Sleepover Planet

An Original Script

For a Short BBC Online Musical

For 9-11 Year Old Children

At Key Stage Two

Words and Lyrics

By

Andrew Sherlock

Music

By

Tom Moss

Scene 1. Suburban Back Garden.

11-year-old twins Charlie and Eddy are finishing pitching tents and making a camp with friends Allie and Chris. Charlie is tapping a rhythm, Eddy is whistling a tune (Sleepover Song) and Chris hums a harmony. Allie suddenly speaks very loud breaking the mood…

Allie It’s really cool of your Nan and Grandad to let us sleepover Charlie.

Charlie No problem Allie, but not so loud!

Eddy Yeah we want to stay up all night! Nan said any noise or nonsense and she’ll have us straight back in.

Chris It is starting to get a bit dark; maybe that’s not such a bad idea.

Ally Listen Chris if anything tries to get us in the night, I’ll scream at the top of my voice, okay?

CharlieEddy Shhhh!

Nan and Grandad appear.

Nan What’s all this noise? You children should have been zipped up in your tent ages ago.

Eddy But Nan it’s still light!

Grandad Only because it’s mid-summer night, the shortest night of the year. It’s still really late.

Nan Maybe we should bring them inside Jim?

Allie Oh please Mrs Jenkins we’ll be quiet!

Granddad Well that’d be a first for you Allie.

Nan All right. But sleep soon. We’ll be just inside and the windows open.

Grandad And remember don’t be caught outside your tent after nightfall… or else!

Chris Or else what?

Nan Don’t tease them Jim. He’s only kidding Chris… and remember you children sleep now.

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Nan and Grandad exit.

Chris Maybe I should go home.

Charlie Oh come on Chris, you’ll be fine with us.

Eddy We’re staying up all night!

Sleepover Song. (Track 1 Calypso) Nan and Grandad sing from off.

Charlie It’s the shortest of nights

Eddy Shortest nights of the year

Allie We’ll stay up ‘til first light

CharlieEddy And both of our best friends are here

Nan/Granddad Come on now children go to sleep

Children Come on now Nanny let us be

Nan/Grandad We’ve had enough now of this song

Children We want to stay up all night long

Nan/ Sun’ll be up all too soonGrandad Say goodnight to the moon

Eddy We’ll fool them we’re in bed

Eddy/Allie But we’ll stay up late instead

Nan/ If you don’t go to sleep you’ll wake up the bed bugsGrandad Creepies and crawlies and ghosties and fat slugs

Night All of the things that go bump in the night Creatures Will come out to haunt you and give you a fright

Children But we are brave and we’ll stick togetherNo matter the trouble no matter the weatherDogs may bark, (Night Creatures shout WOOF!)Fireworks spark (Night Creatures shout BANG!)We don’t care we’re not scared or afraid of the dark(Night Creatures shout BOO!)

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Leaves and plants rustle and creatures of the night slowly appear making strange sounds.

Allie What was that noise over there?

Eddy Something moved over here

Chris I feel a little bit scared

Charlie Glad Nan and Grandad are near

Nan/ Come on now children go to sleepGrandad

Children Come on now Grandad let us be

Nan/ We’ve had enough now of this songGrandad

Children We want to stay up all night long

Nan/ If you don’t go to sleep you’ll wake up the bed bugsGrandad Creepies and crawlies and ghosties and fat slugs

Night All of the things that go bump in the night Creatures Will come out to haunt you and give you a fright

Children But we are brave and we’ll stick togetherNo matter the trouble no matter the weatherDogs may bark, (Night Creatures shout WOOF!)Fireworks spark (Night Creatures shout BANG!)We don’t care we’re not scared or afraid of the dark(Night Creatures shout BOO!)

Children Maybe it’s time to go(Nervously) In our tents out of sight

‘Cos you never can knowAll What’s hiding in the dark night!

The children quickly scamper into the tent and zip it up fast. The Night Creatures crawl out.

Slugger Now it’s our turn to crawlCreepy Out of the shadows of nightCrawler We’re the things you all fearAll Creeping up to give you… A FRIGHT! (End).

Big scarey faces! Nan shines a torch into the darkness.

Nan For the last time go to sleep out there!

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The Night Creatures recoil from the light and scuttle off.

Scene 2. In the night skies above.

Ambient percussive sounds fill the air. A silver baton drifts twisting and turning, passed by the Planets and Stars, as it falls to earth.

Star Something and someone are falling down to Earth.

Stella There’s a problem with the planets and with the universe.

A strange, silver child, the Space Conductor is falling after and trying to catch it. The Planets chant a refrain…

Venus What could this be shooting through the night?Neptune It’s the space conductor floating out of sightSaturn After gazing at a meteor in flightPluto This stella child was blinded by the light

Mercury The resulting sudden concentration lossJupiter Caused the universal baton to be tossed Moon Out of hand the magic wand was droppedMars Now it must be found or all is lost

Space My mentor passed the silver stick to meConductor To beat creations’ time in tune and key

Now my teacher’s gone I have to beThe one to get it back immediately

Planets The Space Conductor must beat perfect timeTo keep us planets perfectly aligned

Scene 3. Suburban Back Garden.

The Night Creatures have crept out to watch what is happening as the baton falls towards them.

Slugger Look there’s something shining in the sky.

Creepy It’s coming this way.

Crawler Quick! Let’s crawl for it!

Night Creatures slither off as fast as they can. The baton falls and hits the tent. Chris stumbles out alarmed, hands up.

Chris It’s all right, I’ll come quietly, don’t hurt us.

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Chris sees there is nothing or no one around, then sees the golden baton lying beside the tent. Eddy appears as Chris picks it up.

Eddy You still up? Great, I’m not ready for bed either. What’s that?

Chris I don’t know.

Chris gently waves the baton and music floats across the air lifting Chris and Eddy on to their tiptoes. Charlie appears.

Charlie What’s going on?

Eddy Dunno. Chris’s found a magic stick or something.

Getting more confident Chris waves the baton more firmly and there is a flourish of music swaying them back and forth on their feet. Allie appears and begins to sway with them.

Allie That looks like great fun. Give me a go Chris.

Allie snatches the baton from Chris and swashes it violently through the air. There is a huge crescendo of music and the earth seems to move beneath their feet sending the children crashing to the floor.

Charlie Allie you maniac! Give it here!

Allie Sorry everyone.

Charlie snatches the baton from Allie.

Charlie I better give it to Nan and Grandad.

Eddy Don’t do that they’ll make us go to bed. Chris found it.

Chris I don’t want to get in trouble.

Allie Well I got the most fun out of it!

The Space Conductor appears the Night Creatures creep out to watch.

Space Conductor Excuse me but the baton belongs to me.

Children Who are you?

Space Conductor I’m the Space Conductor.

Spawny (Night Creatures aside to each other) The who?

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Squelch The what?

Beetlebrow From where?SpaceConductor A friend. I come from way up there. My job is to conduct music

made in the universe for all the planets to revolve and dance to.

Charlie And you seriously expect us to believe that?

Space Conductor You just heard some of it when you were playing.

Eddy That wasn’t music.

Allie That was noise and I should know.

SpaceConductor I dropped my baton and I’ve lost the perfect tune. Please give it

back or soon the planets will spin permanently out of line.

Charlie How do we know it’s yours? We found it.

Allie Yeah, finders keepers.

Chris Maybe we should listen?

SpaceConductor Here let me prove it to you. Do this with the baton…

Space Conductor beats a quick four beat in the air. Charlie copies and a rock and roll tune kicks in..SpaceConductor Now let the planets tell you themselves.

The Planets appear moving unsteady on their feet rocking and rolling as they sing with the Space Conductor. Night Creatures sing along with the children.

Song. Out of Control. Rock and Roll.

Space Conductor/ We gotta problem with the universePlanets Dropped a beat and it’s getting worse

Now we gotta try to save our worldsIf we don’t…Kiss goodbye you boys and girls

Charlie/Allie We gotta problem with this crazy luneNight Outta the sky droppin’ by the moon?Creatures Now we gotta buy the lies we’ve heard

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Well excuse me just a minute?I don’t believe a single little word.

SpaceConductor You gotta believe me

We gotta do somethin soon

Charlie/Allie Well if you’re so cleverNight From the land of neverCreatures Pack up your troubles in pockets of sunshine

Take to the skiesSay your goodbyesAnd get yourself back to the moon (All) SOON!

Eddy/Chris What if this problem with the universeNight Is really true and it’s gettin worseCreatures And we never tried to save the world

We will be…Blamed by every boy and girl

All (Cross- Who are you?rhythm) And what you gonna do about it? (To End)

Exit Planets.

Charlie What a far-fetched story. I’m going to tell Nan and Grandad.

Charlie charges over to get Nan and Grandad.

Charlie What have you done to them?

Charlie pulls Nan and Grandad on but they are frozen and motionless. Eddy, Allie and Chris try tapping them but they are solid and waving in front of their eyes but they cannot see. The Night Creatures creep up and try tickling them, but there is no reaction.

Eddy Nan? Grandad?

Space Conductor It has already started. Time has slipped out of joint here on

Earth and frozen them.

Charlie Conducting planets? Magic batons? You’re a liar! Give us our Nan and Grandad back!

The Space Conductor quickly snatches the baton.

Allie Hey, don’t snatch that’s rude.

Allie snatches the baton back off the Space Conductor.

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Eddy Maybe it’s the truth.

Chris Give it back.

The Space Conductor desperately chases after the baton with Eddy and Chris. But Charlie and Allie throw it back and forth over their heads.

SpaceConductor Please, I need it now.

Suddenly a thunderclap and lightening stops them all in their tracks. The Night Creatures slither off.

SpaceConductor That’s the planets slipping in space. When they get too far out

of line they’ll start to collide!

Eddy I wish I’d stayed in bed now!

Chris I want my mum!

Allie It’s just a thunderstorm isn’t it? It’ll pass.

Charlie Of course it will. You’ve caused nothing but trouble here since you arrived. Trying to frighten us. Now go away!

SpaceConductor But please listen! At least give me back my baton.

The Space Conductor appeals to Charlie but is pushed to ground.

Charlie Not until you free Nan and Grandad from whatever you’ve done to them and promise to leave us alone.

SpaceConductor But I can’t unless you give it to me?

Charlie No deal. You’re no friend of ours. Come on everyone, we’ll find our own way to wake up Nan and Grandad.

Scene 4. Space Conductor In The Garden Under A Lonely Sky.

The Space conductor is left alone as Charlie leads the others back to Nan and Grandad and takes them off. Night Creatures creep on stage. Planets gradually appear beginning to spin out of control around each other.

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Song. Lose Your Way. Ballad.

Space The Sun has turned his back Conductor The Moon has hidden her face from me

Stars have all gone out on meI didn’t knowI could be soSo all alone

Night Lose your wayCreatures Who can say

How d’you make a new song save the day?

Space The milky way that smiled for meConductor Is crying bright meteor tears for me

Planets forsaken meI didn’t knowI could be soSo all alone

Night Lose your wayCreatures Who can say

How d’you make a new song save the day?

Space I’ve no one but myself to blameConductor I dropped a beat and now I’ve lost the game

I feel a universe of shameI didn’t knowI could be soSo all alone

Planets What are we all doing here? We’re just twisting and turning Spinning out of control

The planets start to drift dangerously close together on collision course…

All What are we all doing here?We’re just twisting and turning We were perfectly alignedNow they’re slipping out of time

What’s to become of us..?

The Planets collide ending the song with a thunderous cacophony of sound as they lock and continue spinning together. The children run to the Space Conductor.

Space

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Conductor Quick it’s happening but if we can get them unlocked there’s still time!

Eddy/Chris Charlie stop being so stubborn and give the conductor the baton!

Eddy grabs the baton to pull it off Charlie. Allie gets between them.

Allie Stop fighting you two.

Charlie It’s only a stupid little piece of nothing anyway.

Chris Please give it back.

SpaceConductor Don’t, it’s very fragile…

The baton is pulled between them. But the Planets are slowing.

Charlie Everything was fine until you came along.

The baton snaps in their hands.

SpaceConductor This is it! The end of everything!

All sink to the ground for cowering. Immense peals of thunder and lightening and a cacophony of sound. Then dead silence…

Slowly they all start to look up as the Planets grind to a frozen halt.

Eddy Now look what you’ve done!

Charlie I’m sorry I didn’t mean it…

Allie That’s torn it!

Chris What’ll happen now?

SpaceConductor I don’t know. It looks like all the planets have ground to a halt.

Time has stopped.

Chris Does that mean the sun will never rise here again.

Eddy Well how come we’re not frozen like Nan and Grandad.

SpaceConductor When the last of the power from the baton runs out we’ll freeze

in time like everyone else.

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Charlie Oh this is all my fault. I’m sorry.

SpaceConductor No, I dropped the baton in the first place. It is all my fault.

Allie But there must be something we can do.

SpaceConductor The Old Conductor taught me how to carry on the old tune of

time. But not how to get it started.

Eddy Well let’s just ask this Old Conductor then.

SpaceConductor The Old Conductor is gone. Time waits for no one.

Chris So you’re on your own. You must be lonely and afraid.

SpaceConductor I wasn’t when I had all the stars and planets to conduct, but

now…

Charlie Why don’t we make a new song?

SpaceConductor I don’t know how.

Charlie Well I can keep a rhythm going.

Starts a rhythm

Eddy And I can sing a tune.

Starts to ‘la’ a tune.

Chris And I can hum along

Starts hum along in harmony.

Allie And I… Well I can be loud…

Joins in ‘la-ing’ with the tune loudly. The Space Conductor gestures to keep it Down.

SpaceConductor Shhh…

Allie Or sometimes even quiet.

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Eddy grabs a stick from the garden

Eddy Here, all you have to do is keep us all together.SpaceConductor Well, I’ll try.

Scene 5. The music and dance of the spheres.

The Space Conductor beats time with the stick and starts the song..

Song. Universe Is Turning . A Round. (Track 2)

Choir 1: (Solo voice) How d’you make the sunrise, How d’you make the sunrise,

Choir 2:Choir 3:

Choir 1:Choir 2: Start a new day, Search for a tune,Choir 3: Start a new day,

Search for a tune,

Choir 1: How d’you make the sunrise, How d’you make the sunrise,Choir 2:Choir 3:

Choir 1: Start a new day, Start a new day,Choir 2: How d’you make the sunrise, How d’you make the sunrise,Choir 3:

Choir 1: Search for a tune, Search for a tune,Choir 2: Start a new day, Start a new day,Choir 3: How d’you make the sunrise, How d’you make the sunrise,

Choir 1: Now the world is turning, Now the world is turning,Choir 2: Search for a tune, Search for a tune,Choir 3: Start a new day, Start a new day,

Choir 1: Make a new day, Make a new day,Choir 2: Now the world is turning, Now the world is turning,Choir 3: Search for a tune, I’ve found my tune

Choir 1: Search for a tune, Search for a tune,Choir 2: Make a new day, Make a new day,Choir 3: Now the world is turning, Now the world is turning,

Choir 1:Choir 2: Search for a tune, Search for a tune,Choir 3: Make a new day, Make a new day,

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As the song builds slowly the Planets begin to unlock themselves and appear to be moving and revolving as they join in with the song. They begin to dance to the music of the spheres

Choir 1: Now the world is turning, planets are learning their placesChoir 2: Now the world is turning, planets are learning their placesChoir 3: Now the world is

turning,

Choir 1: The spheres are singing their music is ringing their

Choir 2: Start a new day, The spheres are singing their music is ringing their

Choir 3: Now the world is turning

Choir 1: Changes to bring us back home.Choir 2: Changes to bring us back home.Choir 3: Changes to bring us back home.

Choir 1: Now the world is turning, Now the world is turning,Choir 2:Choir 3:

Choir 1: Make a new day, Make a new day,Choir 2: Now the world is turning, Now the world is turning,Choir 3:

Choir 1: I’ve found my tune, I’ve found my tune,Choir 2: Make a new day, Make a new day,Choir 3: Now the world is turning, Now the world is turning,

Choir 1:Choir 2: I’ve found my tune, I’ve found my tune,Choir 3: Make a new day, Make a new day,

Choir 1:Choir 2:Choir 3: I’ve found my tune, (Solo voice) I’ve found my tune

The Planets are freely orbiting around each other now back in line and harmony.

Charlie We’ve done it!

There are congratulations and backslapping amongst the children and the Night creatures applaud. The Space conductor stands apart.

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Chris Well done to you too. Are you okay?

SpaceConductor Yes and thank you for all your help, but I must leave now.

Eddy But we’ve just made friends. D’you have to go?

SpaceConductor I have to keep the music and everything spinning in harmony.

It’s time to take my place.

Chris Well now I know you are out there. I won’t be afraid any more.

Eddy And I’ll make sure I’ll go to bed.

Charlie And I won’t be horrible to strangers

Allie (Loudly) And I’ll stop being so loud!

All Oh Allie shut up!

Charlie Oh but what are you going to use for your baton?

The Night Creatures shuffle forward.

Slimey Sorry to but in, but me and the Night Creatures have been talking and well…

Mothy We found your broken baton and well we know a few tricks ourselves so…

Earwigwax We took some slime and a bit of my earwig wax and fixed it.

They hand the roughly mended baton to the Space Conductor.

SpaceConductor I don’t know what to say… Thank you.

Bugface Well come on then, give it a go!

Space Conductor waves the baton and the air fills with music.

Finale. Song. When A New Conductor... Reggae.

Children When a new conductor finds a new tuneIt lights up the stars and then soonPlanets start to singNew days for everything

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All When a new conductor finds a new tune

All Planets and Stars and Night Creatures join in for finale. Space Conductor starts to disappear back up into the sky.

Space When an old planet finds a new moonConductor And smiles beside as it blooms

New worlds start to singIt’s a wondrous thingWhen an old planet finds a new moon

All Now it’s time to say goodbyeNow it time for thoughts to flyUniverses wait for no oneSo now it’s time for you to goAnd we will know forever Your music rings for each and everyone

Suddenly Nan and Grandad appear.

Nan What’s all this noise!

Granddad And what are all these people doing in our garden?

Children Oh Nan Grandad come join in!

All When a new conductor finds a new tuneIt lights up the stars and the moonsPlanets start to singNew days for everythingWhen a new conductor finds a new tuneWhen a new conductor finds a new tune

Planet Rap All the planets in the sky go crazyKeep on spinning now and don’t be lazyA star, a moon, a planet and a tuneKeep the beat from night til noon

Bug Rap All the creatures of the world go crazyKeep on creepin now and don’t be lazyA worm, a flea, a beetle and a beeGetting down to earth’s harmonyA worm, a flea, a beetle and a beeGetting down to earth’s harmony

Rock’n’Roll Reprise to end

All We had a problem with the universeGrabbed a beat putting first things firstNow we’ve found a way to save our worlds

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And so now kiss goodbye you boys and girls

Chorus 1 (Together) Chorus 2Now we found a way to save our worlds We’re all throughSo long See you on another planetKiss goodbye you boys and girls

End

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