The Brementown Musicians: A Puppet Show Script
Note: I used the same story adaptation technique for developing this script. Here, I just gave the sounds to individuals and put it in script form. I use only male characters in this text because it was easier. Change the script, please, based on who is cast.
Note: The real people in the play: the farmer and the robber, can be played by real sized people or puppets, maybe even an adult. As the Narrator is holding the show together and as your puppeteers may forget their lines (although half the fun in listening to them whispering “back stage”), have the narrator read the tale from a big book (the script in disguise). This way, if there is trouble, the narrator can serve as a live prompter. This script is available on my web site and can be downloaded and edited as needed. In the current form, I have the narrator more or less prompting every line with for example, “then the donkey said…” etc. If your children do not need to be prompted, these can be edited out.
Note: The following play doesn’t require much scenery, maybe even just the cut out of a hay bale and the cut out of a house and maybe a sign directing us to Brementown.
Note: Getting the audience into the act – The audience might be asked to make environmental sounds like birds singing or frogs on the lily pond. Beware! Adults can be shy. Moms will participate reluctantly. Dads will try to act like you can’t see them. It’s perfectly acceptable reasonable to shame them.
Scene 1: A farm (The scene can be represented by a hay bale cutout. If you don’t have scenery, have someone announce the scenes. If you have someone who is good with words, have the audience close their eyes and let the person draw the scenes with words. )
NARRATOR:
FARMER: NARRATOR: DONKEY: NARRATOR: to
tune NARRATOR: FARMER: NARRATOR:
NARRATOR:
Once Upon a time there was a donkey. (The Donkey appears.) And a farmer… (The farmer appears) The farmer worked hard all day. He always said… Boy, there’s a lot of work to do.
The donkey hardly worked at all. He always said… I’m tired. That’s because, late at night when the farmer was asleep, the donkey liked stand up in the barn and the donkey loved to sing. (The Donkey hums and/or la la’s a little tune. It doesn’t matter what the is as long as it is short and consistent.) The Farmer said… You’re useless. Did the Donkey care? (The audience guesses) Nope. The Donkey said…
DONKEY:    That’s OK. I’m going to go to Brementown and I’m going to become a famous singer. See you later!
Scene 2: The Road (This can be depicted by just removing the hay bale.)
NARRATOR:
middle asked… DONKEY: NARRATOR: DOG:
NARRATOR: DONKEY: NARRATOR: DONKEY: NARRATOR:
simple NARRATOR: DONKEY:
do.) NARRATOR: DONKEY: NARRATOR: KITTY: says DONKEY NARRATOR: NARRATOR: DOG: DONKEY: NARRATOR:
The donkey walked down the road and as he walked along (He Does.) he sang. (He hums or la la’s the same song) He came upon a dog in the
of the road. (A dog appears) But the dog was crying. The Donkey
Why are you crying? The Dog said… I’m old. I don’t like to go hunting. I like to sit by the fire and sleep. My master says I am useless. The Donkey said… That’s terrible. Then he had an idea. He asked…
Hey Dog can you sing? The dog had never sung before but thought he might like to try. (The dog hums or la la’s a different tune. It just has to be consistent, and short.) The Donkey said… That’s fabulous. Let’s go to Brementown. We can become famous singers. As they walked (They do.) The donkey sang. (He does) and the Dog sang. (He does.) They came upon a kitty cat in the middle of the road. (They But this kitty cat was crying. (He Does.) The Donkey said… What’s wrong? The Kitty said… I’m old and I don’t like to hunt for myself. I like to sleep and my master I’m useless. That’s Terrible. Said the Donkey. Then the dog had an idea. He said… Ask her if she can sing. Ask her if she can sing. Tell me Kitty can you sing? The Kitty had never sung before but he thought he might like to try. (The Kitty hums and la la’s a song) The donkey said..NARRATOR: DONKEY: That’s fabulous NARRATOR: Then they both said… DOG AND DONKEY: Come with us we’re going to Brementown. We’re going to become    famous singers. NARRATOR: And off down the road they went. (They do.) As they walked (They do.) The    donkey sang. (He does) and the Dog sang. (He does.) and the Kitty sang (He    does.) They hadn’t traveled far when up in the road they saw an ancient
old    Rooster. (They do.) But this Rooster was crying. (He is.) The Donkey said… DONKEY:    What’s wrong? NARRATOR: The Rooster said…
ROOSTER:    I’m old and I don’t like to get up early and say cock-doodle-doo and be an alarm clock. I like to sleep in. My master said I was useless.
NARRATOR: They all said… DOG, DONKEY AND KITTY: Oh, that’s Terrible! NARRATOR: Then they all had an idea. They said…. ALL:    Tell me Rooster. Can you siiiiiiiiiiing? NARRATOR: The rooster had never sung before but it wanted to try. (The rooster sings.) NARRATOR: They all said… DOG, DONKEY AND KITTY: That’s fabulous!
NARRATOR: DONKEY: famous NARRATOR: sang.
said, DONKEY:
the
then the Donkey said… Come with us we’re going to Brementown. We’re going to become
singers. And off down the road they went (They do.) and as they walked, they (They do.) They hadn’t gone far when it started to get dark. The Donkey
We’d better find a place to sleep. Hey, up on that hill there’s a cabin. I bet you if we went up there and sang a concert, I bet you they’d put us up for night. Let’s go. (They do.)
Scene Three: A Cabin on a hill. (This can be depicted by a house cut out with a high window.)
NARRATOR: They all tried to look in the window. (They do.) But the window was very high. (It is.) Only the Donkey could see inside. The other animals said…
DOG, KITTY AND ROOSTER: What do you see? What do you see?
NARRATOR: DONKEY:
through NARRATOR: DONKEY: NARRATOR: ROBBER:
NARRATOR: DONKEY: NARRATOR: onto
does.) concert. keep singing
The Donkey said… I see a fellow in there. (We see him, too. The robber might just be on the other side of the house as opposed to being inside, although looking
the window is great fun.) Then the Donkey said…
That’s strange. He’s wearing a mask. And he was because… Excuse me. I can tell them myself, you know. (To the audience) I am a robber hiding out from people so no one will know where I am. I wear a mask because I am in disguise. Thank you. But the animals didn’t hear him say this and the Donkey said… Hey, climb on board. We’ll give him a concert. So the Dog climbed onto the Donkey. (He does.) And the Kitty climbed the Dog. (He does.) And the Rooster climbed on top of the Kitty. (He And when they were standing one on top of another they began their
The Donkey sang. (He does. Once they’ve started singing they their bits over and over.) The Dog joined in. (He does.) Then the
Kitty. (He do.) and stopped. (They do.)
ROBBER: NARRATOR:
ROBBER: NARRATOR: ROBBER: NARRATOR: ROBBER: NARRATOR: ROBBER:
monster. NARRATOR:
does.) Then the Rooster. (He Does.) And they got louder (They louder (They do.) and louder (They do.) and then they
The robber said… What could be making all that noise. I’d better look out the window. (He
does.) But it was so dark that all the Robber could see were eyes: the two eyes of the Donkey. I see two eyes. And the two eyes of the dog. Two eyes and two eyes. That makes four eyes. And the two eyes of the Kitty. Four eyes and two more eyes that makes six eyes. And the two eyes of the Rooster. Six plus two that makes….. That makes…(The audience may help) That’s right. Eight. Eight eyes looking in the window at me. Oh no, it’s a
Get me out of here. The Robber ran away and gave up his life of crime but the poor animals – their first concert and the only person in the audience ran away screaming. They were not pleased but they spent the night. In the morning they went down to the road. They looked down were they were going. (They do.) looked back to where they’d been. (They do) and the Donkey said… I like it here. Couldn’t we just stay? So they did. (Singing in terrible harmony) And we lived..They DONKEY: NARRATOR: DONKEY: DONKEY AND DOG: Happily… DONKEY, DOG AND KITTY: Ever… DONKEY, DOG, KITTY AND ROOSTER: After!