Summary of Production Script

Junior newspaper reporter Annie Vent introduces a musical built upon the traditional tale of the Pied Piper, with added themes of bullying, being cautious about going off with strangers, and litter. The Town's Mayor is accepting backhanders from shadowy business man Mr Big. Meanwhile Mrs Read the School Mistress is fighting a losing battle to persuade her fellow Councillors to appoint an assistant for the overworked street sweeper, Mr Brunt, or to launch an anti-litter campaign. Mr Brunt's teenage daughter Molly intervenes to save Mrs Read's crippled son William from a bunch of bullies and the gang get their revenge by emptying the contents of all the litter bins back in the street, thus attracting a plague of rats. Mr Big offers to solve the problem for the Council, at a price, and the hippie Piper is called in to do the job. His success is headline news, but when Mr Big and the Council conspire not to pay the Piper he leads the children away in traditional fashion. Molly saves William in the nick of time and the pair of them set out to rescue the rest of the children. In due course, the real baddies get their comeuppance so that everyone else can live happily ever after. The songs and dialogue are spread out across the entire cast, with most of the main characters having a modest amount of solo singing plus sharing in group/chorus numbers.

Excerpt from Production Script

EXCERPT 1: MOLLY AND ANNIE OBSERVE A SECRET RENDEZVOUS

MOLLY:
(WHISPERING) What's the matter, Annie? Why ...?
ANNIE VENT:
(INTERRUPTING, WHISPERING) Look. But keep your head down.
MOLLY:
(WHISPERING) Oh! Isn't that Mr Big and his men in the square ...?
ANNIE VENT:
(WHISPERING) Dead right. And if they're not up to something, I'll eat my notepad.
MOLLY:
(WHISPERING) Yes, it does look suspicious ...
ANNIE VENT:
(WHISPERING) I reckon this could turn into something ... big. You know if (STOPS ABRUPTLY)
MUSIC: SNATCH OF MR MAYOR'S THEME
ANNIE VENT:
(WITH RELISH) Oh, yes. (PAUSE) What have we here then ...?
MOLLY:
(SURPRISED, WHISPERING) It looks like the Mayor ...
ANNIE VENT:
(GRIMLY, WHISPERING) And acting mighty suspicious too. (PAUSE) Mr Big in the shadows outside the Town Hall. Henchman posted each side of the square and now ... our much respected and dearly beloved Town Mayor skulking guiltily across for some kind of secret rendezvous. If that's not a conspiracy ...

EXCERPT 2: MOLLY RESCUES WILLIAM FROM THE BULLIES

BULLY 1:
Oh, look guys. It's little Willy Read all on his own!
BULLY 2:
Whatcha doing hanging round the square, Cripply Creep?
BULLY 3:
See the notice, Council Meeting tonight. Looks like Mumsy has brought him along to sit outside. Is that right, Hopalong Willy?
WILLIAM:
(MUMBLES SOMETHING)
BULLY 1:
What's that you say, Cripply Creep? I couldn't quite catch that.
FX: SOUNDS OF PUSHING AND JOSTLING
BULLY 2:
Hey! Watch where you're going, Hopalong!
BULLY 3: Aww. Look at that. I think he's going to cry.
BULLIES:
(CHANTING TOGETHER) Cripply Creep! Cripply Creep! Don't you weep! Don't you weep! Cripply Creep! Cripply Creep! Don't you weep! Don't you weep! Cripply Creep! Cripply Creep! Don't ...
MOLLY:
(HURRYING UP BREATHLESSLY) Hey! Stop that! Leave him alone! You bullies don't need to pick on him!
BULLY 1:
What's it to you, Molly Brunt? Eh?
BULLY 2:
Yeah. Why should we listen to you?
BULLY 3:
We don't have to do what you say. You're only the Street Sweeper's daughter!
BULLIES:
(CHANTING) Manky Molly Brunt. Dirt behind and dirt in front!
MOLLY:
Just cut it out and scram before I tell your parents.
THE GANG:
(MOCKING) Ooooohhhh!
MOLLY:
(RUNNING AT THE GROUP) Go on! Get lost the lot of you!
FX: BULLIES SCATTER
BULLY 1:
Come on, fellas. We'll get our own back later.

EXCERPT 3: THE RATS SING (SAMBA)

One rat and two rats, three rats and four
Soon you will have a whole lot more
These are the lessons rat kids must learn
Then there'll be rats wherever you turn

We've been to Rat School we know the score
All round the dustbins, under the floor
No sweat no trouble no fuss
Just leave it up to us

EXCERPT 4: MR BIG'S TWO HENCHMEN SING (BIG BAND)

Anything at a price that's Mr Big's way
Taking care of business and making it pay
Nothing is impossible if you've got the cash
Always providing you don't try to make a dash

Anything at a price that's Mr Big's deal
Honesty in business without a free meal
Though we've got some muscle where we should have had brain
He always knows that we are there to take the strain

EXCERPT 5: FROM THE TV NEWS REPORT (RAP)

MR MAYOR:
Just a moment now, you've got it wrong, that isn't how it was,
For the members of the Council are the ones to thank because
It was we who acted swiftly when confronted with this threat
And the Piper there's a tradesman who just did the job we set!
ANNIE VENT:
Well, I think that that's enough for now and thank you Mr Mayor.
When it comes to winning credit, I am sure you'll get your share!
This is Annie Vent returning you to Worldwide TV News
For the headlines on the Piper, who just loves to play the blues.
IVOR TALE:
Wow, that's quite a story, Annie, and it's probably fair to say
That we haven't heard the last yet of the Piper here today
Nonetheless, on that report, I think the viewers must agree
That this dude is quite the coolest cat that they will ever see!

EXCERPT 6: THE PARENTS SING, BLAMING THE MAYOR (ROCK)

You've really messed it up
You've really blown it now
We're on a hunt for justice
And we want it now
You know your time is up
There's no more fancy car
Forget the next election
You won't get that far

Excuses won't be good enough to get you off
You didn't keep your bargain and our kids are gone
So tell us what you mean to do to get them back
Before our final patience runs right out

EXCERPT 7: MOLLY AND WILLIAM REVEAL THE PIPER'S HIDEOUT

MOLLY:
(HUSHED VOICE) We'll have to be very quiet from now on. The entrance to the cave is only just beyond those trees up ahead.
MRS READ:
(WHISPERING) What are we going to do when we get there?
PARENT 1:
(LOUDLY) Why not just rush the door and take him by surprise?
THE GROUP:
(LOTS OF SHUSHING)
MOLLY:
(WHISPERING) That's no good. We don't know if he's dangerous.
MR BRUNT:
(WHISPERING) Molly's right. We can't risk doing anything that might cause him to harm the children.
PARENT 2:
(WHISPERING) But we've got to do something.
ANNIE VENT:
(WHISPERING) It's definitely a delicate situation. I suggest that we pick someone to negotiate with him.
PARENT 3:
Good idea! Maybe he'll agree to let the children go without a fight.
MR BRUNT:
(WHISPERING) Well, I suggest that we choose Mrs Read the School Mistress to talk to the Piper. She's the only good one on the Council and everyone in the town trusts her.
THE GROUP:
(MURMURS OF AGREEMENT)
MRS READ:
(WHISPERING) Very well then. I'll do it. But I think that Molly and William should come up to the door of the cave with me, so that the Piper will see that we're not here for a fight.
MR BRUNT:
(WHISPERING) In that case, I'll come up with them too, to make sure that they're safe while you speak to the Piper.
FX: THE WHOLE GROUP MOVES CLOSER TO THE CAVE AND THEN THE FOUR GO ON AHEAD AS AGREED
WILLIAM:
(SOFTLY, WARNING) There's a big stone door that was closed tight when we were here before.
FX: FAINT SOUND OF PIPE MUSIC
MR BRUNT:
(WHISPERING) That's alright, William. I can see the door from here and it looks like it's open. In fact, that looks like the Piper there now, sitting on the doorstep practising his music.

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