Пьеса для самодеятельного театра "THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER" (Mark Twain)

THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER CHARACTERS: NARRATOR PRINCE EDWARD GUARD 1 GUARD 2 TOM GENERAL SCRIPT: NARRATOR: Once upon a time in London, there was a young Prince called Edward. PRINCE EDWARD: I wish I could go outside those gates by myself, but I know that the guards won´t let me. NARRATOR: So he called the guards. PRINCE EDWARD: Guards!. GUARD 1 AND 2: What can we do for you?. PRINCE EDWARD: I want to go the city… by myself. GUARD 1: You know that is not possible. GUARD 2: We have strict orders not to leave you alone. PRINCE EDWARD: I know that, but I also know that last week when you took me for a ride you stopped at a shop and sold the… GUARD 1: Please stop, don´t mention that.PRINCE EDWARD: So, are you going to leave me alone or should I tell my father about the … GUARD 2: No, please!. PRINCE EDWARD: Chandelier that is missing from the … GUARD 2: Very well, we will take you to the village. PRINCE EDWARD: Let´s go then. NARRATOR: After a short drive they arrived to the city. PRINCE EDWARD: Leave me here, I’llwalk alone. GUARDS: We will come and get you in about an hour. NARRATOR: When the guards left him, he started to walk through the city streets, but he got lost. PRINCE EDWARD: I have never been to this part of the city. All the houses look so old!. NARRATOR: Then he was astonished for what he saw just in front of him. PRINCE EDWARD: Well, well, well!. What a coincidence. We look exactly alike. TOM: You´re right!. But I am poor, and my clothes are old and dirt. PRINCE EDWARD: And I am dressed in silk and satin. TOM: Oh, I would be happy if I could dress like you, at least for just a moment. PRINCE EDWARD: Well, that is not a problem…take my clothes… TOM: What for?.PRINCE EDWARD: Hurry up!. NARRATOR: So they exchanged their clothes. PRINCE EDWARD: You look exactly like me!. Take the crown also. NARRATOR: At that moment the guards came looking for him. GUARD 1: We have to go. GUARD 2: The king must be worried. TOM: But, I am not… GUARD 1: Don´t tell us that you are not ready yet. GUARD 2: Get in the carriage!. NARRATOR: So they threw Tom inside the carriage, instead of the real Prince Edward. GUARD 1: And as to you…stay away from the Prince!. PRINCE EDWARD: You are making a terrible mistake!. GUARD 2: Let´s go!. NARRATOR: And they left leaving Prince Edward in the middle of the street, dressed as a poor beggar. PRINCE EDWARD: Stop!. Stop!. You are making a terrible mistake!. Please, come back!. NARRATOR: But it was too late. They had already left. PRINCE EDWARD: What am I going to do now?. Nobody will believe my story!.NARRATOR: He started walking telling every person in the street who he was, but nobody believed him. Then he finally sat in a corner thinking what to do. PRINCE EDWARD: I am hungry, and I don´t have any money. I need to work. NARRATOR: So he started to work in everything he could, until one day his country went to war. PRINCE EDWARD: I will enroll in the army, I have to fight for my country. NARRATOR: And while he was fighting in battle for the love of his country, Tom, the false prince was having a good life in the castle. TOM: Now I have everything I always wanted! Everybody obeys my orders… life is being fair to me now. NARRATOR: One day the king got seriously ill. KING: My dear son… I don´t have much time… I leave you my kingdom. TOM: I will take good care of it… I promise you. NARRATOR: The king died that same night, and Tom became the new king. TOM: Things will be different from now on. I promised the old man I would take good care of … me… of course!. NARRATOR: He raised taxes, lowered salaries, extended working hours, and became richer and richer. All at the expense of his people. Meanwhile, Prince Edward was still in battle. PRINCE EDWARD: This war is taking us nowhere. I have to talk to the general. NARRATOR: And he did. GENERAL: What is so important that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. PRINCE EDWARD: Well, I have a plan to win this war.GENERAL: And what is your plan?. NARRATOR: He explained his strategy to win the war. GENERAL: How do you know it will work?. PRINCE EDWARD: Because I know that is what our late king would have done. GENERAL: And how do you know that?. PRINCE EDWARD: Because he taught me everything I know. He was my father. GENERAL: That is nonsense. But your plan sounds good… let´s do it. NARRATOR: The general followed Prince Edward´s advice, and the war was won. GENERAL: Tom, you are a great soldier!. PRINCE EDWARD: Our country deserves good soldiers, like you . GENERAL: Let´s go to the river, we need a good bath before going back to the city. NARRATOR: When Prince Edward took off his shirt, the general was surprised. GENERAL: Tom, those marks you have in your neck. PRINCE EDWARD: What about them?. GENERAL: I have seen them before. I saw them in the prince when he was born. You are really Prince Edward!. PRINCE EDWARD: I know it was hard to believe in someone like me, but I was telling you the truth.GENERAL: We have to go to the city!. The people must know that they are being ruled by a false king. NARRATOR: When they told the people about the false king, they went to the palace, forced the entrance gates, and went straight to the throne. TOM: Guards!. Guards!. GUARDS: We are sorry, your highness, but we couldn´t stop them!. TOM: How do you dare enter my palace like that!. PRINCE EDWARD: This is not your palace anymore!. TOM: What is this beggar doing here?. Guards!. PRINCE EDWARD: You well know I am not a beggar. GENERAL: We know the truth!. PRINCE EDWARD: I order you to give me my clothes and my crown. TOM: But… GENERAL: Do it now!. TOM: He is lying!. GENERAL: It´s useless. Guards, please, get him out of the castle. PRINCE EDWARD: I forgive you for what you did. Your punishment will be to go back to your old life and work hard. NARRATOR: So he was thrown out of the castle. PRINCE EDWARD: I have suffered with and for my people and my country… and now I can be a good king.THE END