The Show
We want you to know what you're getting, so the cast list and first third of the script are available here! Bad Wolf shows are written for flexibility and can be edited however you like to meet the needs of your actors, school, curriculum, parents, astrological chart, latest whim, etc. If you have questions about the portions of the script not shown, please contact us.
Casting
Flexible casting from 8-40 students. All songs are sung by the entire cast.
There are four Counselor parts and thirteen lines for Campers, but these roles can be changed and lines distributed any way you like.
Actors can easily play several roles, or a single role can be divided between multiple actors.
Mother (or Father) Goose can be split into two parts or
even played by the teacher. And all roles can be played by any gender.
CHARACTERS:
Mother Goose
Camp Counselors (4)
Campers (13)
Spider
Pussycat
Miss Muffet
Script
This is the first one-third of the script.
(CLASS enters and takes its places, perhaps with a bit of noise and excitement. CAMP COUNSELORS step forward.)
CAMP COUNSELOR #1 (wearing baseball cap, with a whistle around neck. Blows whistle, and CLASS comes to order): Okay, campers. Settle down.
This is your last night at Mother Goose's Character Camp. Please give it up for Mother Goose!
(CLASS applauds as MOTHER GOOSE steps forward)
MOTHER GOOSE: Thank you, Nursery Rhymers. You've made me very proud this week, trying so hard to treat each other well.
Let's give a round of applause to your amazing camp counselors!
(ALL except COUNSELORS applaud)
CAMP COUNSELOR #2: Thank you, Mother Goose. Our campers can't wait to share with you everything they've learned.
CAMP COUNSELOR #3: So let's get started right away with Little Bo Peep.
(pause as everyone looks around)
Hey, where's Little Bo Peep?
CAMPER #1: Looking for her sheep. She lost them.
COUNSELOR #3: Again? That's seven times!
CAMPER #2: It's what she does.
CAMP COUNSELOR #4 (looking at clipboard): Okay, let's go with, uh...Jack and Jill! What happened to them, and what did we learn?
CLASS (chants):
Jack and Jill
Went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down,
And broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Song 1
CLASS (sings):
We know the tale of Jack and Jill
They slipped and took a nasty spill
They fell and let out quite a yelp
Come on, let's go, they need our help.
Let's help them both back on their feet
And give them something good to eat
We'll mend their pail as good as new
And fix Jack's crown with Super Glue*.
Be kind
Be kind
Help folks in a bind
Step on up and do what you can do.
Be kind
Be kind
Soon you're gonna find
Other people will be kind to you.
So what's the moral of this tale
Of Jack and Jill and their sad pail?
Next time they're eager for a drink
Maybe they should use the sink!
Be kind
Be kind
Help folks in a bind
Step on up and do what you can do.
Be kind
Be kind
Soon you're gonna find
Other people will be kind to you.
Other people will be kind to you.
COUNSELOR #1: As we've seen at camp, there are many ways to show good character.
COUNSELOR #2: One is working hard and trying your very best.
COUNSELOR #3: Take Peter Piper. He didn't stop until he'd picked a whole peck of pickled peppers!
CAMPER #3: What IS a peck?
(ENTIRE CLASS looks at each other and shrugs.)
MOTHER GOOSE: Nobody knows, dear. The important thing is that he kept trying.
COUNSELOR #4: Just like our Itsy Bitsy Spider.
CLASS (chants/sings):
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.
SPIDER: That's right! You think a little rain can stop these lightning-fast legs? (runs in place) Not a chance!
Song 2
CLASS (sings):
The spider kept on trying
When the raindrops washed him out.
The spider kept on trying
And he didn't quit or pout.
If the spider can do it
I can do it too
Try my hardest every time is what I have to do.
(CLASS rocks out)
You're too little is what they said.
Give up now, go back to bed.
No! said the spider, no no no!
I can do it and I'll show you so!
Get the memo, it's time to stop.
You're washed out and you're washed up.
No! said the spider, no no no!
I can do it and I'll show you so!
The spider kept on trying
When the raindrops washed him out.
The spider kept on trying
And he didn't quit or pout.
If the spider can do it
I can do it too
Try my hardest every time is what I have to do.
COUNSELOR #1 (looking at clipboard): Now let's hear from the Pussycat.
COUNSELOR #2: I haven't seen Pussycat today.
PUSSYCAT (standing up/entering): Here I am!
CLASS:
Pussycat, pussycat,
Where have you been?
PUSSYCAT:
I've been to London
To visit the Queen.
COUNSELOR #3: Really? You've been in London?
COUNSELOR #4: Did you get the Queen's autograph?
PUSSYCAT: Well, no. I lied. I've been in the mess hall sleeping under a table.
CLASS (shouts): Pussycat! You need to tell the truth!
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
Laura Reyes –
FIVE HUGE STARS! I had doubts that I could pull this off with a class of 20 transitional kindergarten students, but WE DID IT! Parents (even dads!) were in TEARS over how well the kids did. This was our end of the year play and the perfect way to review the nursery rhymes we learned all year, while also reviewing character qualities like honesty, kindness, and manners. Having the audio files with instrumental and vocals, I was able to splice them and add vocals in sections that were too difficult for the kids to remember (i.e. if the song was a little long and there were several verses). The variety of musical styles allowed us to add hula dancing, (plastic) electric guitars, and all sorts of easily-made props that enhanced our play. Practicing for a play kept us going through the last few weeks of school, which always seem to drag on for the kids. Because we also had the right to modify the script/music, I was able to add additional nursery rhymes we had learned and even threw in two ukulele tunes the kids had learned. Once I had the backbone (the original script), it was easy and fun to add the personalities of my students into the script. This was a WINNER and I will be ordering more Bad Wolf plays in the future. Thank you!
Debbie L. (verified owner) –
I am on the administrative team of a homeschool group in Alabama. We do an Elementary play every fall and a high school play every spring. This year, we had 70 elementary kids sign up, so we had to split off the 1st and 2nd grade. I agreed to direct that group of 23, and scrambled to find a musical. I ran across “Mother Goose’s Character Camp” and ran with it.
This was such a fantastic play! There were plenty of parts evenly spread out. I was able to have small ensembles do some of the song bridges, or quote the nursery rhymes, so everyone had their moment in the sun. The kids loved the variety of music styles represented in the play, the parents loved the values that were creatively taught, and everyone enjoyed the costumes as each child dressed like a different Mother Goose Character. (And as director and purchaser, I thoroughly enjoyed the humorous writing regarding properly handling copyrights.)
We will certainly be looking at Bad Wolf Press each year for future productions. Thank you so much for providing quality inexpensive theater materials!
Jacquita (verified owner) –
I have the Drama Club at Jefferson Craig Elementary School in Vevay, Indiana. I use students from grades 3-6. I have about 30 students who meet after school. I have done it for 20 years. I have used Bad News Press for many of them. I like the fact that all students are on stage at the same time, which avoids chaos backstage and allows parents/ audience to see their child on stage a lot.
I tried the easier stories this year so our performance might appeal to our younger students.
I like the story, but I did not have the students sing the roles. We are chanting, rapping, or simply saying the nursery rhyme and using the songs as speaking roles. I've found the audience does not love song after song after song. ( See my review of Anansi…)
We will perform this at the end of February.
Laura M (verified owner) –
I just used "Mother Goose's Character Camp" with 27 Preschool through 1st grade students for one of our school's Summer Camps. We only had class for three hours each afternoon for one week – and the script/songs were so easy to learn that they had it mastered for their final show on Friday! It was a HUGE success with rave reviews from both the students and the parents. Thanks for yet another great musical! A new favorite!