if she wants.

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Anita:

Frederick: Bazza: Frederick:

Ya having me on aren’t ya? Ain’t ya heard of woman’s rights? They’ve been busting their butts to do men’s work for years. Ya must come from one of those backward countries!

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Anita:

bags – it’s unheard of, especially in her condition!

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Frederick:

Oh, never mind, I wish to get out of this sweltering heat and have a bath. Frederick can carry the luggage.

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Oh, yes of course, dear. I just hope my back doesn’t give out. Yer back giving ya trouble then is it?

Yes, slipped disc I’m afraid. Frightfully painful. Would you mind taking one of these? (Holds out a suitcase)

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Bazza:

Yeah, I knows the feeling. It’s a bugger when old age starts to creep up on ya. I got a problem with me hearing. I go stone deaf at times.

Frederick:

Oh, I see.

Bazza:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok (Shouting) I said, I see! u S Just as well, it’s bad enough having a crook back Ay? (Cups his hand over his ear)

Bazza:

Frederick:

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Frederick:

without being blind as well! Anyhow mate, don’t worry about a thing, a week’s work on the farm will straighten ya out! I assume ya bought ya stubbies?

Stubbies? (Thinks a while before recollecting the word) Well no,P we’re not beer drinkers really. © Rea dyEd ub l i c at i ons

orr ev e r p osesonl y• Anita:•f Teai isw morep tou our liking.

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Shazza: Anita:

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Bazza:

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Bazza and Shazza let out a hearty laugh. They sound like kookaburras. Stubbies are work clothes, ya know, like overalls.

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But we’re not here to work. The brochure said, “Enjoy horse riding, bush walking and swimming in the natural lakes. Get a taste for the real Australia,” it said. Yeah, that’s right, the horse riding comes in when we round up the sheep, we walk through the bush when we hunt down the kangaroos and rabbits that are eating us out of our land, and we go swimming to catch the eels Shazza cooks up on the barbie. 41

Anita:

Oh, my Lord! (Fans herself furiously) Are we in hell?

Shazza and Bazza look at each other not knowing whether to be offended or not. Shazza:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u I don’t think I could bear cooking eels and baby SOh, goats. Is there anything else on the menu? Frederick Well if ya not up to anything strenuous, you can always help me with the cooking and the kids.

and I are vegetarians.

Shazza and Bazza burst out laughing again. Shazza: Anita:

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Anita:

I didn’t mean baby goats. We call children kids over ‘ere. © Re adyEdPubl i cat i ons

•f orr ev i e wisp ur pos ehave so nl yanimals • Oh, and why that? Don’t you enough

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Shazza: Anita:

Shazza:

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on your farm that you must refer to your children as baby goats? My, you’re a touchy one. Don’t ya have any kids? I mean children.

o c . che e r o t r Didn’t theys come with yas then? up er

We have indeed, one male and one female.

Anita:

Certainly not. They are at boarding school where they belong. Frederick and I believe education is of the utmost importance.

Shazza:

Yeah, us too. Our kids get schooled through the radio.

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Anita:

I beg your pardon?

Shazza:

Well, being so far from town and all, we homeschool the kids. The teacher talks to ‘em through the CB radio.

Anita:

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Shazza:

r o e t s Bo r e p o u k Twelve. S

Oh, really? How many children do you have?

Frederick and Anita are taken aback. They jerk backward in shock. Anita:

Oh my, and your about to have another one, how do you cope?

Well actually, I’m superstitious. I didn’t like the © Rea dyEdPubl i cat i ons thought of having thirteen kids, being an unlucky number sop Io decided too have twins. •f orr ev i ewandpall, ur ses nl y•

Shazza:

Anita:

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Frederick and Anita look at each other with a look of confusion and half disbelief. How on earth did you manage that?

o c . che e r Anita and Frederick lookr ats each other wondering whether Shazza is o t s r u e p mad. Shazza:

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I can’t tell ya all me secrets now can I?

(Laughing) You folks are as dry as a bone. I was just kidding ya. Weeze really got six kids and this is me lucky seven. (Pats her tummy)

Frederick:

Well, we’re really here to relax and explore the wildlife. We don’t believe in hunting animals. My wife wants to cuddle a koala like she saw in the brochure.

Bazza:

No probs, mate! Just give me a jiffy.

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Bazza::

There ya go, cuddle away!

Anita:

You’ve killed him!

Bazza:

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Bazza pulls a slingshot from his pocket, bends down to pick up a rock, turns centre stage left, aims it up high and flings the rock. A second later, a stuffed koala hurls through the air. Bazza catches it and hands it over to Anita who looks at it in horror.

Anita:

It’s a rather smelly beast isn’t it?

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•f oher rr evup i e wdisgust. pur posesonl y• Anita wrinkles nose in Well it’s not like he can wipe his bum now is it?

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Disgusted, Anita quickly holds the koala away from her clothes. Wondering what to do with it, she tries to hand it to Frederick who moves away shaking his head. She puts the koala down on the ground and nudges it away with her foot. Anita:

Shoo, shoo.

Bazza:

Come on then, I’ll show ya to ya quarters. (He moves centre stage towards the barn)

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Frederick:

You mean this is the main house? THIS is the HOMESTEAD? (He looks displeased)

Bazza:

Yeah, but don’t worry, we weren’t expecting ya to share it with six kids and all, so we built the bed and brekkie part in the barn over ‘ere.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u this ‘ere will be ya personal palace for the next S Now week!

Bazza stops in front of the barn door, upper stage right.

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Bazza:

Bazza opens the barn door and motions for Anita and Frederick to look. Anita and Frederick look shocked.

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Oh, and don’t mind the sheets. We do our washing in bore water, which tends to a turn everything © Rea dy Ed Pu bl i c t i o ns brown. They ain’t been pooped on or nuthin’. Also, best •f orr ev i ew pur pspiders, oses on y• spot check ya shoes for that’s al favourite for ‘em, except if ya feet stink. (Bazza and Shazza laugh) I told the kids to keep their pet snakes in the other barn when visitors are around so ya won’t need to worry about those.

Bazza:

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Shazza:

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And don’t sweat if ya hear some thumping up above at night. We got a brush-tailed possum living in the roof. If it looks like raining, there’s some buckets in the corner to catch the drips.

(Horrified) You can’t be serious? I demand an upgrade immediately. 45

Bazza and Shazza look at each other puzzled. Shazza:

Huh? What’s that?

Anita:

Oh, never mind. Frederick, aren’t you going to say something?

Frederick:

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Bazza:

r o e t s Bo r e I can’t see a lavatory anywhere. p ok u SAy?

Shazza:

The lav dear.

Bazza:

Ah, ya mean the dunny? It’s out the back mate, where it’s suppose to be. Ya don’t wanna be stinkin’ the place out now do ya? Come on, I’ll show ya.

(Shrieks) FREDERICK!

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upper stage left and opens the door.

Bazza pays no attention to their reaction, closes the door and moves over to the cow trough, upper stage centre. There is a steel frame around it with a shower curtain hanging off it.

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o c . c e he r This ‘ere’s ya bath. o t r s super It looks like a cow trough.

Not any more! We turned it into a bath with curtain and all if ya want some privacy. Pretty smart, hey?

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Anita:

(Covering her face with her hands) Oh, my God. I must be dreaming!

Bazza:

Glad ya like it. The missus picked the curtain.

SFX: A cow’s moo is heard from the guest’s barn, upper stage right.

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r o e t s Bo r Anita: (Shocked) What was that? e p ok u S look horrified. Anita is fanning herself furiously. Anita and Frederick They run back over to the barn, upper stage right and peer in. Frederick:

There’s a cow in the barn for pity’s sake!

Bazza:

Yeah, she won’t mind ya’s. She’s birthing. Probably be gone by morning.

Listen here. You have to get Bertha or whatever you called her out of there! I did not pay to share lodgings with a cow, or any animal for that matter. (Looks at Frederick) Frederick, do something!

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Ay?

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Bazza:

o c . c e r SFX: Kids laughingh and shouting. er o t s super Shazza:

Here comes the tribe back from their scorpion hunt.

Anita looks around nervously. Anita: Ready-Ed Publications

You mean there are natives coming? 47

Bazza and Shazza burst out laughing. Shazza:

No, I meant the kids. They’re coming home for their damper and Vegemite.

Anita:

What is that, exactly?

Shazza:

over here.

Frederick shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head. Anita:

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Anita:

r o e t s Bo r Tucker. e p ok u S(Looking at Frederick) I thought they spoke English (Looking back at Shazza) Were you serious about the scorpions?

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Bazza:

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Wonderful. Any other creatures we need to know about besides eels, spiders, snakes and scorpions?

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Frederick:

Only the redback on the toilet seat. (Lets out a hearty laugh)

o c . ch Kids enter centre stage right making a commotion. Freckles and Gecko e r er ohas a koala tucked are arguing. Sheila is piggybacking Squirt who t s s r u e p under her arm, Gazza is holding a snake and Boney is holding a small bucket containing the scorpions. Gazza is chasing Boney around the stage trying to get to the scorpions. Boney opens the lid of the bucket while Gazza tries to stick the snake’s head inside. Sheila and Squirt watch, fascinated. Freckles and Gecko are still pushing each other around. 48

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Gecko:

T’was a grey roo ya twit. I bet ya that one weighed over ninety kilos for sure.

Freckles:

Fair crack of the whip! It was a red roo. I could tell by its nose. Besides, red roos are the tallest and that one had to be over two and a half metres tall.

Shazza:

Settle down, will ya, can’t ya see we got visitors?

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Boney:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok You think you know everything! u S

Freckles:

G’day! You’s the Poms then? Nice to meet ya. I’m Freckles.

Shazza:

Mind ya manners. And get ya hat on.

Boney:

I’m Boney.

Anita:

Boney?

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Yeah, can’t ya tell. The kid’s gotta run around in the shower to get wet.

o c . ch e I’me Gecko. r o t r s super Climbs everything in sight.

I’m Squirt, cause I’m the littlest. (Gets off Sheila’s back)

Sheila:

I’m Sheila and no one’s giving me no nickname! (Stands with hands on her hips)

Sheila takes the bucket off Boney. Gazza:

I’m Gazza. Check out the new snake I found. Ain’t it a beauty!

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a split second before letting him go.

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r o e t s Bo r e pout which makes Fredericko Gazza holds the snake instantly jump in u k terror landing perfectly in Anita’s arms. She holds him in mid air for S Anita:

Frederick, get a hold of yourself. We’re in public!

Frederick:

Yes, of course dear. Terribly sorry!

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Gazza:

Nuh! Ya thinking ‘bout the Taipan, king of Australian snakes. It’s the deadliest, fastest and smartest of all. They can grow to over three metres and they’ve got the largest fangs of Australia’s snakes. The Taipan is one ferocious snake. Then there’s the death adder. They’re pretty placid, but if ya tread on one, it’ll bite ya quicker than ya can blink and then ya dead meat!

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Frederick:

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Aren’t those things dangerous?

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Gazza:

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Wonderful! I suppose you’re going to tell me that this one doesn’t bite.

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Gazza:

This ere’s a python. Perfectly harmless. They ain’t got poisonous fangs. They kill their victims by gripping ‘em with their teeth, then coiling their bodies around ‘em and squeezing the breath out of ‘em before eating ‘em. Mum loves having ‘em around. They eat the rats and mice, not to mention birds. Here have a hold?

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r o e t s Bo r e He holds the snakep out to Anita. Shrieking, she grabs okonto Frederick u and tries to swing her leg over and into his arms. Gazza withdraws S the snake and she quickly composes herself. Boney:

They obviously don’t like snakes, numbskull. I got a pet wombat. She’s really cute. Wanna see her?

Anita:

No, thank you, I’m not really fond of bats either.

Bazza:

Yeah, instead they dig holes all over me farm and damage me fences. I thought I told ya to get rid of that thing.

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Boney:

Freckles:

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Frederick:

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o c . ch Yeah, we’ve got a two-headed wombat! e r er o t s super Two heads? That’s extraordinary. Deformed at birth But Dad, she’s got a baby in her pouch.

was she? They all laugh. Boney:

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No! Baby wombats are born after 30 days and then they stay in their mother’s pouch for eight months. 51

The opening of a wombat’s pouch faces out so when she’s walking, sometimes the baby sticks its head out of her pouch and it looks like a two-headed wombat. Get it? Frederick:

Well, not quite. It sounds rather absurd.

Squirt:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u SI beg your pardon? Why’d ya talk funny?

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Frederick: Gecko:

Shut up, Squirt. Ya being rude.

Squirt:

Am not, I just asked a question. (Looking at Anita) You’re pretty.

Anita:

Squirt:

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Anita:

Squirt: Gecko:

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digging? (Points to Anita’s nails) Certainly not, and they are not claws! I like to grow my nails long and paint them with nail polish. It’s fashionable.

o c . che e r o t r s Squirt on the back of Somethings ya ain’t. (Whacks r u pe What’s fashionable?

the head) I got a pet platypus. He lives in a burrow down by the creek. We can go swimming there later if ya like.

Anita: 52

Is that the same creek with the eels in it? Ready-Ed Publications

Gecko:

Did Dad tell ya that? There ain’t really eels ‘round here. He’s just pulling ya leg.

Anita:

(Alarmed) He never laid a hand on my leg! I would never allow it.

r o e t s Bo r e p okoala Do ya like me pet koala? (Holds out to Anita) u k S

They all laugh at Anita’s ignorance of their slang.

Anita:

Gecko:

Yes, I’ve had a hold already. Perhaps you could give it a bath.

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Squirt:

Did ya know the word “koala” means “no drink” in Aboriginal? Koalas hardly ever drink. They only eat eucalyptus or gum leaves. They can eat more than a kilo ofleaves day. © Rea dy EdaP ubl i cat i ons

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Frederick:

. te Freckles: Frederick:

Sheila: Ready-Ed Publications

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orr ev i ew pur po ses onl ygum •leaves Boney:•f Yeah, but there’s only twelve species of they can eat, cause at certain times of the year the leaves have a poison in ‘em which kills the koala. Between poisonous leaves and slingshots, no wonder they’re an endangered species.

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Ya know what else? Koalas can sometimes have twins!

Fancy that! (Looking at the bucket in Sheila’s hand) May I ask what’s in the bucket? It seems to be shaking. That’s me scorpions. Wanna see? (She lifts the lid off the bucket) 53

Anita:

No!

Frederick peers in and quickly recoils in disgust. Frederick:

What on earth are you going to do with those?

Sheila:

r o e t s Bo r e okway to study. Ip would think books are a much safer u S School project.

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Anita:

Nuh, boring. Learning from the real thing’s the way ta go. I ain’t daft ya know. I read plenty when I have ta. I already knows all about scorpions. American and African scorpions are deadly but Australian scorpions are shy. They’ll only sting ya if ya step on ‘em. (Looks at Anita’s open toe shoes) Ya best change into some boots just ina case. Their sting will © Re ady E dP ub l i c t i o ns ‘ave ya eyes popping out even if it’s not deadly.

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Sheila:

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Boney:

Freckles and Prickles, can ya stand it?

Frederick: Freckles: Boney: Freckles:

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What on earth is an echidna?

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Freckles has a pet echidna. His name is Prickles.

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Squirt:

o c . che e r o t r s super Der!

It’s also known as an anteater ‘cause it eats ants.

Shut up, Boney.

Boney pokes her tongue out at Freckles. They start to wrestle. The rest of the kids join in, hitting each other. 54

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Shazza:

Behave kids or I’ll deck yers.

All Kids:

(Instantly stand to attention) Yes, Mum.

Freckles:

Dad likes Prickles cause he eats termites.

Bazza:

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building?

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Frederick:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S I’m not so sure of that. Did you use nails when

Yep, no chance of the house fallen down around our ears!

Bazza cups his hand over his chin and thinks a while.

Ya know, there’s 1500 species of ants and 150 species of termites in Australia? Echidnas can survive © Rea dyEdPubl i cat i ons without drinking cause ants and termites are made upi of seventy per cent Echidnas can •f orr ev ew pu r p owater. ses onl y •also go a long time without food.

Sheila:

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Picking one up is the fun bit. With all them prickles on his back, the only way to grab it is by the leg and it farts at ya!

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Freckles:

. te The kids all laugh. o c . c e h r Boney: Yeah, it’s the deadliest t smell! er o s super Freckles:

That’s how they keep other animals away. A bit like what a skunk does.

Frederick:

Well, you certainly know your facts. You have an impressive knowledge of your native animals.

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Boney:

We knows heaps of stuff.

Anita:

Except for the English language apparently!

Freckles:

Yeah, we only knows Australian. Maybe ya could teach us ya lingo while ya ‘ere. (Thinks a moment) Except, we don’t have any plums.

Freckles: Anita:

Freckles:

Well, Mum says that you Poms talk with plums’ pits in yer gob. I beg your pardon?

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Anita:

r o e t s Bo r e p I’m afraid I don’t understand? ok Plums? u S

No need to beg, Ma’am. Plums are outta season © Re ad ydP ub l i c at i ostill ns this time ofE year, that’s all. You can teach us can’t ya?

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Shazza:

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(Quickly changing the subject) It’s time for tea and damper. Go in and wash yer hands now kids.

o c . c e Soh how about ya settle in. Shazza’ll ‘ave one of the r e o t r sAussie tea, boiled on the r kids bring s yau in some pegood

The kids exit centre stage right. Bazza:

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Anita is taken aback not knowing what to say.

billy and all with Vegemite and damper. Later on, I’ll give ya a run down on milking the cows so ya’ll know what to do tomorrow morning at 4.30 when milking starts.

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Anita:

That wasn’t in the brochure! I’m never out of bed before nine a.m. Besides, I’m lactose intolerant.

Bazza looks puzzled. He rubs his chin thoughtfully. Bazza:

Bazza:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S What are you talking about?

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Anita:

Oh really? Lac-tose intolerant, hey? I never heard a name like that before. Suppose ya get called Laccy for short, hey?

Well, I was sure the reservation had yer name as Anita Higginbotham. Ya sure ya got off at the right homestead? Ya booked in at “Back Of Beyond” didn’t ya?

Frederick: That’s it!E This must bel ac horrible mistake. © Rea dydP ub i at i o ns Is there another homestead further down the road perhaps?

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Nuh, mate. The next homestead’s a cuppla hundred miles away.

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Bazza: Anita:

Well, we’ll have to call the airline to come back and pick us up. This is all a terrible mistake!

Anita:

NO SERVICE! How can this be? I specifically asked for full coverage. Frederick, do something! There’s no service! (She begins to hyperventilate)

Bazza:

No need to spit the dummy, Ma’am. Ya got the plane

. te o Anita gets her mobile out of her bag and tries to dial. itc unsuccessfully. che e She becomes hysterical. r o r st super

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booked to come past in a fortnight. It’s whatcha asked for. Anita:

No, no, no, it was a mistake. This can’t be happening! My migraine’s returning. Frederick, this is all your fault. Fix it!

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u SOh, dear, my back pain’s getting worse. I’ll be getting

Frederick:

the twitch next.

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Teac he r

Anita sits on one of the suitcases. Her feet are pigeon-toed and she’s frantically trying to make her mobile phone work.

His body starts to twitch nervously, starting with his shoulders, then neck. Frederick:

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up. It’s all that travelling. Seems to affect every visitor the same way. (Slaps Frederick on the back, sending him flying) Never ya mind, we’re having pie floaters for tea. That oughta cheer ya up.

Anita begins to wail.

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Bazza:

Oh, here it is. The pain of it all! © Re adyEdPubl i cat i ons Struth! You ao good lies down, •f orr evi e wtwopneed ur p se onyer l ycracking •

o c . che e r o t r s su She gets up in a huff and stomps over to r the barn, upper stage right. pe Anita:

Anita:

I need my medication!

Frederick, the cases.

Frederick follows her, scrambling with the suitcases. Bazza shakes his head. Anita stops at the barn entrance. Her mouth drops open in horror. 58

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Anita:

(Pointing inside the barn) Ccccooow. Cccoow. Cow!

Frederick looks to where she’s pointing. Frederick:

By Jove! That’s the biggest poo I’ve ever seen.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S (Craning his neck forward to take a closer look)

Anita is madly fanning herself. Her body is swaying backwards and forwards as if she’s going to faint. Aargh! That’s disgusting!

Bazza and Shazza walk over to have a look. Bazza:

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Frederick:

That’s no poo, mate. She’s about to drop her calf.

Bazza & Shazza:

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Shazza:

FOREIGNERS!

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SFX: Cow mooing. Anita and Frederick look at t each other. They go © R e a d y E d P u b l i c a i o n s cross-eyed, their heads wobbling in unison before they faint in •f ostyle. rr e vi eand w Shazza pur p os so nl y • spectacular Bazza look ate each other bewildered. They throw their hands up in the air.

Woooow, blimey! (Clutches at her belly) I think the cow set me off. Me bun’s about to drop!

. te o Bazza has an anxious look on his face. c . che e r o t r s Bazza: Oh, nots another one! r upe He rolls his eyes and faints. Shazza:

Men! FINAL CURTAIN

Ready-Ed Publications

Other Plays Also Available by Jacquelin Melilli Goldisocks and the Three Koalas

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

- Award Winner at the Spring on Stage Theatre Festival – 2001 (also available on film)

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Little Red Meets the Dingo - Award Winner at the Spring on Stage Theatre Festival - 2001 (previously known as Twin Red Riding Hoods. Also available on film)

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Goldilocks is ready to retire from her Fairytale career and has placed all her hopes on her daughter Goldisocks to follow in her footsteps. The problem is, Goldisocks has her own dreams to play soccer. With the “Big Audition” coming up, the pressure is on for Goldisocks to perform, but having sneaked off to play soccer instead of going to her singing and dancing lessons, Goldisocks is in a bit of a jam. Her solution is to run away with a rest stop at the Three Koalas’ house, where Papa Koala just happens to be the Hot Shot Soccer Coach and Baby Koala surprises them all! Cast of six - three females/three males. One Act. Approximately 40 minutes. (Published by Ready-Ed Publications 2005)

Little Red ignores her mother’s warnings about using the Internet chat rooms. Little does she know, the deceitful dingo, Din is planning his moves. When her mother drops out of yet another family gathering to put her career first, Little Red reacts by inviting Din to Granny’s birthday party with disastrous results. Little Red is taken hostage by Der the dopey dingo, whilst Din is making Granny sign over her fortune in exchange for Little Red. Does the woodchopper come to the rescue? Does Din get his just desserts? You bet! Cast of six - three females/three males. One Act. Approximately 45 minutes. (Published by Ready-Ed Publications 2005)

Can Anybody Hear Me?

Award Winner at the Spring on Stage Theatre Festival - 2002

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Lost Child

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Amidst her parents arguing Sarah wants to be heard, instead she gets sent to her room. One magical night, Sarah’s toys come to life to help her sort out life’s difficult problems. Teddy fixes everything with cuddles, Barbie thinks looking beautiful is best, Rag Doll bakes delicious treats in times of stress, Ballerina focuses on a strict regiment of little food and plenty of dancing to fulfil her dreams, Clown laughs his way through everything and Mechanical Man tries to solve everyone’s problems or is he the cause of them? Cast of nine - five females/four males. Teddy and clown can be either male or female. One Act. Approximately 30 minutes. (Published by Ready-Ed Publications 2005)

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A dark and shocking play centered around Jade, her friend Lexie, the undesirable and dangerous Tarik and Cass and the ill effects of drug addiction and the consequences attached. Jade, since losing her father at the age of ten, feels that she has also lost her identity. She numbs her pain by slowly self destructing, almost taking her best friend Lexie with her. Her younger sister, Skye is caught in the middle, bailing Jade out when things get tough. Cast of eight - six females/two males or four females/two males with voice overs. Two Acts. Approximately 1 hour. Script available from www.jacquelinmelilli.com

Ready-Ed Publications