Playscript

Adapted from a story by Heather Harrison	

The cast

VILLAGER 1: Wearing Sunday best.
VILLAGER 2: Wearing Sunday best.
VILLAGER 3: Wearing Sunday best.
VILLAGER 4: Wearing Sunday best.
VILLAGER 5: Wearing Sunday best.
YOUNG LAMBTON: Wearing casual clothes.
LORD LAMBTON: Wearing a cloak.
BLACKSMITH: Wearing a ‘leather’ apron.
BLACKSMITH’S WIFE: Wearing a black pointy hat.
VILLAGER 6: Wearing a smock or similar and carrying a torch.
VILLAGER 7: Wearing a smock or similar and carrying a torch.
VILLAGER 8: Wearing a smock or similar and carrying a torch.
VILLAGER 9: Wearing a smock or similar and carrying a torch.
VILLAGER 10: Wearing a smock or similar and carrying a torch.
NARRATOR 1: Wearing school uniform or special narrator's outfit.
NARRATOR 2: Wearing school uniform or special narrator's outfit.
NARRATOR 3: Wearing school uniform or special narrator's outfit.
THE LAMBTON WORM (Seven children):  Wearing pale, plain clothes.

Props

For YOUNG LAMBTON: A fishing rod, a leather fishing bag and a pink sock filled with material to represent the young Worm.
For VILLAGERS: Torches.
For LORD LAMBTON: A cloak.
For BLACKSMITH: A ‘leather’ apron and a large sword.
For BLACKSMITH’S WIFE: A black pointy hat. 
For the WORM: A long length of pale, plain material.
SOUND EFFECTS: Sound of church bells

Setting
Bare stage.

NARRATOR 1:	In the north-east of England, near Sunderland, lies a grassy mound called Penshaw Hill. It is encircled by three strange ridges, which form giant steps to the top. You may wonder what could have caused such strange rings on a lone hill. Well, some people say they were caused by the terrible Lambton Worm.
NARRATOR 2: 	Years ago, Lord Lambton was Lord of the Manor thereabouts. His land was a gift from the King and, in return, he trained men from his villages to shoot arrows and wield swords, and would send them to the King whenever an army was needed.
NARRATOR 3: 	Now, you might think the men would not like to leave their loved ones and be sent away like that, but Lord Lambton allowed their families to farm and rear their animals on his land. They just had to give Lord Lambton part of everything they produced and, in return, he promised to protect them. 
NARRATOR 1, 2 and 3:	Remember that.
[Setting: Outside, with people walking on the way to church. Lord Lambton is talking to his son. Young Lambton is hiding a fishing rod behind his back.]
LORD LAMBTON:	So, you promise you’ll come to church later then? And you won’t sneak off fishing like you did last week?
YOUNG LAMBTON:	Yes, yes, I’ll be there.
LORD LAMBTON:	What’s that you’ve got there?
YOUNG LAMBTON:	(Hiding fishing rod.) Oh, nothing, nothing. I’d better be off now Dad.
LORD LAMBTON:	(Sternly.) See you at church. 
[Young Lambton runs off, stage left, hiding fishing rod from his father. Villagers enter stage left as Young Lambton exits.]
VILLAGER 1:	(Doffing cap.) Mornin’ Sire. 
VILLAGER 2:	Where’s he off to in such a hurry?
VILLAGER 3:	Fishing again. He’s a lazy so and so.
VILLAGER 1:	[Coughs warningly and nods towards Lord Lambton who is walking across the stage.]
VILLAGER 2:	(Doffing cap.) Mornin’ Sire. 
LORD LAMBTON:	Good morning villagers. I trust I’ll see you all at church?
[Villagers follow Lord Lambton off, stage right, as Young Lambton comes on stage left.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	Ah, now this looks like a good spot.
[He puts down his fishing bag, makes himself comfortable and starts to fish. Very quickly he feels a tug on the line. He reels in the Worm (sock) with a bit of difficulty and wriggles it about as if it’s struggling.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	Ha, I’ve got a fine fish here!
YOUNG LAMBTON:	(He lands his catch.) Ooo, you are UGLY! (He struggles to put the wriggling sock into his bag.) But I think you just might make a great pie.
NARRATOR 1:	So, off went Young Lambton back to the manor. 
NARRATOR 3:	But wait! What is going on in that bag? That strange creature does not like it in that scrapy bag.
YOUNG LAMBTON:	(Struggling with bag.) Ow! Ow! What sharp teeth you have, you disgusting thing. (He takes the bag off his back and keeps it at arm’s length.)
[Villagers 4 and 5 appear enter stage right.] 
VILLAGER 4:	What have you got there?
VILLAGER 5:	That boy is hopeless!
[Young Lambton ignores them and the villagers walk off stage and Young Lambton runs about goes to stage left and tips the Worm down the well.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	(Shouting down well.) Good riddance. (Looking around then speaking to the audience.) I don’t know what that was but I never want to see it again. Oh dear, look how high the sun is in the sky, looks like I missed church again. Shame. (Smiles, shrugs and walks off stage.)
NARRATOR 3:	That’s foreshadowing, that is.
NARRATOR 1:	Yes, but let’s get on with the story.
NARRATOR 3:	Young Lambton certainly looks pleased that he’s put an end to the ugly creature but wait, who’s that coming now?
[Lord Lambton walks on stage.]
NARRATOR 2:	This should be interesting.
LORD LAMBTON:	Ah, my boy. Great news, great news. I’ve at last enrolled you in the King’s Army. 
YOUNG LAMBTON:	What the... ?
LORD LAMBTON:	Oh, don’t thank me son! Don’t thank me. You’ll love it. 
YOUNG LAMBTON:	But…
LORD LAMBTON:	Don’t say another word. 
YOUNG LAMBTON:	I’m…
 LORD LAMBTON:	(Slapping him on the back.) It’ll make a man of you boy. (He points off stage and Young Lambton leaves the stage, looking very miserable, in the direction that Lord Lambton is pointing.)
[Worm costume (containing two children) stands at the side of the stage.]
NARRATOR 3:	Meanwhile, in the depths of that well, the Worm slithered into a crevice, squeezed down a tunnel and oozed out into the river among the reeds and weeping willows. There it hid... 
NARRATOR 2:	and grew… 
[One child runs on and hides under the Worm costume.]
NARRATOR 1:	and grew…
[Another child runs on and hides under the Worm costume.]
NARRATOR 3:	and grew. 
[Another child runs on and hides under the Worm costume.]
NARRATOR 2:	Its worminess became more dragon-like, with legs, scales and claws, a fat, pudding head and a flickering tongue that continually tasted the air.
NARRATOR 3:	The more it grew, the hungrier it got and soon it turned its gobstopper eyes towards the village farms and grazing herds. 
WORM:	SNAP! GOLLOP! 
[Villagers run on and off the stage shouting.]
VILLAGER 1:	ARGHHH!
VILLAGER 2:	Help! The Worm’s coming.
VILLAGER 3:	Hide your sheep or they’ll get snaffled.
VILLAGER 4:	Arghhh. The Worm!
VILLAGER 5:	Run! Run I say.
VILLAGER 6:	Hide in your huts.
VILLAGER 7:	Arghhhhh!
NARRATOR 1:	The Worm ate its way through cows and sheep and pigs. Crunching and munching, it spread terror through the manor until the people of the village wailed in horror, crouching in their huts.
VILLAGER 1:	This is ridiculous. Lord Lambton said he’d protect us. My farm is ruined.
VILLAGER 2:	(Pleading.) He has to do something.
VILLAGER 3:	He just spends his time up at the manor hiding.
VILLAGER 1:	Yeah! And where can we hide?
VILLAGER 3:	My sheep have been snaffled!
VILLAGER 4:	My cows have been chomped!
VILLAGER 1:	My poor children are quaking in their little boots.
VILLAGER 2:	Let’s march on the manor and demand that he kill the wicked Worm once and for all.
[Villagers hold up placards and march on the manor.]
VILLAGERS:	(In unison.) We want Lambton. We want Lambton. Kill the Worm, kill the Worm.
[Villagers hold up placards and march on the manor.]
LORD LAMBTON:	(Holding up his hands.) Silence. Silence. Do you think I have done nothing? I’ve sent my best knights. None of them have returned and the Worm continues to attack us.
VILLAGER 8:	(Shaking his fist.) You have to do something.
VILLAGER 9:	Can’t you see we’re desperate?
LORD LAMBTON:	I know! I’ll send a letter to my son. Get him to come home.
[Villagers tut and shake their heads.]
VILLAGER 1:	We’re not that desperate.
VILLAGER 7:	Hopeless.
VILLAGER 8:	I meant do something useful!
VILLAGER 3:	We’re doomed.
NARRATOR 3:	The poor villagers. They all knew Young Lambton – he really was quite hopeless.
[The villagers leave the stage muttering.]
NARRATOR 2:	Lord Lambton’s lands fell to ruin and his riches were lost.
NARRATOR 3:	He sent a desperate message to his son to come home.
[Lord Lambton sits on a chair with his head in his hands. Young Lambton walks on stage shaking his head.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	This place has gone to the dogs. What has happened? 
LORD LAMBTON:	The villagers have been attacked by... (pauses) a Worm!
 [Young Lambton looks puzzled.]
	I don’t mean a skinny wriggler of a garden worm. I mean a stalking, cow-eating, sheep-snaffling, child-terrorising MONSTER!
[Lord Lambton walks off stage, sadly.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	(Addressing the audience.) You don’t suppose that that Worm is the same creature I threw into the well? Why didn’t I destroy it when I had the chance? 
NARRATOR 3:	Well, he seems to have grown up a bit doesn’t he?
NARRATOR 2:	Not before time if you ask me.
NARRATOR 1:	(Crossly.) No one’s asking you. Just get on with the story.
NARRATOR 3:	If my memory serves me right he goes to see the blacksmith.
NARRATOR 2:	Here they come now.
 [Young Lambton comes in talking to the blacksmith and followed by glamorous woman in tall witch’s hat.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	…blades sticking out all over. And a big helmet with a slit so I can see out. And, er, very sturdy metal.
BLACKSMITH:	Yes Sire, I have all of that.
YOUNG LAMBTON:	(Worried.) Will that be enough? Will it? (To the audience.) I can’t say I’m not worried.
BLACKSMITH’S WIFE:	(Smiling.) What you need good Sire is certainty? Yes, you need a little bit of magic.
YOUNG LAMBTON:	(Puzzled) Magic?
BLACKSMITH’S WIFE: I shall get my husband to make you a fine sword. It will surely defeat the Worm but there’ll be a price to pay. You must sacrifice the first living thing you lay eyes on after you kill the beast.
YOUNG LAMBTON:	I’ll do it. (To the audience) Well, I feel better about that now. Tomorrow I shall fetch my armour and sword. And I shall defeat the Worm.
[They all leave the stage.]
NARRATOR:	He collected his metal suit the very next day. It was awe-inspiring – jagged all over with jutting blades. There was not a finger-space of Young Lambton’s body that was not covered by armour plating, hinges or chain mesh. 
 [As the narrator speaks, Young Lambton comes in with the Blacksmith.]
BLACKSMITH:	The suit will do you well my young Lord, but take also this fire-forged sword. Its name is Worm’s Bane and it is a gift from my wife. Wield it well, sire.
[The Blacksmith walks off stage.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	This sword is actually quite heavy.
[He walks around the stage dragging the sword. While Young Lambton’s back is turned the Worm comes on stage and the children make a circle. The Worm falls asleep.]
NARRATOR 1:	Poor lad, he can barely lift that broad blade.
NARRATOR 2:	Well, he shouldn’t be looking for the Worm for long – he just has to follow the gruesome trail of bones it has left in its wake.
NARRATOR 3:	There’s the Worm, coiled around Penshaw Hill. Young Lambton’s making it look very easy. If he can just creep all the way and get the Worm while it’s asleep…
 [Just then there is a loud clank of Young Lambton’s armour.]
NARRATOR 1, 2 and 3:	Uh oh!
THE WORM:	Ooh - dinner!
YOUNG LAMBTON:	Arghhh!
[The Worm wraps itself around Young Lambton then immediately recoils.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	Ha! Too spiky for you am I?
[The Worm lets go and Young Lambton swings his sword. One child rolls away.]
YOUNG LAMBTON:	There goes your head! Now for your tail!
[The Worm lets go and Young Lambton swings his sword. One child rolls away. The children disperse and Young Lambton throws the ‘skin’ (outfit) into the River Wear.]
NARRATOR 2:	Well done!
NARRATOR 1:	Yes, well done. As Young Lambton walked back to the manor in triumph, he only remembered the witch’s curse when he saw his father. 
NARRATOR 1:	Despite his vow, he could not kill his own dad. So that day a curse fell on the Lambton family that lasted through many generations.
NARRATOR 1, 2 and 3:	Or so they say.