Act 1 Scene 1
Friday Period 6: London Nautical School 2 Pupils are walking around the corridors, bunking class.
Sampson: Gregory I swear, we won’t get a detention!
Gregory: Good because if we do, it would be our 10th one this week and we would be in referral next week.
Sampson: If we are put in referral, I’m just gonna bunk school.
Gregory: You better be more careful.
Sampson: I am careful.
Gregory: You say that, but you ain’t.
Sampson: All staff annoy me.
Gregory: If they annoy you then you would ignore them and walk on. But if you hate them then, you would attack them.
Sampson: I would attack any staff that annoys me. I would argue with any teacher.
Gregory: That shows that you are weak if you just argue.
Sampson: True. So, I will fight and argue with them.
Gregory: This battle should be against all students and all staff.
Sampson: Doesn’t matter cuz either way I’m gonna wreck them.
Gregory: Your gonna wreck them? (scoffs) Please.
Sampson: I would.
Gregory: Your probably gonna be the wreck.
Sampson: Na man I’m gonna wreck any teacher.
Gregory: Wreck means destroy, and the only person I see getting wrecked is you mate. Now get ready boy, here comes two teachers.
(Enter two teachers, Mr Abram and Mr Balthasar)
Sampson: Boy I’m ready. You start arguing I got your back.
Gregory: Haha your being a chicken.
Sampson: Na I’m gonna get destroy them.
Gregory: If you say so.
Sampson: Stay on our side, let them begin.
Gregory: I will make faces at them as I walk past. Let’s see how they react.
Sampson: Whatever way they react, I will stick my finger up at them.
(Sticks up middle finger at teachers)
Abram: Did you just point your finger at us?!
Sampson: Pardon Sir?
Abram: Young man, did you just stick up your finger at us!!!
(To Gregory) Sampson: What should I say?
(To Sampson) Gregory: Say no you idiot.
Sampson: No sir I didn’t put up my finger.
Gregory: Are you confused sir?
Abram: Confused? No I’m not because I know he put up the finger.
Sampson: But I didn’t.
Abram: Stop lying.
Sampson: Well sir…
(Enter Benvolio)
(To Sampson) Gregory: Say yes here comes a year 11 that would help us.
Sampson: Yea Sir, I did.
Abram: Get to my office now young man!!!!
Sampson: Na I’m good Sir. (To Gregory) Gregory start arguing.
(They argue)
Benvolio: Woah what’s going on? (Shouts) Everyone chill!
(Enter headmaster)
Headmaster: What is this!!! Benvolio why are you arguing?! Get to my office now!!!
Benvolio: But I didn’t do anything! I’m trying to calm things down. Keep the peace.
Headmaster: If you are keeping the peace, why are you shouting?! That is not keeping or making peace! I hate liars and I hate students like you! Get to my office now!!!
September 17, 2015 at 11:19 pm
This is a very clever re-write of the original scene. There are a couple of places where in the original scene, the characters are undermining each other, where in your version they seem to be praising each other – for example when Gregory says: “Oh yep they definitely know your strong and yep they will be terrified.”
The original uses a metaphor “‘Tis well thou art not fish. If thou hadst, thou hadst been poor-john.” where he’s saying he’s a weak, skinny fish.
The could easily be resolved in the playing where you can have Gregory speak his line as you’ve written it, but with sarcasm.
I look forward to seeing this in performance (I hope you choose to enact it)!
CW
October 16, 2015 at 9:25 am
Hello Aahnaf,
I really enjoyed this – I actually found myself laughing aloud, which is always a good thing.
There is one more idea that is yet to be developed, and I think you could do this fairly swiftly: Where is Tybalt, Prince of Cats?
His presence on the original text can be really felt and I’m sure you did this in a previous drat, but it has become lost here. This is our first meeting with Tybalt and it gives us a clear idea how much of a destructive character he can be.
Thanks,
Mr North