求皇帝的新装的英语剧本

求皇帝的新装的英语剧本

THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHESBy Hans Christian AndersonAdapted by Jim Cort & The One Act Playerswww.oneact.orgCASTNARRATORTHE EMPERORHIVES, The ButlerSNIP and STITCH, The TailorsCOURTIERSCROWD OF SUBJECTSsfx: a TRUMPET fanfare, CORNY, AND SLIGHTLY OUT OF TUNENARRATOR: Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived an emperor who was very vain. All he cared about in the world were his fine clothes, and all he thought about was how to get finer ones. EMPEROR: Now, what’s this called again?HIVES: A zoot suit, your majesty.EMPEROR: There, how does it look?HIVES: Very becoming, your majesty.COURTIERS: (polite applause and murmured comments of approval: “Very nice”, “Lovely”, etc.)NARRATOR: He was always the first to take up the latest fashion; he was never satisfied with anything less than the best.HIVES: Your Nehru jacket has arrived, your majesty.EMPEROR: Splendid, help me on with it. Well, what do you think?HIVES: On you it looks good, your majesty.COURTIERS: (polite applause and murmured comments of approval: “Very nice”, “Lovely”, etc.)NARRATOR: The emperor's fame as a lover of fashion spread far and wide, and one day two strangers presented themselves at the palace.HIVES: Messrs. Snip and Stitch, your majesty. Master tailors.SNIP: Snip.STITCH: And Stitch at your service, your majesty.SNIP: We are the finest tailors in the world, your majesty, so, of course, we wanted to serve the one person in all the world who could fully appreciate our talents.EMPEROR: Quite right, quite right.COURTIERS: (murmured comments: “Quite right”, “Yes, quite right”, etc.)STITCH: We propose to create for your majesty a suit of clothes such as the world has never seen. A suit made from a singular fabric that we alone know how to make.SNIP: This cloth is fashioned from diamonds--STICH: And gold—SNIP: Rubies, pearls—STITCH: And gold—SNIP: Emeralds, amethysts, opals—STITCH: And gold—SNIP: And, of course, gold.STITCH: Of course.EMPEROR: Oh, of course.COURTIERS: (echoing, “Of course, of course”)SNIP: But the most remarkable property of this cloth is that it cannot be seen by fools or people who are unfit for the office they hold.STITCH: Think of the possibilities, your majesty.EMPEROR: Possibilities? Oh, yes. Quite right.COURTIERS: (echoing “Quite right, quite right”)EMPEROR: I must have this suit. You must make it for me. Money is no object. Instruct the Imperial Treasurer that all the gold and the finest gems from the treasury shall be placed at these tailors’ disposal.HIVES: At once, your majesty.NARRATOR: The tailors took over a room in the palace and set to work at once.Now these tailors were not tailors at all, but swindlers who—STITCH: I beg your pardon. Entrepreneurs. NARRATOR: -- Who were filling their own pockets with the gold and jewels given to them. Day after day they pretended to weave their remarkable cloth on looms that were, in fact, empty.sfx: wooden loom clacking.NARRATOR: They measured the emperor for a suit they would never make.SNIP: Inseam: 22STITCH: Inseam: 22SNIP: Waist: 54EMPEROR: Oh, wait, wait. (he takes an enormous breath)SNIP: Waist: 54STITCH: Waist: 54NARRATOR: They spent long hours in their workroom cutting and sewing nothing at all. From time to time the emperor would send members of his court to visit the tailors and report on their progress. SNIP: See the quality, my lords? The delicacy of the weave?STITCH: Note the color. I’ll wager you’ve never seen color like that before.NARRATOR: The courtiers were shocked to see nothing on the looms and nothing in the hands of the tailors. They did not want to appear fools or unfit for their offices, so…COURTIERS: Lovely. Exquisite. Striking color. Bold design, etc.NARRATOR: And when they reported back to the Emperor…EMPEROR: How are my master tailors getting on?COURTIERS: (a pause, and then:) Lovely. Exquisite. Striking color. Bold design, etc.NARRATOR: At last the day arrived when the tailors pronounced -- SNIP: Your majesty, your suit of clothes is finished.EMPEROR: Excellent! Bring it it, bring it in. Oh, Hives, help me off with this leisure suit.HIVES: Very good, your majesty.NARRATOR: With great ceremony, the tailors carried the imaginary outfit into the emperor's private chambers.STITCH: Here it is, your majesty.NARRATOR: The emperor could see nothing at all, but not wanting to be thought a fool…EMPEROR: Oh, wonderful! A masterpiece!COURTIERS: (polite applause and murmured comments of approval: “A masterpiece”, “Lovely”, etc.)NARRATOR: The tailors helped the emperor to dress in his new clothes.SNIP: Breeches…spats…blouse…weskit….STITCH: Don’t forget the cummerbund, your majesty.SNIP: And the frock coat.NARRATOR: The emperor dutifully put on each invisible article of clothing they handed him.EMPEROR: How do I look?HIVES: Stunning, your majesty.SNIP: Regal.STITCH: Imperial.COURTIERS: Oh, yes. Definitely regal. Very imperial, etcEMPEROR: Yes, I do, don’t I?sfx: crowd noises under next linesNARRATOR: A great procession had been planned so the emperor could show off his splendid new clothes to his subjects. People from all over the country lined the streets of the city. sfx: a CORNY, OUT OF TUNE fanfare; crowd noise dies down.NARRATOR: The emperor appeared at the head of a long train of attendants and courtiers. The crowd could see no clothing at all on the emperor, but, disinclined to appear fools to their neighbors…CROWD: (mopy, half-hearted cheering: just enough so they can’t be accused of not cheering.) NARRATOR: But one young boy, sitting on his father's shoulders to get a better view, called out:BOY: Look, Papa, the emperor has no clothes on!CROWD: (gasps, then silence)NARRATOR: The emperor commanded his train to stop. He looked slowly down at himself, and then up at the little boy who had called out those fateful words. And then…EMPEROR:(shouting) Guards! Away with that boy!sfx: running footsteps; sounds of a struggle, muffled cries of protest from the boy and his family as they are dragged away (under)NARRATOR: The emperor had the boy and his entire family arrested and thrown into the dungeon, to be beheaded. The procession then continued, and one by one…CROWD: (voices take up the cheer once more a few at a time. Cheering is much more enthusiastic than before. Continue under lines and then fade out.)NARRATOR: For the rest of the people had learned, you see, the difference between seeing what you saw and saying what you saw. And they, at least, lived happily ever after.EMPEROR: Hmmm. Seems a bit chilly.COURTIERS: Chilly. Yes, your majesty. Very Chilly, etc. (fade out)