Khs’ 100 word play of ‘The Lady of Shalott’ Script

KHS’ 100 word play of ‘The Lady of Shalott’

Script

Before the lights go on: Choir 1-5 form Camelot Upstage Left; Choir 6 and 7 form the walls of the Lady of Shalott’s Castle Downstage Right; the Lady of Shalott is inside her Castle tower

Music: Tanpura with the Choir humming very softly verse 1 of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s ‘Dasht-e-Tanhai’

Chorus Leader 1:	Grey walls
Chorus Leader 2:	Towers
Chorus Leader 1 & 2:	This isle imbowers
Chorus:	The Lady of Shalott
[Choir: volume of verse 1 humming increases as the lights go up on the castle of the Lady of Shalott and slowly fades to a very soft volume before the Chorus begin to speak]
Chorus:	Through her mirror clear In Shadows the world appears
Chorus Leader 2:	A curse [echoed by Chorus] if she looks on Camelot.
Chorus:	Her web, her only delight weaves the mirror's magic sights
[Choir: humming of verse 1] Enter Citizens of Camelot in mixed groups to walk along the river banks to exit to Camelot Enter Newly weds to walk along the rivers edge to exit to Camelot [Choir: humming fades out gradually with the newly weds exit]
Lady of Shalott:	I am half sick of shadows
Enter Sir Lancelot from Camelot following the rivers edge on the opposite bank near the Lady of Shalott’s island
Sir Lancelot:	Hums Dasht-e-Tanhai verse 1 to 3 using the sounds ‘tirra lirra’
Exit Sir Lancelot to Camelot humming loudly, Choir joins in and then Lancelot’s voice fades

Page 1

Lady of Shalott with Chorus:	In the desert of my solitude Quiver the shadows of your voice
Chorus Leader 1:	She left the web
Chorus Leader 2:	the room
Chorus Member:	saw his helmet
Chorus Member:	his plume
Chorus:	bold Sir Lancelot
[Lady of Shalott leaves her tower to go into the river] [Sound effect of a mirror breaking] [Change of light setting on Lady of Shalott’s tower]
Lady of Shalott:	the mirage of your lips [Choir volume increases]
Lady of Shalott:	The curse is come upon me
Chours member:	the sun of separation has set
Chours member:	the night of union has arrived
Lady of Shalott:	hums in ‘tirra lirra’ verse 3 of Dasht-e-Tanhai
[Lights: go down on Camelott and the tower; up on the river where the Lady lies]
Chorus:	in her song she died
Enter Sir Lancelot towards her boat, kneel near her close her eyes
Sir Lancelot:	The Lady of Shalott
[Choir resumes humming and fades with the lights]

Page 2