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Below is my winning entry to a 1000 word Christmas story whiuch I have now converted to a fifteen minute play and play and entered it into a second competition - fingers crossed. Apologies, transferring the script format to thgis site has not worked properly.

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The Perils of Ben and Jack

(#1 Christmas)

 

By

Trevor Ripley

 

 

 

SETTING -The bottom of a snow covered hill. Early evening

 

 

CAST

 

JACK SHAW (aged 16, tall, thin, torn jeans, Boots, jacket scarf, gloves and woolly hat).

 

BEN SHAW (aged 14, Jumper, jeans, training shoes. MALE OR FEMALE PART).

 

 

Props required Sledge with log rope. Clothing as described.

 

 

 

Act1                   Scene 1

(Ext. BOTTOM OF SNOW COVERED HILL, BEN AND JACK HAVE HAD A NASTY CRASH AND NOW FACE THE CLIMB UP THE HILL)

 

JACK:   (RUBBING HIS BACK) Are you alright? (PAUSE) I ache all over.

BEN:    NO! All this deep snow and I land on a rock – ouch! That hurts and I’m soaked. How does this stuff get under your clothes, I can feel it in my undies!

JACK:   These gloves are cack too – wet inside.

BEN:    Shut up moaning. You’re alive aren’t you? At least you have gloves, I haven’t even got a hat (BRUSHING AWAY SNOW). Should have worn wellies for this, my toes are freezing off.

JACK:   (LAUGHING)Who’s moaning now? (POINTING)Look at those skid marks, how jammy are we – lucky to be alive I’d say. I think we left the ground about here and landed here.

BEN:    Yeah! Snow’s untouched over here. I don’t think anyone’s been this far down this hill. You know, we could have broken our necks – Phew!

(AMAZED THEY NOD IN AGREEMENT AND ADMIRE THE HILL)

JACK:   That will still happen, if dad finds out.

BEN:    Best not tell him then.

JACK:   Yes right. (POINTING OFF Stage) Anyway, our ride is finished. What’s dad going to say when he sees that? We didn’t ask.

BEN:    You know he wouldn’t let us take it out on our own. He’s going to kill us for sure. He said we couldn’t control it and he was right. Something else we’ll not mention. Just leave it here. We’ll say someone nicked it.

JACK:   And be in even more trouble. You’re such an idiot. We’ll have to get it home somehow.

BEN:    (LOOKING UP). Bloody hell! I’m not pushing that thing up that hill. In-fact I’m not climbing that – I’m injured! Think I hurt my leg, I’m in agony!

JACK:   Stop lying. I’m not falling for that. We’ll come back for it but you’ve no choice, you’ll have to climb unless you want to freeze down here.

BEN:       I can’t Jack – honest. I’m all weak and wet. 

JACK:   (SNIGGERING) You can say that again. Tell me something I don’t know.

(THEY START TO CLIMB THE HILL)

BEN:    I’ll never make it. Jack, you’ll have to carry me!

JACK:   (LAUGHING)Are you kidding, I’d need to be the incredible Hulk with tank tracks to get you up there. Now come on and stop being daft, we need to get home before dad comes looking or we’ll be in for it.

BEN:      But I’m serious, I can’t do it Jack...please!

(BEN FALLS FACE DOWN IN THE SNOW)

JACK: Cut the crap - you’re not hurt really.

(BEN STOOD – COVERED IN SNOW. JACK LAUGHED)

Oh Hell…Why do you always do this to me - come on then, I’ll let you hold on to my coat.

BEN:    (SMILING) You’re not just my bro’, you’re my best mate.

          (HE SPRANG TO HIS FEET AND CAUGHT HIS BROTHER WHO FROWNED AT BEING TRICKED)

JACK: Only when you want something.  

(THEY COMMENCE THEIR CLIMB AGAIN, BEN CLINGING TO JACK’S COAT. THEY SLIDE AND FALL BACK THREE PACES)

It’s no use. You’ll have to let go. I’m knackered! You’ll just have to stand on your own two feet for once. It was you that got us into this mess after all.

BEN:    (MOANING) No it wasn’t, I -

JACK:   -You begged me to do it and now here we are. You’re such a bad influence, everyone says so. It was only a matter of time before you got me into big trouble. I should never had listened to you. Now here we are so get over it.

(HEADS DOWN THEY BEGAN TO CLIMB AGAIN)

BEN:    You weren’t saying that earlier. When you wanted to show off…to your girlfriend Laura.

JACK:   She is not my girlfriend.

BEN:       IS!

JACK: Isn’t - Now shut it.

BEN:       I think you love her.

JACK: Bugger off.

BEN:    She certainly don’t love you anyway. She soon left us here (PAUSE) to die in the snow. Look up there (POINTING). She’s at the top of the hill already.

(GIRL SILOUETTED AGAINST THE BLACK SKY)

JACK:   (LOOKING UP) ‘I don’t love her (SIGHING).

BEN:    (LAUGHING) Madly in love – you arse!

JACK:  (SCOWLING) Look – let’s get on with it. Try walking sideways. It’s easier. We’ll be quicker and make more progress.

(THEY CLIMB. THE AIR FILLED WITH PANTING AND MOANING. THEN, HALF WAY UP THE HILL. JACK SINGS)

Away in a manger…

BEN:    ARE YOU FOR REAL! We’re stuck in this wilderness, freezing our goolies and you start to sing. And what a song - crikey Jack -Sing something else can’t you, I hate that song. It’s for babies.

JACK:   No it’s not. It’s a Christmas carol. I like it. (ANNOYED) OK then here’s one that you’ll like, are you ready (HE PAUSES TO CLEAR HIS THROAT) We’re walking in the air (PAUSE TO LISTEN TO EXPECTED JIBE. NONE RETURNED).

(BEN IN DELIGHT JOINS IN – HIS CHOIR BOY VOICE IS HIGH AND CLEAR)

BEN:     We’re Floating in the moonlit sky…

JACK:    (LAUGHING) And here comes the boy from the snowman himself. It’s true, you sing like a Girl.

BEN:    (STOPS SINGING AND JOKES) Jack, look up there, a flying snowman holding a boy’s hand.

JACK:   A boy’s hand. OMG what happened to the rest of the boy?

BEN:       Ah – funny!

JACK:   (TEASING)OH NO! Zombie snowmen! That can fly! (DUCKING) Here comes another, this one’s holding a man’s head – AAARGH!

BEN:    I’m laughing MY head off.

JACK:   Excellent - more food for the zombie snowmen. At least they’ll leave me alone.

BEN:    You’re an idiot. Shut up and keep walking or we’ll never get to the top. (HE STOPS SUDDENLY). Drat, my trainer has come off now. Socks are soaked. Where has that bloody shoe gone?

JACK:   Should have dressed properly. Trainers are no good for this weather and you’re the idiot!

BEN:    You think you’re so clever don’t you. I didn’t know we’d be doing this when we set off. I didn’t know what you’d be getting me into – more trouble – as always. At this rate we’ll be in prison by Christmas. Doing porridge and eating Christmas…Porridge. You think you’re always right.

JACK:   Don’t start that again. You’re twisting it all around. This was your decision and they don’t eat Christmas porridge. They eat pudding like the rest of us.

BEN:    Not like the rest of us. You’re the only pudding here.

JACK:   Whatever you say.

BEN:    (MOCKING) Whatever You say - Blah blah blah.

JACK:   (IGNORING - HE STARTS TO SING) While shepherds washed their socks by night.

BEN:    I said blah blah blah not baa baa you dick head.

JACK:   I Know, I’m singing about socks, not sheep. By the way, mine are nice and dry and right warm. How’s yours. (SINGING) All seated on the ground.

BEN:    (SINGING LOUDER) The girlfriend of our Jack Came down and shared her kisses round.

JACK:   (BLUSHING)She is not my girlfriend.

BEN:    Cause you’re too chicken to ask. (Flapping ARMS)Cluck cluck cluck. You still love her though. (SINGING) Fear not dear Jack for mighty dread has seized your troubled crown. I’m saving all my kisses up to give to Laura Brown.

JACK:   I’m going to kill you!

(JACK RUNS TOWARDS HIS BROTHER. BEN RUNS FURTHER DOWNHILL)

Yes you’d better run…

BEN:    …And then they’ll be no one to kiss poor Laura. You’ll never do it, that’s for sure. (SHAKING HIS HEAD) Now look, I’m back near the bottom of this blinking hill.

JACK:   (SINGING AND WALKING UP HILL) Once in Royal David’s city.

BEN:    (SINGING) Away in a manger.

JACK:   (SINGING WITH HIGH VOICE - OUT OF TUNE)We’re walking in the airrrrrr….

BEN:    (JOINS IN WITH THE TUNE FROM THE SNOWMAN – SECOND LINE)Eating brains with Zombie snowwwwwmen

JACK:   (LAUGHING THEN SINGING) We’re loaded up with heads, we’re looking for some legs.

BEN:    (DELIGHTED) HA Here’s my shoe. Bloody full of snow! That will be wet when I put it on. We need to get home before I freeze. Or you’ll be in trouble Jack.

JACK:   Oh Here we go again. Why Me!

BEN:    Like I said. It was your idea to do it. They will all be looking for us by now. We’re in big trouble.

JACK:   As I see it, you were up for it. Didn’t hear any protest anyway. So you are just as much to blame. (PAUSE) Anyhow, can’t see what harm we’ve done.

BEN:    Well that man we nearly killed on the way down this hill will have a different opinion.

JACK:   Nearly Killed!

BEN:    Yes, him that we nearly ran over; he was holding that little girl’s hand.

JACK:   (LAUGHING) Oh yes. Did you see them jump out of the way. That was funny.

BEN:    You won’t be thinking that if we run into them again.

JACK:   (STILL LAUGHING) Run into them – funny.

(JACK REACHED THE TOP OF THE HILL)

At last. Made it to the top. Thought I would never do it.

(BEN CATCHES UP)

Just look at that Hill, how big is that, can’t believe we went down there – at full pelt – and survived’.

BEN:     I bet no one else has ever done that.

JACK:    They have more sense.

BEN:     (SMILING)Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

JACK:    No chance – definitely not.

BEN:     I know you want to do it – just one more time – go on – not scared are you.

JACK:    Well it is hard to resist. One more time shouldn’t hurt.

(THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND SMILE MISCHIEVOUSLY)

BEN:     (EXCITED) EXCELLENT! Let’s do it.

JACK:    Well what are you waiting for? Go down the hill and get the Sledge.

(IF SCENE 2 TO BE INCLUDED – LEAVE OUT THIS LAST LINE).

 

 

ACT 1                   Scene 2 - OPTIONAL

(Ext. TOP OF HILL. THE TWO BOYS SAT ON A SLEDGE)

JACK:   Are you ready bro?

BEN:    You Bet.

JACK:   Remember, dad’ll kill us when we get it.

BEN:    It’s Okay, I’ll just blame you.

JACK:   (LAUGHING) Look out below, especially that man with the girl.

BEN:    If we don’t survive this Jack, just remember, you are the best brother ever.

Curtain

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