1483: The Saga of Mordrick the Foul

( 1483: The Saga of Mordrick the Foul and the Great Chicken Coup )

Cast:

  • Royal Court
  • Jester
  • Keeper of the King’s Beasties, Torval the One, the older twin
  • Son of the Keeper of the King’s Beasties, Torval the Two, the younger twin Mordrick the Foul
  • Hester
  • Princess
  • Town Crier
  • Page One and Page Two (Non-speaking)

Synopsis:

Begins with a greeting by the Jester, followed by the Royal Procession. All dialogue is supplied for the Wassail and Boar’s Head festivities. Following the dessert the Jester enters and begins to entertain the Royal Court and the audience. He is joined by the Keeper of the King’s Beasties and the Son of the Keeper of the King’s Beasties, who engage him in some lighthearted repartee. (That is English Major talk for a not too serious, but still pretty funny, discussion . . . laughable, but not laugh-out-loud-tears-in-your-eyes-fall-off-your-seat funny. That comes later in the script.)

They are interrupted by a troupe of wandering actors

“We are but wandering players spreading our wit and clever personages across this vast land of ours, desiring nothing in exchange for our talents but warm and open hearts and an occasional encouraging word. . . plus 60% of the gate, 40% on records and videos, plus the popcorn, tee-shirt, and ale and mead concessions. . . . and naming rights for the next cricket stadium.”

However, they agree to do the play for nothing . . . “since we are currently between engagements.”

Two members of the audience are selected to play the role of King and Queen. They mime parts of the story, as instructed by the Jester. For instance, the King mimes a very long, silent-screen style, stage death and the Queen responds, miming the following:

“The Queen was sad . . . very sad . . . she was distraught . . . she was broken-hearted . . . she was weeping . . . openly weeping . . . she was also over-acting.”

You get the idea. The castle intrigue evolves in which Mordrick the Foul and his ugly wife, Hester, take over the throne. A long lost prince, Torval the Two, who displays the Royal Tuschmark, his not too identical twin brother, Torval the One, and Sleeping Beauty all enter into the action which culminates in a duel fought, not with swords, but with cliché’s. Mordrick is finally mortally wounded with the great cliché, “Music is the Universal Language.”

Mordrick’s dying words are, “Hester, my little Ugly Duckling, I’m afraid I have lost.” Hester comforts him with, “Mordrick, my sweet, you are a loser only if you think you are a loser!” Mordrick: “I think I am a loser.”

A real winner for the audience and the cast with clever dialogue and great visual effects, plus audience participation. Dialogue is supplied for the introductions to the various portions of the short concluding concert and the Jester’s farewell. Some of the dialogue is rhymed.