James and the Giant Peach Page #9

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Centipede:
It’s quite a peculiar place, but I suppose we’ll get used to it.

Earthworm:
Why is it peculiar Centipede?

Centipede:
Their rain is quite a different colour here. It’s orange.

Ladybug:
No, it’s peach coloured.

Grasshopper:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I must announce that I can see peach

juice falling down to the ground!

Centipede:
Peach flavoured rain!

Earthworm:
The point is, we’re leaking!

James:
I’m a bit worried about the peach. I wonder how much damage the

sharks have done underneath.

Spider:
Why don’t I go over the side and make an inspection? I’ll make sure I

use a safety thread, so I don’t fall.

(SPIDER ventures down the stage steps, tosses a bit of rope to JAMES who is

close at hand, and curls her body around the half-wall. She inspects the

bottom of the Giant Peach carefully.)

Ladybug:
Wouldn’t it be dreadful if the thread broke?

Grasshopper:
Are you all right Miss Spider?

Spider:
Yes thank you!

James:
And the peach?

Spider:
Not as well as I am, I’m afraid.

James:
How bad is it?

Spider:
Large chunks missing, some almost to the pit. A few large cracks

beginning too.

(SPIDER returns.)

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Grasshopper:
James, we’ve already taken too much damage from the sharks,

I’m not sure we can travel much further without catastrophe.

Centipede:
Whatever could be wrong with losing a little peach juice? Won’t

the seagulls keep us afloat?

Grasshopper:
Not if the whole peach falls apart.

James:
What’s below us?

Grasshopper:
We’re over a city now!

James:
Centipede, cut a few more of the seagull strings!

(CENTIPEDE does so, on either side of the stage as the NARRATORS speak.)

Narrator #1:
And gently, very gently the peach began to sink.

James:
Not too many Centipede, we don’t want to fall!

Ladybug:
What tremendously tall buildings below!

Grasshopper:
That couldn’t possibly be England.

James:
Those are skyscrapers! This must be America! We’ve crossed the

Atlantic ocean!

Centipede:
I’ve always dreamed of going to America! I’ve heard of all the

wonderful places to buy shoes!

Earthworm:
Who cares about shoes? How will we land safely?

James:
We’ve cut just enough of the strings that the other seagulls can’t quite

keep us in the air. Down we shall go, slowly and gently until we reach the

ground.

(All INSECTS and JAMES sit down to watch their peaceful decent. The

NARRATORS continue their story.)

Narrator #2:
What a sight that Giant Peach must have been coming down

from the sky.

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Narrator #1:
Such a sight that the fire chief, police chief and mayor of New

York gathered together in a panicked meeting. They warned all of New York

to take cover.

(FIRE CHIEF, POLICE CHIEF and the MAYOR all enter to confer with each

other.)

Police Chief:
It’s a flying saucer sir, we’ve confirmed it.

Fire Chief Chief: No Mr. Mayor, it’s a Russian Spy plane.

Mayor:
Whatever it is, what do you propose we do about it?

Fire Chief:
Spray them with our hoses!

Police Chief:
Arrest them immediately!

Mayor:
They’re landing now! On top of the Empire State building!

Police Chief:
(With a megaphone) Now see here! You listen to me! I want

you tell me exactly where you’ve come from!

(Centipede leans over the side of the stage.)

Centipede:
We’ve come from thousands of miles away!

(All three humans below scream.)

Fire Chief:
I change my mind! Aliens for sure!

Ladybug:
Perhaps he wasn’t the best one to represent us!

(Now the GRASSHOPPER joins the CENTIPEDE.)

Grasshopper:
We come in peace!

Police Chief:
They’re from Mars I tell you!

Mayor:
Stand back, they may attack!

Grasshopper:
(To Centipede) What on earth are they talking about? They

seem to be in an awful stew about something.

Centipede:
Beaks me.

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(SPIDER joins them at the edge.)

Spider:
Perhaps a more gentle touch is needed, that of a lady.

Fire Chief:
(screaming) WE’RE FINISHED! It’s a giant Scorpula!

Police Chief:
The most dangerous alien of all!

Mayor:
Is that the kind that eats fully grown men for breakfast?

Fire Chief:
I’m afraid it is.

Spider:
(shouting down to the people below) Oh please will you help us get

down?

Mayor:
This could be a trick! Don’t’ anyone move until I say.

Police Chief:
They probably have space guns!

Fire Chief:
Just what should we do?

Mayor:
We’ve got to do something! (gestures to the audience) Five million

people are standing on the streets now, watching our every move.

Police Chief:
Why doesn’t the Fire Chief put out a ladder for you, and you can

go up and see what’s going on?

(JAMES joins them at the edge.)

Police Chief/Fire Chief/Mayor: (They all gasp.) A little boy!

James:
Hello everyone! Don’t be frightened of us please!

Police Chief:
What about those two beside you?

James:
Oh they’re not my only friends! We’ve also got a Ladybug, and a

Glowworm and a-

Mayor:
Are any of them dangerous?

James:
Of course not! They’re the nicest creatures in the world!

Fire Chief:
What do you think sir?

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Mayor:
If none of them hurt this little boy…perhaps they are peaceful? Get

the ladder, and we shall see.

(The FIRE CHIEF puts a ladder next to the stage stairs. One by One all the

INSECTS and JAMES come down, and shake hands with all three of the

MEN.)

Mayor:
It is quite clear to me that this is an extraordinary day! Not only are

we such a special city to be gifted with these unique visitors, but we are the

only city to ever have a spaceship visit!

James:
A spaceship! It’s actually a Peach sir, a giant one.

Mayor:
(Looks carefully at the peach.) Why so it is! In that case, we are the

only city to have been graced with a giant piece of flying fruit!

(The Fire Chief and Police Chief rally the audience.)

Fire Chief:
I say now everyone, let’s give them a cheer!

Fire Chief/Police Chief: Hip! Hip! (gesture to the audience) HORRAY!

Mayor:
We must now have a ticker tape parade!

(The MAYOR, followed by the POLICE CHIEF, FIRE CHIEF and all the

insects march and wave down the aisle to the back of the gym. Only JAMES

is left.)

Narrator #1:
The crowds went wild with excitement. They lined the streets

and they leaned out of the windows of skyscrapers to watch this marvelous

procession.

Narrator #2:
And was this the end of their journey?

Narrator #1:
Just one last stop for the Giant Peach, and for James.

Narrator #2:
Where did they end up?

Narrator #1:
Ask him yourself.

(The NARRATOR #2, looks down and sees JAMES.)

Narrator #2:
Oh hello there!

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James:
Lovely story isn’t it? I was listening to it myself.

Narrator #2:
Why I never noticed you. Were you here the whole time?

James:
Just about.

Narrator #2:
Do you know how the story ends?

James:
Of course! You want to know what happened to my friends, don’t

you?

Narrator #2:
Well yes.

James:
Well let’s see, Centipede was made vice president of a high class shoe

company, with their head office here in New York.

Narrator #2:
And what about Earthworm?

James:
Oh with Earthworm’s lovely smooth skin he became a face cream

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