Drama Workshop: Ideas For Teaching Drama
OUT OF THIS WORLD
By Andrew McCann
ACT TWO: SCENE SEVEN
In the Space Craft : Some Hours Later
1ST KRELL We are sorry you all have to leave us.
PROFESSOR Well, I can't say I'm sorry to go....but some day I'll be back. There are so many things I'd like to know about your planet.
1ST KRELL You'll be welcome here any time. All of you will.
3RD. KRELL You liberated the Krells from slavery. Words cannot express how grateful we are.
4TH KRELL If there's ever anything we can do in return, you know where to come.
PROFESSOR You've helped us enough already, finding the fuel for our return journey to Earth.
4TH KRELL That was the least we could do.
PROFESSOR Goodbye, then- and thank you.
1ST KRELL Remember us when you get back to Earth!
PROFESSOR We'll remember you all right.
2ND KRELL Glad to hear it!
3RD KRELL We won't keep you from your journey any longer
4TH KRELL We've kept you long enough!
ALL KRELLS Goodbye, all of you!
PROFESSOR and CHILDREN Goodbye!
(Exit THE KRELLS )
PROFESSOR All right, down on the floor, you lot! Stand by for blast off!
LUCY (as THE PROFESSOR presses the remote control device) Hope it works!
PROFESSOR Course it'll work!
(The space craft is heard taking off and landing.)
SALLY We're there! We've made it!
JANE Back on Earth at last!
JACKO Good old Uncle! We knew you could do it!
PROFESSOR Oh, there's nothing to it.....Nothing to it. with a bit of luck, the roof of my house should now be closing over the space craft and no-one'll be any the wiser! Oh, it's great to be home again!
(There is a knock at the door.)
LUCY Who's that knocking at the door?
PROFESSOR Probably the death watch beetles. Must've disturbed them coming back in!
(There is another rather impatient knock at the door.)
JANE No, it was most definitely a knock.
PROFESSOR I don't usually get many visitors here. Who can it be? Well, there's one way to find out! Go and open the door, Lucy.
(LUCY crosses to the stage left wing and a door is heard opening.)
PROFESSOR Who is it, Lucy?
LUCY It's a police officer.
PROFESSOR Are you sure? We don't get many of them around here.
LUCY I'm afraid it is, Uncle.....At least, I think it is.
(ENTER LUCY with POLICE OFFICER.)
POLICE OFFICER Of course I'm a Police Officer. That's why I'm wearing this uniform.
PROFESSOR I suppose you must be, then. What have you come about, Officer?
POLICE OFFICER You mean you don't know what I've come about! Come to think about it, what have I come about?
JACKO You must have come about something.
POLICE OFFICER Yes, I suppose I must. Now what was it?....Now the Sergeant said to me, "Go and patrol the beat," and I replied, "What beat?" To which he replied, "Your beat of course- now beat it!" So I did -and here I am.
PROFESSOR And you ended up at my house- but why?
POLICE OFFICER House? What house? No, I certainly didn't come to any house.
PROFESSOR But you're standing in one now! Surely you must remember knocking at the door?
POLICE OFFICER I remember knocking at a door all right, but it certainly wasn't the door of a house. It was the door of a caravan, if I remember rightly. So I must be standing in a caravan. And come to think of it, that's what I came about!
JANE You must have got it wrong. We're in Uncle's house, aren't we, Uncle?
PROFESSOR Of course we are. You've got it all wrong, Officer.
POLICE OFFICER Well it looked like a caravan to me- and if it looked like one, it must be one- and if it is one, it shouldn't be 'ere! There's laws against parking things like these 'ere caravans 'ere!
PROFESSOR But it's been here for hundreds of years, Officer! My family has lived here for centuries!
POLICE OFFICER Then someone should've told 'em to move it. It's offending local bye-laws!
JANE We must have made a mistake, Uncle!
LUCY Bet we're not in your house at all!
JACKO If we're not in your house, may I be so bold as to ask where we've ended up?
PROFESSOR Look, Officer, I've always been a law-abiding citizen. I pay my local taxes!
POLICE OFFICER They all say that!
PROFESSOR Yes, but I do pay my taxes as it happens, so please answer me just one question, as it's people like my good self who pay your wages.
POLICE OFFICER Oh, very well. What is it?
PROFESSOR Where are we- and what exactly are we supposed to have done wrong?
POLICE OFFICER You mean you don't know!
PROFESSOR If I did, I wouldn't be asking!
POLICE OFFICER No, Idon't suppose you would.
LUCY Please tell us where we are?
POLICE OFFICER You're on an island, of course!
ALL An island!
LUCY Is it the Isle of Man?
SALLY The Isle of Wight?
JANE The Hebridies?
JACKO The Scillies?
POLICE OFFICER No, of course it isn't. It's a traffic island!
ALL A traffic island!
POLICE OFFICER Yes, it is- and if you don't get this 'ere caravan off 'ere smartish, I'll be throwin' the book at yer- an yer know what that means!
PROFESSOR All right, we'll move the er...caravan, Officer.
POLICE OFFICER Good for you- an' don't you park it 'ere again or there'll be trouble!
(Exit POLICE OFFICER, stage left.)
JANE Fancy thinking we're in a caravan!
PROFESSOR I suppose to the ignorant eye the space craft may bear a slight resemblance to a caravan.
SALLY How come we ended up on a traffic island then, Uncle?
PROFESSOR (studying the remote control unit) Ah, I get it now. The setting on the remote control device must have been altered during the fight with the Zenotrons.....(making a slight adjustment) ....That's more like it......Now to get back home.
(The PROFESSOR presses a button on the remote control unit and the doors are heard sliding shut.)
PROFESSOR That's the doors closed. Stand by for take off !
(ALL lie down on the floor. There is the sound of take off, travel and landing.)
JANE Are we really back home this time, Uncle?
PROFESSOR I think so- but go and have a look outside and see if you don't believe me!
(Exit CHILDREN, stage left and quickly re-enter.)
LUCY Yes, we're there! We've made it!
PROFESSOR Welcome home everybody!
LUCY Phew! I'm glad it's all over!
JANE Never thought we'd make it!
PROFESSOR Yes, it's good to be back!
SALLY What are you going to do now you're back, Uncle?
PROFESSOR Don't worry about me. I've got plenty to get on with.
LUCY Other inventions, you mean?
PROFESSOR One or two- one in particular.
JANE What does it do?
PROFESSOR It's a secret.
JANE Oh, please tell us, Uncle!
SALLY Secrets are so exciting!
JACKO Please tell us!
PROFESSOR Don't know whether I ought to! Look what happened last time!
SALLY That was an accident. I'm sure Lucy didn't mean to press the button!
PROFESSOR Maybe she didn't, but it happened all the same. Can't afford to take risks with my experiments!
JANE We'll be careful!
ALL We promise!
PROFESSOR Oh, very well! Wait there a moment and I'll show you!
(Exit PROFESSOR,stage right)
JACKO What can it be?
SALLY Could be anything, knowing Uncle!
JANE One thing's for sure. We won't be flying off to any strange planets in a hurry!
JACKO Don't think Uncle will be wanting to do that either.
SALLY I wouldn't want to go through anything like that again!
JANE Neither would I!
(ENTER PROFESSOR with a box like structure containing a seat accessed by a door at the front. )
PROFESSOR This is it! My latest and greatest invention!
JACKO What is it, Uncle?
LUCY What does it do?
PROFESSOR (proudly) It's a time machine!
All A time machine?
LUCY Do you mean like a clock?
PROFESSOR No....It does much more than that!
LUCY What does it do, then?
PROFESSOR It takes you back in time!
LUCY Do you mean it can take you back into history?
PROFESSOR In a sense, yes- but it can travel back up to a month at the moment!
I've got a lot of work to do on it before it'll take anyone back much beyond that.
SALLY How does it work, Uncle?
PROFESSOR This button here. If you press it, it'll send this room and everything in it back in time.
LUCY (pointing at one button in particular) Do you mean this button, Uncle?
PROFESSOR That's right- but don't press it, Lucy! (LUCY presses the button) I said, "Don't press it!!!!!!"
(THE PROFESSOR and THE CHILDREN begin to spin; lights flash intermittently.)
PROFESSOR Now look what you've done! You're sending us back through time!
SALLY Trust you, Lucy!
JACKO My head's swimming!
JANE I feel all dizzy! Can't you stop it, Uncle!
PROFESSOR 'Fraid not! Nothing I can do! We'll just have to see what happens!
(THE CHILDREN spin off the stage; the ROBOTS spin on. The scene is now the same as Act One: Scene One. The play begins again.)
(ROBOTS stand around the room. THE PROFESSOR is adjusting a remote control unit. FLORA stands to one side. there is a knock at the door.)
PROFESSOR Go and see who's at the door, Flora.
(FLORA walking stiffly, in a robotic manner, crosses to the stage left wing and is heard opening the door. She returns.)
FLORA It's four children, Professor.
PROFESSOR Tell them I don't want any.
(FLORA crosses to the door again and exits)
FLORA (Off-stage)He doesn't want any. (ENTER FLORA) They have got a letter for you, Professor.
(Black-out)
©Andrew McCann
Drama Workshop: Ideas For Teaching Drama