1487: The Royal Wedding

Cast:

  • Royal Court
  • Jester
  • Princess Prunella
  • Handmaiden Fawn
  • Prince Bob
  • Handperson Orlando
  • Bardolpho the Bard
  • Dolphbardo also the Bard

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 confronts two bards approaching from the rear of the hall. After several clever plays on the word “bard”, the bards ascend to the tower to comment on the activities of the evening.

“Our masque this evening is about love . . . and courtship . . . and marriage . . . and beauty . . . and simplicity . . . and infatuation . . . and out-fatuation . . . and that great show-stopper of human endeavor . . . shyness”

The masque unfolds as plain Princess Prunella is betrothed to marry shy Prince Bob, whom she has never seen, and who has never seen her. The King worries about the wedding actually happening because he has tried unsuccessfully to snare a husband for her five times already. He does not want to take any chances this time and decides to have her beautiful handmaiden, Fawn, stand in for Prunella in the courtship, and then substitute the veiled Prunella at the actual wedding. (Ah, the sneaky intrigue that happens when Kings have too little to do.)

At the same time, humble Prince Bob, who is terminally shy around girls, gets his hand-person, Orlando, to stand in for him in the courtship, with the same idea of switching places at the actual wedding. (Did they really think these shwitcheroos would actually work? Well, sure they did or there would be no story.)

Madcap confusion reigns until the end of the ceremony, when the true prince and princess are unveiled. Of course, it is love at first sight, as the real prince and princess are wed. Orland and Fawn, not to be left out, also fall in love, and everyone lives happily, lovingly, sweetly, (and all other gushy words,) forever. This is really a wonderful ending, with a great morale. Audiences and cast love this script. You will, too.