Plot summary
Jim Hawkins finds a treasure map that might help solve his mother’s money worries and they secretly head off to the harbour to hire a crew. But the whole town has already heard of the treasure quest, and a motley crew sign up for the voyage, including Captain Flint’s granddaughter and some dastardly pirates led by Long John Silver. During the voyage to Skeleton Island, the pirates’ mutinous plan is discovered and when the ship finally drops anchor, it is anyone’s guess as to who will find the buried treasure first. Plenty of laughs, slapstick, fast paced action and more in this family-friendly pantomime version of the classic Treasure Island tale.
Running time: 2 hours approx excluding interval
Cast (in order of appearance)
Long John Silver (M), Mrs Hawkins (M – Dame), Jim Hawkins (F/M – Principle Boy), Robert/Roberta (M/F), Squire Trelawney (M), Captain Poppycock (M/F), Dr Livesey (M/F), Jemima (F – Principle Girl), Kitty Wake (F), Gilly Mott (F), Will Walker-Plank (M), Shaky Hands (M/F), Captain Smellit (M/F), Ben/Brenda Gunn (M/F)
4 Male, 3 Female, 7 Male/Female (some script pronoun revisions may be required. )
Doubling if required to bring it down to 12 main characters: Captain Poppycock & Captain Smellit; Dr Livesey & Ben/Brenda GunnChorus of inn customers, sailors, pirates, monkeys
An excerpt from Treasure Island
ACT 1
Scene 1
Front of Curtain, a headland looking out to sea
Long John Silver enters SR, wearing a long coat, with a stuffed parrot on his shoulder and carrying a telescope on a cord round his neck. Walks across stage slowly and noisily with his ‘wooden leg’, stops halfway, rests on his crutch, lifts the telescope and looks out over the audience, then puts it away.
Long John Silver (Speaking to the Parrot, stroking its chest) So, Cap’n Flint, the map’s with old Cap’n Poppycock, so it is. But it will soon be mine, and then… well, my fine feathered friend, and then I’ll be rich beyond my wildest dreams! (Noticing the audience)What? (Menacingly) What are you lot looking at? I’m John Silver, so I am, the most a’feared pirate since Blackbeard and Greengoatee, and you are the scurviest lot of landlubbers I’ve seen in all my seafaring days! You wouldn’t last a dinghy ride across the [local river / stream], let alone the trip we are about to take! So, I’d go home now if I were you as it’s going to get rough, or if you do stick around, I hope you all get seasick! And if I hear one boo out of any of you, especially you (pointing to someone in the front row), I’ll come down and keelhaul the lot of you, so I will! (Ad lib with audience if they boo, with plenty of ‘Aaaarghs!’) But now, it’s time to send old Cap’n Poppycock an ultimatum! (Exits SL.)
Curtains open to Mrs Hawkins’ establishment, the Block and Tackle; quite scruffy looking, 3 small tables, minimum 6 chairs and/or stools/benches, a makeshift serving hatch at the back. SR is the entrance to a back room and cellar; SL is the main street entrance. Captain Poppycock is sitting at a table FSL drinking rum, with a sea chest by his feet. Jemima is sitting FSR at a table with Kitty and Gilly, all three have bowls with spoons in them on the table. Dr Livesey is sitting drinking ale at a table at the back, which has a spare chair. Other customers sitting or standing.
Song 1
Jim, wearing an apron (with a pocket), is washing a table down. After that he is rushed off his feet serving customers. Mrs Hawkins enters from the back-room SR, carrying a bottle, walks to centre front.
Mrs Hawkins Hello everyone! Hello boys and girls! I’m Mrs Hawkins, but you can call me Clematis. What’s my name? (Waits for audience response, then peers into the audience, searching) Is there anybody there? (Looks into the wings) Have you opened the doors yet? It’s as quiet as the deck of the Mary Celeste in here! (Appears to be listening to a voice from the wings) What, they’re in already? (Shouts to audience with hands round mouth) Hellooo! Is there anybody there? (Waits for response) What’s my name? (Audience shout back ‘Clematis!’) That’s better, I thought I’d left my ear buds in. Let’s start as we mean to go on, shall we, or I’ll have you climbing the walls before the night’s out! Now, I am a poor widow (audience response). No, I’m poorer than that (audience response), that’s better, and I’m finding it very hard to make ends meet, ever since my husband left me years ago to look after our two children, Jim and Robert, all on my own. Oy, Jim, come over ‘ere. (Jim goes over to his mum.) This is Jim, a good hard-working boy if ever there was one. And Robert is… (looking around), well, he was supposed to be here, helping Jim. Where has he got to…?
Enter Robert, SL, waving to audience.
Robert (Waving) Ahoy there boys and girls! I said (louder) ‘ahoy there boys and girls!’ (Waits for audience to shout back, hopefully they do.) My name is Robert but my friends call me Bob. I know, whenever I say ‘ahoy there boys and girls’, do you think you can shout out ‘ahoy there Bob!’ Do you think you can do that? Tell you what, I’ll go off and come back on. (Goes off SL, then comes back on.) Ahoy there boys and girls! (Hopefully the audience shouts back ‘Ahoy there Bob!’ Robert gives them a thumbs up or other suitable response) Brilliant!
Mrs Hawkins (Bellows) Robert! Come ‘ere!
Robert Yes Mum? (But doesn’t move.)
Mrs Hawkins I said, come ‘ere! (Robert does but drags his feet) This is my other son, Robert; he’s so lazy. He doesn’t even like the name Robert – he prefers Bob, because it’s less effort to say. He’s not done a day’s work in his life; I just don’t know what to do with him!
Robert That’s not fair, Mum – I work in customer relations, which is a very important job.
Mrs Hawkins But all you do is sit and chat with the customers! Which definitely isn’t a full-time job anymore – with taxes and the cost of living always going up, the customers have been getting fewer and fewer. So, I’ve really had to cut back on costs.
Jim (Taking a piece of paper out of his apron pocket and waving it about) And now we’ve got to economise even more mum. This morning the bank sent back one of your cheques.
Mrs Hawkins (taking the cheque off Jim and looking at it) Really? Does that mean I can use it again? Gosh, that’s a stroke of luck!
Jim No! It means we don’t have any money left in the account.
Robert (Taking the cheque off Mrs Hawkins and looking at it) Well then, can’t we just try another bank, they can’t all be out of money!
Jim (Taking it off Robert and putting it back in his apron pocket) It’s not the banks that are out of money – we are out of money. There’s nothing left!
Mrs Hawkins (To audience) Oh, I haven’t told you what we do here yet, have I? I run this ‘ere pub, the Block and Tackle, and I’d like to think it was a bit upmarket, but to tell the truth we’re about as downmarket as you can go. It’s the worst place in the town, in fact. It’s even rougher than [local reference.] And when the money runs out, we have to water down the rum. The food’s not much better – the cheese is so mouldy even the mice won’t eat it. But at least it makes the food dirt cheap!
Customer (Spits and chokes) Yuk, who wants to eat dirt?
Mrs Hawkins The cheek of it! Oy, you – out!
Customer gets up to go but as Squire Trelawney enters SL, sits down again.
Mrs Hawkins Ah, good afternoon, Squire, this is, er, an unexpected pleasure – what can I get for you today? Squire Trelawney Ah, Mrs Hawkins! My dear cousin, a very good afternoon to you too. Well, I’ll come straight to the point – how about last month’s rent? And then this month’s? And, if I’m really lucky, what about next month’s, in advance?
Mrs Hawkins Er, that’s going to be a bit tricky, I haven’t actually got any of it right now.
Squire Trelawney Oh, customers not paying again?
Mrs Hawkins Er, something like that. Clientele isn’t what it used to be – your inns have taken all my best trade away. I can’t compete with the Ship and Shovel, certainly not now you’ve got that fancy new cook – you know, the one that won Master Chef? What was his signature dish? Rum-spiked Marlin?
Squire Trelawney Well, I’m sorry to hear that, but I’ve got bills to pay just like everyone else. Now, please fetch me some rum and bring it over to that table, would you? I want a word with Dr Livesey. (Sits down at table with Dr Livesey.)
Jim Now what are we going to do, Mum?
Robert (Claps Jim on the back) Cheer up, bro! You look like you’re in the doldrums!
Mrs Hawkins Something will turn up for us Jim, just like the tide. You mark my words. And then hopefully it’ll be plain sailing for us.
Robert And the schooner the better!
Mrs Hawkins We’ll find a fair wind yet, to take us to calmer waters.
Robert Either that or we get cut off and cast adrift.
Mrs Hawkins We’re definitely not sunk yet! But let’s not go overboard on the nautical puns or there’ll be nothing left for Act 2! (Hands Jim the bottle) This is the last bottle of rum up here. Take it over to the Squire and I’ll go and see if we have any more bottles in the cellar. (Waves to audience) And I’ll see you all soon – cheerio boys and girls! (Exits to back room and cellar SR.)
Capt’n Poppycock (Shouts to Robert) Oy, you! Fetch me some more rum!
Robert I’m sorry Captain; there isn’t any more rum. How about some soup?
Customer (Shouting out) Don’t have the soup, the last time I had some here it made me sick for a week!
Capt’n Poppycock (Stands up and roars) By thunder! Fetch me a noggin of rum I say! I’m a seafaring man; do I look like I want soup? (Looking over Robert’s shoulder as a parcel is thrown into the pub from SL entrance) What’s that?
Robert Oh nothing, it’s probably just a package for next door, their parcels are always being delivered here by mistake. (Robert picks up the parcel and reads the address) Oh, hang on, it’s for you Captain! (Robert hands the parcel to the captain, who opens it, and is clearly in shock) Sir? Are you alright? You don’t look at all well.
Capt’n Poppycock (Dramatically pulls out a very long knotted together chain of pieces of large black spotted material and sinks down in his chair, looking very ill, with the material falling on the ground around him.) Oh no, it’s the Black Spotted Handkerchief! It’s so big! I’m truly done for! (Holds out a coin to Robert and looks about furtively) A silver fourpenny for you if you keep a weather eye open for a seafaring man with a wooden leg and tell me the moment you see him. (Sits down again and pulls the chest closer.)
Robert A silver fourpenny! I will Sir, I will! Can I ask some friends to help me keep a look out? The more eyes the better, I say.
Capt’n Poppycock Aye, the more the merrier. As long as I get due warning of him coming. Now go fetch me a doctor, I don’t feel well.
Robert (To audience) Will you help me boys and girls? If you see a man with a wooden leg, will you shout out ‘Shiver me Timbers?’ ever so loudly? (Audience shout Yes!) Shall we have a practice? After three, one, two, three, ‘Shiver me Timbers!’ (Audience shout out). Not bad, but I think you can do better than that! Let’s have another go. One, two, three, ‘Shiver me Timbers!’ (Audience shout again). Much better! I think that silver fourpenny is as good as mine!
Capt’n Poppycock Stop yarning with your friends and fetch me a doctor!
Robert Yes Sir! But what is the Black Spotted Handkerchief?
Capt’n Poppycock Just get me a doctor, as quick as you can! (Robert goes over to Squire Trelawney and Dr Livesey. Captain Poppycock slouches in his chair, head bowed.)
Robert Dr Livesey, come quick! The captain is ill and calling for a doctor. He says he has the Black Spotted Handkerchief – is that a nasty disease?
Dr Livesey No Robert, it’s a pirate code, a warning. If you are given the Black Spotted Handkerchief, it means the other pirates want something from you, and if you don’t give them what they want, something very bad will happen to you. But he’s probably just had too much rum and needs to go and lie down. (Dr Livesey goes over to the captain) Captain, I’m Dr Livesey. (No response)Captain …? (Pushes shoulder, no response, Dr Livesey examines him quickly) By Jove – the fellow’s dead!Robert Dead? But he can’t be! I was talking to him just now. (Despondently) Hey – he was going to give me a silver fourpenny. I don’t suppose I’ll get that now, will I?
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