Peter Pan
A Dreaming Doctors Hangout Polytechnic Drama Society Theatrical Production, in association with Gaia Online.
A Dreaming Doctors Hangout Polytechnic Drama Society Theatrical Production, in association with Gaia Online.
Author’s Note: The following is a broadcast play created for Gaia Online by the members of the Dreaming Doctors Hangout Guild, as well as various other members of Gaia Online who have been volunteered for this show, in the hopes of bringing much joy to the audience at large. Please make yourself comfortable throughout today’s performance of Peter Pan. Food and drink are provided to you by what is available at your current location, wheresoever that might be in the world, and by what you can afford. Now then, let us get on with the show!
We begin with a backstage view and our narrator, played by the ever wonderful and dignified actress thewaitingtree, who has graciously agreed to narrate our play for us. She is looking in the giant book copy of Peter Pan, before looking up at the camera before her as she walks towards it. She then closes the book with a smile.
“Good evening! And a very Happy New Year to each of you! I’m thewaitingtree, and I’m speaking to you direct from the Gaia Studios. I’m hugely excited to have been asked by Gaia, to narrate tonight’s amateur production of Peter Pan, performed by the recipients of this year’s Gaia Community Choice Award. So, before we begin, let’s take a moment and meet the Dreaming Doctors Hangout Polytechnic Drama Society.”
The show then cuts to a previously filmed introduction by various members of the troupe. It starts with both Ser Rutherford and Waffle King Richard sitting on directors’ chairs in front of several other members of the team who are rehearsing for the production in the background.
“The Dreaming Doctors Hangout Polytechnic Drama Society is an amateur theater group” Ser explained.
“We’re made up of people who do lots of different courses, but who come together in the evenings and on weekends, to create theater” Waffle King Richard continued.
“I am Ser Rutherford” Ser noted as he pointed to himself. “I am the ‘Director’ and Captain Hook.”
“And I am Waffle King Richard. I am the Lead actor.”
“You are not the lead actor” Ser interjected calmly.
“Well, I’m the best actor!” Richard retorted.
It then cuts to a clip of Ser and Richard rehearsing, with Richard holding a parrot which is perched on his hand, and Richard slurring as he speaks, thus making no sense in what he says.
“Err-rher-rher-rher-rher-rher-eh-nheh-nyeh-nyeh.”
“Richard, stop it” Ser replied in annoyance as they rehearsed.
“Err-nyah-nyah!”
“No one can understand you” Ser mentioned in a slightly raised voice.
It then cut to Pidge Holt, who was the Stage Manager, and who is standing in front of a container which is labelled ‘GUNPOWDER-DANGER! EXPLOSIVES!'
“Now, I’ve been working as a Stage Manager for Dreaming Doctors Polytechnic for over 3 years now” he explained. As he does so, the image flips to show Pidge working with goldeelox, whose roles include that of Tinkerbell, and which she is being wired up in her Tinkerbell costume with lights, and an extension cord to power said lights. Once it works, it then cuts to him and another staffer carrying cut outs of tree stumps for one of the scenes. As it does so, he continues with explaining his work.
“Now, what these Gaia Broadcast professional staff need to learn, is that when we’re live, it’s my stage!” It now cuts back to him still standing in front of the explosives, as he goes to light a cigarette. He then repeatedly flicks his lighter, which fails to light.
The voiceover now goes back to Waffle King Richard.
“Why were we selected?”
The cameras now refocus their attention on Waffle King Richard and Ser Rutherford back in the directors’ chairs.
“Hard work! Talent! And our previous high quality…” As Ser is saying this, one of the other actors behind them, who is on a raised plank, falls off the plank and onto the floor.
“…And because of our cast member Markangel the Archangel, who just took a small fall there, being related to the head of Gaia Broadcasting” Waffle King Richard added.
It then cuts to a few of the cast doing dance practice while having a voice over from Dreaming Jessiey, who plays the role of Wendy.
“Our strengths? Uh, well… Everyone’s really keen” she explains. The video now shows a trust exercise of sorts, with one member standing on an elevated platform with his back facing the four members beneath who are meant to catch him. However, as they put their arms across to catch him, they start having a disagreement and pull their arms away for a discussion, all while said individual leans back and falls hard to the floor. “Yeah, everyone’s really committed” she continued.
“Yeah! It’s been a good chance to get to know each other” pmg_naturesjewel explained, as she had been cast as Peter Pan for this production.
“Ivanae is playing the Lost Boys character, Tootles, but she’s quite nervous about being on live TV” goldeelox explained. The video then shifts to show Ivanae standing in front of the camera, acting extremely hesitant and nervous while Waffle King Richard tries to help her build up her confidence by giving her a pep talk. “But Richard’s coaching her, so I’m sure that she’ll be fine” goldeelox noted.
“Come on Ivanae! More confidence!” Richard said as he clapped his hands together. “You’re going to ruin New Years!”
It then returns to Ser and Richard sitting in the chairs as they continue their discussion.
“We just want to get through the whole thing, without killing anyone” Ser explained with a light chuckle.
It then cuts to Ser, Richard, and Sen of Saturday rehearsing their lines together, and Ser and Richard clearly annoyed at Sen for forgetting his lines again.
“That’s your CUE, Sen!” Ser explained, rather exasperatedly. He signed in frustration, before turning to Pidge Holt who is behind a table nearby, working on a prop. “Can we get him an earpiece?”
Pidge looked up from what he was working on and thought for a moment. “We can get him a headset, if you want.”
“Will it be noticeable” Ser asked.
“Nah! Not in the slightest” Pidge replied.
“We are confident that this pantomime will run smoothly” Waffle King Richard said in a voiceover as the video shows him rehearsing a sword fight against Sen. It then cuts back to him and Ser sitting in their chairs.
“This is not a pantomime” Ser interjected quickly, hoping to set the record straight. He then chuckled lightly before adding “It is a traditional New Years’ vignette.”
“Oh no, it isn’t” Richard said jokingly, whilst chuckling to himself.
With that, the introductory ends, and we see thewaitingtree now standing in front of a door labelled “Gaia Studios”, and a sign reading ‘On Air’ has just turned on next to the doorway. thewaitingtree looks somewhat nervous for a moment, before cheering up to the sounds of the cheers coming from the other side of that door.
“Right then” she said with a smile, facing the camera. “That’s my cue. Here we go!” She then took a deep breath to compose herself. “See you on the other side!”
With that, she turned towards the door and opened it, to which the roar of the cheering crowd now amplified, before she walked through the doorway.
*****
Act One
*****
A new camera pans out over the stage, with the audience cheering as they see the bedroom set lit in soft blue while waiting for the cast to arrive. A gold chair with red plush cushioning sat in the corner to the left side of the stage, atop a small moveable platform. As the cameras pan out, the screen lights up with the following script, while a clarinet does ‘Do-Ra-Me-Fa-So’ in the background.
Dreaming Doctors Hangout Polytechnic Drama Society
Presents J M Barrie’s
Presents J M Barrie’s
Peter Pan
Dreaming Jessiey then comes out to center stage and heads to the ladder of the three-tiered bunk beds which Wendy shares with her two younger siblings who are not yet on stage.
There is then a flash and bang by the chair, with a plume of smoke rising, before thewaitingtree walks around from behind the chair, carrying the large book with a smile, to the cheer of the audience. She then stands before the chair and opens the book up, before beginning her narration.
“All children, except one-” She would have continued, but there was another flash and bang from in front of the chair, which startled her and caused her to fall backwards against the chair while making an “Umph” noise. As she regained her footing, she took a few deep breaths while the audience laughed.
“All children, except one, grow up. Wendy discovered that she would grow up, when she was at a picnic, and her mother said the words ‘Oh, I wish you could stay like this forever!’ And then, she knew! It is this very Wendy, along with her two brothers, Michael…” At that moment, Markangel the Archangel entered from the door on the right-hand side of the stage, wearing a pink pair of pajamas as chimes are heard. “… And John…” To which Sen entered from the door on the left-hand side, wearing striped blue and white pajamas as well as a very noticeable headset and another rendition of the chimes. “…Who begin our story.”
The three cast members gather together in the middle of the stage with a third rendition of the chimes as a spotlight comes up, however it is off to the left of where they are positioned, and so they quickly shuffle themselves into the light.
“The setting is their bedroom” thewaitingtree continued. “On the third floor of a townhouse in Bloomsbury.”
“Come along boys” Dreaming Jessiey said. “Stop playing around. It’s time for you to get into your bedclothes.”
As she said this, Mark had moved over to the left side and was trying to toss rings onto a set of pegs hanging on the left-hand side door.
“It’s too early for bed, Wendy” he replied. “You’re turning into Mother!” He then threw a ring onto the bottom peg, which caused the whole thing to come off the door and fall to the floor.
“Well, I shall love to be like Mother” Jessiey said before turning to Sen.
There was a beeping noise, as Sen put his hands to the headset, as if listening for his lines to be read to him. He speaks quickly, and without any emotion. “Well, I shouldn’t! That would be ever so dreary, Wendy.” He then brought his hands back down, before turning to look at the audience with a shy smirk.
“John’s right” Mark replied. “I can’t stand being cooped up in this boring old nursery. I mean, I’m four years old!” Interesting though, his physical appearance makes Mark looks like he’s in his 50’s, resulting in a round of laughter from the audience, followed by a grin of pride on his face.
Dreaming Jessiey walked over to him.
“Not every day can be an adventure, Michael. Now… It’s time to get ready for bed!” With that, she hurried over to the door to pick up the pegs and ring that had fallen earlier. “I can hear Father’s footsteps!” She then handed the items to Mark, who put them by the bed, and out of the way.
At that moment, the door on the left-hand side opened again, and in walked both Ser Rutherford, who was sharply dressed in a white shirt and black slacks, as well as goldeelox, who is currently dressed as Mary Darling. Ser also has the suit jacket over his left arm, and a loose tie which hasn’t been tied yet, placed over his shoulders.
“Has anyone seen my cufflinks” Ser asked as he entered the nursery.
“Oh George! You are forever losing things” goldeelox replied. They all then froze in position as the chimes rang again, and the room was once again lit in blue.
At this moment, thewaitingtree resumed her narration from the sidelines.
“Their father, George Darling, was a man of business. A little pompous, but with a kind heart.”
“I have searched-” Ser began as he interrupted thewaitingtree, thinking that she was finished with her current narration piece, however she quickly interjected to continue.
“…Who was FAR less serene, than their mother, Mary Darling. A gentle and elegant woman.”
Ser began to talk again, still not realizing that thewaitingtree hadn’t finished.
“I have-”
She was clearly getting irritated at the frequent interruptions at this point, as thewaitingtree continued in a trying voice.
“Although someTIMES, he forgot to show IT!” She then regained her composure before continuing.
“George loved them all, dearly.”
There was a brief pause at this point, as no one was certain on stage as to whether they could continue. After a few breaths, thewaitingtree gave a silent nod to everyone, as if to say that they were now free to carry on.
“I have searched the house, high and low!” Ser explained. “I put it down for a moment, and it is as if fairies have danced off with it!”
“Oh Father” Jessiey said as she walked over to him. “I would so love to have fairies skipping about the house!”
“I don’t believe in fairies” Ser replied. “Wendy, have you seen my cufflinks?”
Ser then began walking over to the right-hand side of the stage, as Dreaming Jessiey replied “No, father.”
“I mean, really” Ser said as he took his jacket and went to hang it on the hook on the door. “It is me, or is the world going mad?”
It should be noted that the hook that was on the door, was only painted on, and so when he went to hang it, the jacket simply fell to the ground. After looking at the hook for a few seconds, he placed his hand against it, letting the audience realize that it wasn’t there.
Quickly opening the door to let herself out, goldeelox sighed. “I’ll look in the drawing room, George.” With that, she closed the door and left.
There was another beeping sound, with Sen putting his hands to his headset.
“Perhaps Nana has seen them, father” he said out loud.
“That creature, is almost certainly the reason that they are missing” Ser replied.
At that moment, the dog flap in the door on the left-side opened, and a person in a dog outfit began to work their way into the room, although it was a somewhat tight fit through the hatch. We can see that it is Waffle King Richard who is dressed as the dog.
“Woof” he said as he raised his head just inside the flap.
“Nana!” Jessiey, Mark, and Sen cried out in joy, while Richard was desperately trying to fit through the tight hole.
“Come on girl” Jessiey said as Richard finally got through and then brought himself back up on all fours.
“I don’t understand all the affection towards that dreadful animal” Ser mentioned as he fiddled with the cuffs on his shirt. “What about me? Where are my cufflinks?”
Richard then rolled over as Mark began rubbing his belly.
“Perhaps Liza has seen them” Jessiey noted.
The chimes went again as the stage was once again blue for a moment as thewaitingtree was to now introduce the final member of the Darling household.
“The FINAL member of the household, was Liza, the Darling’s housekeeper! Different in every way to Mrs. Darling.”
The door on the right-side then reopened, and in came goldeelox, now dressed as Liza, in a maid’s outfit.
“I found your cufflinks, Mr. Darling!” she said. “You left them on the dresser!”
The chimes rang once more as thewaitingtree fitted in another quick narration.
“A sweeter family, you’ve never seen. With hearts as good as gold, and on this fateful evening, our story shall unfold.” With that, she took a seat once again in the chair, before reaching into her right jacket pocket, before throwing up one glitter confetti in the air before her. The chair then began to move offstage with thewaitingtree trying to get some of the remaining glitter off her hand.
The lights came back on stage as goldeelox handed the cufflinks to Ser.
“Thank you, Liza, you have saved my evening!” Ser mentioned in kind regards.
With that, goldeelox exited the room out of the same door.
Ser then turned to the others. “Now leave that beast alone, the three of you” he said.
“We’re only petting her, father” Sen replied, accidentally pulling the dog headpiece off Richard as he turned to face Ser.
Realizing what he had done, Sen then handed the headpiece to Mark, who in turn handed it to Jessiey, all while Richard moved between the three of them, hopeful of getting the headpiece back. Jessiey in turn threw it off stage.
“That dog needs to be taught some discipline” Ser replied. “Now, all of you, it’s time for bed, and for you to take your medicine.” He then looked to Richard. “Fetch the medicine bottle, Nana!”
Richard began making his way back over to the door, and went to go through the hatch he had previously used.
“When I was small, I used to-” Ser explained, only to be interrupted by a loud bang as Richard’s head collided with the door. For you see, the stage crew had made it much larger than the hole it covered, and so it only opened one way. And thus, when Richard went to press against it to leave, it didn’t open. He then stood up, before opening the door with his hand and walking out off the stage, closing the door behind him.
Ser then continued his story. “When I was small, I used to thank my mother and father for giving me medicine.” He turned to start walking over to the other end of the room. “I would-” but he then proceeded to trip over a large, wooden train that was in front of him, sending him scrambling to catch his footing while Sen picked the knocked over train up, and placed it next to the door on the left-side.
As Ser regained his footing and composure, he took a couple of deep breaths before resuming what he had wanted to say. “I would say ‘Thank you, kind parents, for giving be bottles to keep me well.’”
At that moment, Richard began reopening the flap on the door so that he could re-enter the room as Nana. He was holding a chain which the bottle was attached to, in his mouth.
“Ah! Here is Nana now” Ser exclaimed as Richard looked up at him. He was partway through the door currently, awaiting further orders.
“Bring me the medicine bottle, Nana” Ser explained sternly.
Richard then tried to get the rest of the way through the door, only to find that he was stuck. Struggling as he was, he just could not get through the door.
Ser repeated his request. “Bring me the medicine bottle, Nana.”
There was a momentary pause while Richard looked over at Ser. He then took the bottle and placed it in the back of the train engine, and pushed the train, so that it rolled along the floor to where Ser was standing.
“Thank you, Nana. Now fetch me a… spoon.”
Richard then tried to push back to get free of the door, but he was well and truly wedged into place.
“Liza” Ser then called out.
The door which Waffle King Richard was trapped in, then opened into the room, causing Richard’s head to hit the frame of the toy chest beside the door.
“Oww!” he cried as his hands went to his head, and goldeelox came in through the door behind Richard, with her dressed as Liza. She then closed the door as she finished entering the room, with Richard still stuck.
“Yes, Mr. Darling?” she asked.
“Take that wretched animal outside, and chain her to her kennel” he replied sternly.
As goldeelox began opening the door again, she smiled. “Come on, Nana. Outside!” She then opened the door further, causing Richard’s head to smash through the side of the children’s toy chest.
“Oomph” Waffle King Richard said in a muffled tone.
goldeelox stepped out of the room and began closing the door, swinging the still stuck Richard as she did so. The door closing caused the hatch to fall back down on Richard’s head.
Ser then grabbed his jacket from the floor and carried it across the nursery to where Richard was trapped.
“Thank God that animal’s gone” he said as he covered the area with his jacket.
Having quickly rushed to the other side, and removed the maid outfit, goldeelox opened the door on the right-hand side and leaned against the door frame.
“What’s all of this commotion, George?” she asked.
“Mary, my dear. Nothing’s wrong” Ser replied as he saw to his tie. “The children were just getting into bed.”
“Where’s Nana” she asked.
“Liza’s locked her outside” Jessiey replied.
“But she protects the children!” goldeelox explained.
“Protects them from what” Ser asked.
“The boy who visits this room” she replied.
“Oh, what nonsense” Ser retorted.
“Mother and I saw him the other evening” Jessiey explained. “He slipped away through the window. Mother ran to slam it shut before he could escape, but he was too nimble. The window shut, and we caught just his shadow, which started dancing across the room.”
Ser looked at Jessiey in disbelief. “A dancing shadow? Oh, really. Whatever will you come up with next?”
“I had Liza lock it in the chest” goldeelox explained. “See for yourself, George. Liza has the key” she stated as she made her way back out through the same door.
“I shall get Liza to fetch the key” Jessiey noted. “Liza!” she called.
goldeelox quickly opened the door again, this time wearing Liza’s maid outfit. “Yes, Miss Wendy?”
“Have you the key to the chest?” Jessiey asked.
“I shall fetch it at once” she replied.
There was a double honk of a car horn from outside, to which goldeelox then looked at Ser. “Your cab’s here, Mr. Darling.”
“Excellent” he replied as Ser turned to head towards the door. “Let’s go down and-”
He was interrupted by another double beep of a car horn, to which Ser looked around in confusion.
“Another cab’s here, Mr. Darling” goldeelox then explained.
Ser recomposed himself. “Excellent. Let’s go down and-”
He was again interrupted by a third double-beep of a car horn, to which there was then a brief pause as the two looked at each other in sheer confusion.
“A third cab’s here, Mr. Darling” goldeelox finally noted.
Ser glanced about, trying to figure out how he could save this. “Three cabs! One for Mary, one for me, and one for my hat”, to which he motioned to his top hat which was sitting on top of a toy castle to the side of the room. “Let’s go downstairs!”
“I shall fetch the key, Miss Wendy” she replied, before closing the door.
“Thank you, Liza” Jessiey replied after Liza had left.
“Mary, the cab’s here” Ser called out, to which goldeelox reopened the door, this time in Mary’s costume.
“The cab’s here? I shall fetch my shawl!” She then closed the door again.
“Very good, Mary” Ser replied.
“Where is that maid” Jessiey asked. “Liza!” she called out.
The door opened once more, and goldeelox entered, wearing a quickly thrown on outer costume of Liza (which simply goes over the costume for Mary Darling and is buttoned), quickly comes in and walks sideways to the other end of the room. “I found the key, Miss Wendy” she said.
“Now, I can show you the shadow, Father” Dreaming Jessiey said triumphantly as Wendy.
“Oh, Wendy. You really must grow up! There is no shadow” he replied.
Dreaming Jessiey then reached into the chest and pulled out a large black cardboard cut-out of Peter Pan, while the clarinet played a quick three-note tune of shock and discovery.
“That will be all, Liza. I don’t have time for this” Ser explained as goldeelox made her way back quickly to the door she had entered from, and proceeded to exit the stage. He was facing away from Jessiey.
“Please! Look, father!” Jessiey pleaded, hopeful that she could make her father believe her story.
“Mary! The cab’s here!” Ser called out as he walked over to the door where goldeelox had just exited. He then opened the door. “We shall be late!”
As he opened the door, we see that goldeelox is busy changing, and gives a quick cry out in shock, before Ser realizes and quickly closes the door again.
A couple of seconds later, goldeelox opens the door and leans against the door frame in her Mary Darling costume, trying to regain some composure as she does so.
“The cab’s here? Yes! I found my shawl” she replied, before her shawl gets tossed to her by a member of the backstage crew.
“Very good. Come along then, Mary.” Ser proceeds to make his way across the stage towards the door where Richard is still stuck, although he has been trying this whole time to get himself free, but to no avail.
“I’m going downstairs,” Ser continued as he fetched his jacket. “Someone has to be grown up around here.” He then tried to open the door, only to discover that it wasn’t opening very far at this point, and so he had to squeeze his was through an extremely tight gap between the door and its frame.
After Ser had left, goldeelox turned her attention as Mary Darling, towards her three lovely children.
“All right, my dears” she said. “It’s time to turn the lights out. Make sure that you all-” She then gave a gasp of shock.
“What is it, mother” Mark asked as Michael, already laying down on the middle bunk.
“I thought I saw a face at that window. But now, there is nothing there” goldeelox explained, to which the audience then saw Pidge Holt on his phone, climbing a ladder on the other side of the window. When he realized that he was seen, he quickly started climbing back down the ladder.
“It must be MY IMAGINATION!” goldeelox said in a rather annoyed tone of voice.
Dreaming Jessiey then proceeded to start climbing the ladder to reach the top bunk, while a beeping noise was heard. Sen was seen to then be placing his hands against the headset to hear his next line.
Sen then said in a loud voice “Won’t you sing us a lullaby, mother?” There was a brief pause before he continued. “No Sen! Speak with feeling, for God’s sake! NO! NO! NO! DON’T REPEAT THAT, YOU IDIOT!” He then lowered his hands and smiled as he looked towards goldeelox, who in return was looking back at him as if he were nuts.
“Of course, my sweet.”
The chimes and clarinet then began to play a soft melody to which goldeelox sang along. The three kids laid down in bed and relaxed as the song began. At the same time, goldeelox lit the candle next to the bed.
“Hush now, my darlings. Don’t you stir!
Dream of a world of adventure.
Be at peace, you’ll be grown up one day.
‘Till then, put your feelings away.”
Dream of a world of adventure.
Be at peace, you’ll be grown up one day.
‘Till then, put your feelings away.”
At this point, Pidge Holt walked onto the stage carrying a circular saw as he made his way over to the door where Richard was stuck. As Pidge Holt settled in to try and cut Richard free, goldeelox continued with her song, raising the volume somewhat to try and counter the noise of the saw.
“Close your eyes, and rest your HEADS.
SAFELY TUCKED INTO YOUR BEDS.”
SAFELY TUCKED INTO YOUR BEDS.”
Another staffer came out with a hammer and began banging on the door, yet again increasing the noise level with which goldeelox was having to compete for her song.
“ALL IS QUIET AND ALL IS CALM."
Yet another staff member now came out carrying a chain saw which he fired up and used upon the door, with goldeelox still singing the song. That shows commitment.
“A NIGHT OF SWEET DREAMS TO YOU ALL.”
At that moment, a member of the Gaia Studios staff walks out and goes straight to Pidge Holt, complaining that they are making a mockery of the play.
“Right! You need to get off stage and behave yourself” Pidge replied. “This is MY stage! Get off!”
Once they were finished, they walked away, with a large hole now in the bottom half of the door.
“That’s beautiful, mother!” Mark said from within his section of the bed.
After regaining her composure from the frustration over her ruined song, goldeelox smiled. “Thank you, my dear.”
“Mother, can anything harm us when the night light is lit” Dreaming Jessiey asked from her top bunk.
“Nothing, precious” goldeelox replied, to which Dreaming Jessiey proceeded to rest her head upon her pillow.
As she did so, the bunk gave way, and Jessiey came crashing down upon Mark’s bed, pining him in the process.
After a moment to think about what to do, goldeelox decided that the best move would be to have the show carry on.
“They are the eyes a mother leaves behind, to guard her children” she explained, before turning her attention back to the bed.
Mark had managed to poke his face out of the gap between the side board of his bunk, and the side board of Jessiey’s bunk on top of him.
“Mother” he said as he took a few deep breaths. “You look pretty tonight!”
“Are you tucked in Michael” goldeelox asked in a strained voice.
“Yes, mother” he replied.
“Are you comfortable?”
Mark tried to push up on Jessiey’s bunk, raising her back up partway using his arms and legs.
“Yes, mother” he answered with a stressed voice.
“And you, Wendy” goldeelox asked.
“Yes, mother” Jessiey responded, before Mark couldn’t take the weight anymore and let the bunk fall back on top of him.
This had a domino effect of causing Mark’s bunk to give way, and come crashing down on top of Sen, who was laying on his right side. The weight of both upper bunks now on top of him was causing Sen to be in extreme pain, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
“And you, sweet John. Are you feeling sleepy?” goldeelox asked as she looked at him, rather worried.
Sen finally made a sound, although it was simply a cry of agony while his left arm tapped the side of the bed frantically.
“Good night, my dears” goldeelox continued. “Dear night lights that protect my sleeping babes, burn clear, and steadfast TONIGHT!” With that, she tried to open the door that Richard had previously been trapped in until having been cut free, however it was locked. So, in the interest of not holding things up, goldeelox got down on her hands and knees, and climbed out through the hole where the hatch had previously been.
A few seconds later, the chimes were heard as well as a voice off in the distance which said “Wait! WAIT! WAIT! NO STOP!”
At that moment, pmg_naturesjewel crashed through the window above the beds and sailed across the stage on wires. “Wait! I’M IN! I’M IN! Let me down!” The window framing fell to the floor and the wires kept moving her randomly up and down, as well as across the stage with seemingly no one in control.
At one point, she landed safely with her feet on the ground as Peter Pan, only to be launched right back up again as soon as she settled.
“LET ME DOWN!” she cried, while hovering upside down on the cables.
When she finally reached the floor again softly, pmg_naturesjewel proceeded to stand up and look around, before being satisfied that she wasn’t going to be launched back up in the air again anytime soon.
The audience applauded as she gave them a smile of confidence.
“Thank heavens I didn’t wake the children” she said, before placing one hand to the side of her mouth, as if to call out to someone.
“Tinkerbell” she called. “Tink! Where are you? Have you found my shadow? Do you know where they put it?”
A few seconds later, goldeelox rushed back out on stage from the right-hand side door. This time, she was in Tinkerbell’s costume, complete with lights and the extension cord. However, the lights didn’t come on as she stood in the center of the stage, and so she began fiddling with the extension cord, before deciding to leave it be for now and focus on the performance. Looking over at pmg_naturesjewel, she waved her hands in front of herself.
“There you are” naturesjewel said with a triumphant smile. “Do you know where they put it?”
goldeelox began making her way over to where the chest was, but got stopped as the cord ran out of lead. Grabbing the cord, she proceeded to give it a hard yank, causing Pidge Holt to fall out on stage, as if he were at the other end of the cord lead. He then stood up after giving goldeelox some extra lead cable, and went back off stage.
Standing next to the chest, goldeelox motioned to naturesjewel, as if to say that the shadow was located within the chest.
“In here?” naturesjewel asked as she walked over to the chest. “Are you ready Tink? Don’t let it startle you! It’s time to get my shadow back. Don’t let it dance away!”
With that, pmg_naturesjewel lifted the lid of the chest, and Richard slowly rose up out of the chest, this time dressed almost entirely in a black outfit, save for his face. A slow dance song began to play as he waved his hands around, before Waffle King Richard then slowly stepped out of the chest.
For a moment, pmg_naturesjewel and Waffle King Richard moved around the stage, with Richard dancing and naturesjewel trying to ‘catch’ him. It ended though as Richard placed his right foot on the edge of the throw rug, and naturesjewel in return grabbing the other side of the rug and giving it a yank, causing Richard to fall over.
“Ha-Ha!” naturesjewel said as she looked down at the shadow. “Got you! Now to stick you back on where you belong!” She began looking around the room. “I’ll stick you back on with… soap!” She grabbed the bar of green soap and began to mime rubbing the soap on both her foot and Richard’s foot, before Dreaming Jessiey pretended to awaken and looked down on them from the top bunk.
“Boy! Why are you crying?” Jessiey asked, even though naturesjewel wasn’t crying.
“OH!” At which point, Peter Pan and his shadow both began to pretend to cry for a brief few seconds.
“I’m not crying” pmg_naturesjewel explained. “What’s your name?”
“Wendy Moira Angela Darling” Jessiey responded. “What’s yours?”
“Peter Pan” naturesjewel exclaimed with pride, while placing her hands on her hips, still sitting on the floor.
“What are you doing” Jessiey asked.
“I’m trying to stick my shadow back on.”
With a chuckle, Jessiey got down off the top bunk. “You can’t stick a shadow back on with soap. It must be sewn.” She then held up a large sewing needle, about 6 inches long.
“What is ‘sewn’” pmg_naturesjewel asked.
“I shall show you” Dreaming Jessiey replied, before pretending to sew Peter and his shadow back together by the feet. “There! It’s done! Why don’t you try it?”
Both pmg_naturesjewel and Waffle King Richard stood up in unison, before Richard got behind naturesjewel to copy the motions by her as Peter Pan and his shadow.
“WENDY! IT’S DONE” pmg_naturesjewel cried out in joy. “LOOK! LOOK! OH, the cleverness of me!”
“I’ll give you a kiss, if you like” Jessiey said.
Both naturesjewel and Richard held out their hand, thinking in character that a kiss is a simple gift.
“Thank you” naturesjewel said.
“Don’t you know what a kiss is” Jessiey asked.
“I shall know when you give it to me” naturesjewel replied.
Jessiey then held up her left hand and removed the thimble from it, before handing that thimble to pmg_naturesjewel, who looks at the thimble with immense pleasure at having received a gift.
“And now, shall I give you a kiss” naturesjewel asked, looking at Jessiey.
“If you please” Dreaming Jessiey replied.
As pmg_naturesjewel leaned forward, Richard pushed her back. “Not on stage” he said.
Reaching into her shirt pocket, naturesjewel took out an acorn, which she then handed to Jessiey.
“An acorn” Jessiey said as she stepped away to the center. “I shall wear it on a chain around my neck” to which she then pulled the chain with an identical acorn on it, out from her neck under her shirt, before putting the other acorn in her pocket.
“How old are you” Jessiey then asked.
“I don’t know” naturesjewel replied, before rushing over towards the beds. “Quite young. I ran awa-”
She had spun as she rushed towards the beds, and so Richard was now in front of naturesjewel, and would take advantage of it.
“I ran away, the day I was born” he said.
“Ran away?” Jessiey asked in shock. “Why?”
“I’ll tell you for why” Richard said with passion. “I heard-”
“I heard mother and father talking of what I was to be when I grow up” naturesjewel said as she reached around and pushed Richard back, so that she could be in front again. “I want always to be a little boy and have fun, and so I ran away to Kensington Gardens, and lived a long time among the fairies.” As naturesjewel said that last sentence, she swung her arm around in front of her, and Richard in turn did so to, however his hand ended up slapping naturesjewel as she said the word ‘fairies’.
“You know fairies, Peter?” Jessiey asked.
“Yes. But they’re nearly all dead now. Children know such a lot now. Soon, they don’t believe in fairies. And every time a child says, ‘I don’t believe in fairies!’, there’s a fairy somewhere that falls down dead” pmg_naturesjewel explained.
With that, naturesjewel held out her right arm towards where the window had once been before she took it out during her entrance, and began lifting off the stage floor towards the window frame. The chimes played a little jingle as naturesjewel lifted off into the air, however Waffle King Richard wasn’t attached to a harness, and so he quickly realized that as the shadow, he had his work cut out for him.
“You can fly!” Jessiey said in surprise.
“Well, of course I can fly” naturesjewel replied.
Making his way over to the bunk beds, Waffle King Richard stepped on the nightstand beside the beds, only to have the nightstand collapse under his weight, causing him to fall backwards. Upon standing back up, he went up to the beds and decided to use them as a ladder, eve though at this point, both Sen and Mark were begging him not to do it.
As Waffle King Richard climbed up using the beds, both Sen and Mark cried out in pain at being crushed under the weight.
“Where on earth did you learn to do that” Jessiey asked naturesjewel.
“In Neverland” naturesjewel replied. “I fly everywhere with my friends, ‘The Lost Boys’.”
“How thrilling” Jessiey responded.
“Wendy! Come away with me to Neverland!”
With that, naturesjewel lifted back off the window frame and headed towards where Dreaming Jessiey was sitting, causing Richard to fall backwards out of the window with a loud crash.
“Oh dear. I mustn’t. Think of mother, and besides… I can’t fly” Jessiey explained.
“I’ll teach you.”
“Oh, how lovely! To fly! But is it far?”
At that moment, the door on the right-hand side opened, and Richard came in, panting and limping somewhat, still dressed as a shadow. He then headed over to where naturesjewel was.
“Not far at all” naturesjewel replied to Jessiey’s question. “Just the other side of the stars.” She then pointed out of the window, as a banner of cloth came across the window, depicting several stars in a night sky setting.
“Would you teach John and Michael to fly too” Jessiey asked.
It should be noted that you will recall that Mary had light the candle nightlight on the bedpost earlier as she sung the song to the children, and now Richard’s arm was right next to the open flame as he also pointed to the stars. This resulted in his arm catching fire. The audience were the first to notice as they began to cry out in shock, before Richard looked at his arm.
“OH!” he cried, causing Dreaming Jessiey and pmg_naturesjewel to turn to look at him, where they then noticed his flaming arm.
“OH MY GOD!” naturesjewel cried out as she pulled Jessiey back to safely and held her there. Richard was frantically trying to put the flames on his left arm out, which caused his right arm to also catch on fire.
A moment later, Pidge Holt came on stage from the right side, carrying a towel which he batted against Richard’s arms as Richard begged him to put out the flames. This caused the towel to also catch fire, and both men screamed in terror and looked about the room. One of the GAIA Studios staff then came on stage with a fire extinguisher and hosed both men down, which annoyed Pidge as he got blasted in the face. When the extinguisher was stopped, Pidge then looked at the staffer and pointed at him.
“Get off stage! Get off the stage right now! What’s wrong with you? Spraying me right in the face like that?” He then led the staffer off the stage while Richard was left to try and catch his breath. He then made his way over to the door with the enlarged hole and tried to climb backwards into it, only to once again get stuck.
“NOT AGAIN!” he cried out.
Dreaming Jessiey then walked over to the bunk beds.
“John! Michael! Wake up! There is a boy here who is to teach us to fly” she explained.
“To fly!” Michael said in a strained voice as he lifted the top bed off himself to get out from that deathtrap. “I would love to fly!” Jessiey and naturesjewel helped hold the upper bed up while Mark escaped.
“He shall take us to Neverland!” Jessiey noted.
Dreaming Jessiey and naturesjewel then let go of the top bed, causing it to slam down again, effectively crushing Sen once more at the bottom. He let out another groan of pain.
“Neverland!” He finally said in a strained voice, while naturesjewel, Mark, and Jessiey all ripped the side board away so that Sen could roll himself out of the bed and onto the floor.
“I say. Can you really fly?’ Sen asked as John.
“Look!” naturesjewel then lifted into the air in front of everyone.
“Oh my! How do you do it?” asked Mark.
“It’s simple! You just need your happiest thoughts, and a little bit of fairy dust” naturesjewel explained. She threw some glitter from her pouch as she explained about the fairy dust.
“Fairy dust! How delightful” Jessiey replied. She then joined both of her brothers at the front of the stage. They were then joined by three of the stage crew, including Pidge Holt, who each took a cable that was lowered from above, and attached it to the hooks on their costumes.
“Are we all ready to fly” Mark asked as soon as the cables were attached.
“Just think of a lovely, wonderful thought, and it will lift you into the air” pmg_naturesjewel explained.
“One…” Dreaming Jessiey said.
“Two…” The three children said together.
“Three!” The three of them then jumped forward, ready to be raised up into the air.
Okay, I must admit that the crew are amateurs, and as such they didn’t quite know how to hook up all the harnesses. So instead of the characters becoming airborne, their costumes ripped away up into the ceiling. Leaving Dreaming Jessiey, Markangel the Archangel, and Sen of Saturday all standing there in spandex shorts and shirts which were worn under the costumes. The audience of course, laughed at the scene before them, while Sen reached for the headset which had fallen off in the launching of his costume.
“We’re flying” Jessiey said, trying to pretend that all was still well.
“I feel light as air” Mark noted.
There was another beep, as Sen listened to his headset.
“Whee!” He suddenly said.
“It’s time to go! Follow me to the window” pmg_naturesjewel said.
The three of them walked over to the beds and began climbing up to join Peter Pan.
“Come on Tink” pmg_naturesjewel called out, to which a small green light could be seen dancing about the room, as goldeelox had left earlier while Wendy and naturesjewel were doing the ‘kiss’ exchange.
“Second to the right, and straight on until morning!”
The lights then dimmed as the set rotated around to show the other side, which was currently decked out to resemble the exterior of the house, along with the roofs of neighboring houses. There was also to the left side, a giant Houses of Parliament Tower, complete with the clock face showing 9 o’clock. As the stage stopped rotating, pmg_naturesjewel took a deep breath. The others handled finished climbing up just yet, but she went ahead and got started.
“Ready? Here we go!” With that, she lifted off the window ledge, only to swing downwards and crash into the brick chimney of a neighboring house, causing the chimney to topple over while pmg_naturesjewel realized that just like before, it appeared that no one was really in control of where she went, and so she was just along for the ride while she begged them to stop.
“WAIT! STOP!” She then crashed backwards through the clock face of the tower, before being dropped onto the roof shingles of the Darling’s house. It was at this point that Mark and Sen arrived on the ledge.
“Come on boys! Just believe, and you can fly” naturesjewel explained.
Looking at each other, with Sen still wearing his headset, they jumped, crashing down onto the shingles of the roof overhang.
“See? It’s easy when you know how-CRAP!” naturesjewel then crashed into another chimney. “I think I’ve broken my ribs” she said.
Sen crawled up over the edge and walked across the roof where the first chimney that naturesjewel had crashed into, was located.
“Try to keep up, if you can.” naturesjewel was the swung back around in front of the window ledge, where Dreaming Jessiey was standing. Jessiey then grabbed onto naturesjewel at the waist, before moving away from the ledge. This caused the pants of naturesjewel to slide down, exposing the spandex shorts underneath, while Jessiey was sent tumbling down by gravity. naturesjewel then swung around towards the cutout representing St. Paul’s cathedral, while Dreaming Jessiey, Markangel the Archangel, and Sen of Saturday all made hand gestures to pretend that they were flying alongside Peter Pan.
“NEVERLAND!” the three of them cried out. ‘HERE WE COME!”
*****
End of Act One.
*****
