Back to Scene II
St. Dominic's, 1917
Scene III
School song again. Dropcloth appears with caption: "A BEANO IN THE DORM AT WHICH A SCORE IS SETTLED". Dropcloth rises. Lights up to reveal dormitory setting as in the first scene. The four girls are onstage, slipping out of gymslips and changing into nighties. Other girls could also be present, already wearing pyjamas, nightdresses, and other kinds of schoolgirl deshabille. Scene III
ELSPETH: Who's in favour of tripping the light fantastic before we broach the ginger beer?
FAUVETTE: What a perfectly chubby wheeze!
GWEN: Absolutely slap-bang!
All the girls cheer.
GWEN: Right-ho! Combs and paper at the ready! One-two-three!
Some of the girls produce combs and paper and start to play a popular waltz. The others choose partners and dance. ELSPETH approaches MORVYTH, who look lonely.
ELSPETH: Care to borrow my bedjacket, young Morvyth?
MORVYTH: You're a brick, Elspeth, but I'm not sure lilac's my colour.
FAUVETTE (to audience): Mumbled Morvyth, turning hot with pleasure at the bare idea.
ELSPETH: Never mind, baby, you look nice in anything.
FAUVETTE (to audience): Returned Elspeth soothingly.
ELSPETH: And your white petticoat's a perfect dream. I always said it was a shame to hide it under a dress.
ELSPETH and MORVYTH waltz together. The mood and tempo are dreamy and romantic. Everyone except FAUVETTE and the comb-and-paper players are dancing.
FAUVETTE (to audience): Gwen's cheeks were scarlet and Morvyth's long fair hair floated out picturesquely as she twirled around in Elspeth Moseley's arms.
FAUVETTE moves towards Gwen's bed. Suddenly, Miss Beesley, in a dressing gown, marches into the dormitory.
ALL: Cave--the Bumble Bee!
MISS BEESLEY (genially): I hope I'm not turning up like the proverbial bad penny! It's not my intention to be the specter at the feast. I was deeply impressed by your doughty efforts in the end-of-term exams, and I thought it might not be taken amiss if I put in an appearance at your beano.
The girls cheer.
Let the festivities continue.
ELSPETH: In honour of the Bumble Bee's--I mean Miss Beesley's--presence, may I propose a toast in foaming flagons of ginger pop! (She offers Miss Beesley a glass.) Here's to the health of St. Dominic's, the grandest school of all!
The girls all raise their glasses, but before they can drink, FAUVETTE cries out.
FAUVETTE: Just a jiffy, you fellows! I've found my postal order--and it's here, in Elspeth's locker.
General cry of astonishment. FAUVETTE points at the locker. ELSPETH goes over and snatches the postal order from inside it. GWEN looks abashed.
The girls freeze in a group.
VOICE: Your final choice between Elspeth (ELSPETH steps forward) . . . and Fauvette/Morvyth/Gwen? (Pause for vote.). ____________________ is hereby exonerated.
The group unfreezes and the action continues.
FAUVETTE: I hate being a tattle-tale, but her locker was open, and there it was!
MISS BEESLEY (to ELSPETH): Can you explain how Fauvette's postal order came to be in your locker?
ELSPETH: It's not an atom of use asking me, I haven't a ghost of a notion.
GWEN (to audience): Was any wretched girl ever in such a fix?
MISS BEESLEY: Things will go easier for you if you make a clean breast of it.
ELSPETH: I'm sorry, Miss Beesley, but I have nothing to confess.
GWEN (to audience): Hot tears came welling up, but Elspeth brushed them away angrily.
MISS BEESLEY: Theft is an ugly word, Elspeth. In all the years of my headmistressship, incidents such as this have very seldom occurred. I have had unruliness and disobedience before, but in the whole of my experience never a girl more brazen than you. It is of course impossible for me to allow you to remain at St. Dominic's.
Continue as follows if ELSPETH is the victim:
I will deal with you myself in the morning. In the meantime, I shall hand you over to the tender mercies of Gwen--the new monitor of the Fifth--who has full disciplinary powers. (She exits.)
GWEN (to audience): The Bumble Bee always reminds me of an ancient Roman--the State first and foremost in her estimates, and herself nowhere. (She seats herself on one of the beds.) Hairbrush if you please, Elspeth, or are you going to show the white feather?
ELSPETH: I may be a blighter, but as least I don't funk!
Continue as follows if GWEN is the victim:
MISS BEESLEY turns to leave. As she does so, MORVYTH rushes forward.
MORVYTH: Please, Miss Beesley, may I speak?
MISS BEESLEY: What is it, Morvyth?
MORVYTH: I'll take my oath Elspeth's telling the truth. The real culprit is Gwen. She's green with envy because Elspeth's top dog and she'll go to any lengths to do her down. I saw her putting the postal order into Elspeth's locker.
MISS BEESLEY: Is this true, Gwen?
GWEN is silent.
Are you willing to swear that it's false?
GWEN shakes her head.
In that case, I must apologize to Elspeth, who has undeservedly borne the brunt of my strictures. As for you, Gwen, you have set a most pernicious example, and I will deal with you myself in the morning. In the meantime, I shall hand you over to the tender mercies of your monitor, who has full disciplinary powers. (She exits.)
GWEN (to audience): The Bumble Bee always reminds me of an ancient Roman--the State first and foremost in her estimates, and herself nowhere.
ELSPETH (seating herself on one of the beds.): Hairbrush if you please, Gwen, or are you going to show the white feather?
GWEN: I may be a blighter, but as least I don't funk!
Continue as follows if MORVYTH is the victim:
MISS BEESLEY turns to leave. As she does so, Gwen rushes forward.
GWEN: Please, Miss Beesley, may I speak?
MISS BEESLEY: What is it, Gwen?
GWEN: I'll take my oath Elspeth's telling the truth. The real culprit is Morvyth. She's green with envy because Elspeth's top dog and she'll go to any lengths to do her down. I saw her putting the postal order into Elspeth's locker.
MISS BEESLEY: Is this true, Morvyth?
MORVYTH is silent.
Are you willing to swear that it's false?
MORVYTH shakes her head.
In that case, I must apologize to Elspeth, who has undeservedly borne the brunt of my strictures. As for you, Morvyth, you have set a most pernicious example, and I will deal with you myself in the morning. In the meantime, I shall hand you over to the tender mercies of your monitor, who has full disciplinary powers. (She exits.)
GWEN (to audience): The Bumble Bee always reminds me of an ancient Roman--the State first and foremost in her estimates, and herself nowhere.
ELSPETH (seating herself on one of the beds.): Hairbrush if you please, Morvyth, or are you going to show the white feather?
MORVYTH: I may be a blighter, but as least I don't funk!
Continue as follows if FAUVETTE is the victim:
MISS BEESLEY turns to leave. As she does so, MORVYTH rushes forward.
MORVYTH: Please, Miss Beesley, may I speak?
MISS BEESLEY: What is it, Morvyth?
MORVYTH: I'll take my oath Elspeth's telling the truth. Fauvette's green with envy because Elspeth's top dog and she'll go to any lengths to do her down. The real culprit is Fauvette herself!I saw her putting the postal order into Elspeth's locker.
MISS BEESLEY: Is this true, Fauvette?
FAUVETTE is silent.
Are you willing to swear that it's false?
FAUVETTE shakes her head.
In that case, I must apologize to Elspeth, who has undeservedly borne the brunt of my strictures. As for you, Fauvette, you have set a most pernicious example, and I will deal with you myself in the morning. In the meantime, I shall hand you over to the tender mercies of your monitor, who has full disciplinary powers. (She exits.)
GWEN (to audience): The Bumble Bee always reminds me of an ancient Roman--the State first and foremost in her estimates, and herself nowhere.
ELSPETH (seating herself on one of the beds.): Hairbrush if you please, Fauvette, or are you going to show the white feather?
FAUVETTE: I may be a blighter, but as least I don't funk!
The VICTIM fetches a hairbrush from her washstand, gives it to the MONITOR and bends over her knee. The MONITOR slowly raises the VICTIM'S nightie to the waist and, even more slowly, pulls down her knickers. The other girls gather round to watch the spanking. It takes place in slow motion, with the VICTIM ritualistically wriggling as each blow falls. The girls count in unison.
We should feel that this is a kind of tribal ceremony--the sacrifice of the willing victim. As the MONITOR spanks, it might be a good idea to project on the backcloth a moving closeup of the VICTIM'S bottom. The counting grows louder and the pace increases. At about the count of ten, we hear electronic "take-off" music, possibly like the sound used by the Beatles in "A Day in the Life". As this sound and the spanking reach a climax, we
BLACKOUT
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8 comments:
I just know at some point in the next day or so I shall refer to myself as a "blighter who does not funk" and people will look at me askance and I will have no way to explain.
Hurumph.
(Ripping yarn, Hermione!)
What if that person picks up a hairbrush and tells you to bend over? you'll know he shares your taste in reading material.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Hugs,
Hermione
Spiffing Hermione.
LOL did you every have a go at playing the paper and comb?
Thanks for sharing these little scenes.
Love,
Ronnie
xx
Ronnie - No, I never managed to do it right. There must be a trick to it.
Glad you enjoyed the play.
Hugs,
Hermione
That was great Hermione; like the choice of endings! It means we can imagine the story several times over....Haha! xxxxxxx
Daisy - Exactly. It must have been awful for the actresses, never knowing who would be paddled.
Hugs,
Hermione
It's a spanking choose your own adventure! Thanks for sharing :)
I think I would paddle all of them every week.
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