1500: Sleepless in the Castle

Cast:

• Royal Court
• Jester
• Mertonsire
• Town Crier
• Prince A
• Prince B
• Prince S (Princess – get it?)

Synopsis:

This script begins with a greeting by the Jester interrupted, first, by two offstage babies crying loudly, and then by the ever pompous Mertonsire, Lord of Misrule. The babies, the newly born royal twins, are the source of great joy in the kingdom, especially during the day. In fact only during the day. The King and the Queen get no sleep, and when the King doesn’t sleep, there ain’t no one in the kingdom that sleeps. (Royal Decree 478B, Paragraph S, sub-paragraph T, line 7.) A solution to the problem must be found or sleep deprivation will bring a fog to the kingdom that will never lift. Since the Royal Parents are the only ones who can calm the little nippers, someone else must rule the kingdom until peace and quiet are restored.

Mertonsire sees this as a golden opportunity to rule the Kingdom as an ad hoc Royal Regent. But the King has already sent word to nearby kingdoms inviting their “best and brightest” to come to the kingdom and vie for the opportunity to be the Royal Regent. Two princes (Prince A and Prince B) and one Princess (Prince S) arrive and join Mertonsire (Non-Prince M) in a game of “The Regent Link.”

They each choose an audience member to serve as their pages (Pages 1-4). They all undergo various trials and questions in determining who will become the Royal Regent. The result will surprise both you and your audience. Who will win? Who will cheat? Will Mertonsire take this lying down? Will the King and Queen get to lie down at all? Why are you asking these questions? Why don’t you order a script and find out? What are you waiting for? For these questions to end? I knew it! There are more twists and turns in this script than a wet baby on a changing table.