The Old Rust Bucket
THE OLD RUST BUCKET
By John Furse
A farce for 3men & 4women (or 4men and 3women), in 2 acts, using 1 set, taking place over 2 days in the present
The characters of this play cover two generations without extremes of age. It also has the flexibility in the ratio of male to female characters. There is nothing controversial in its content and should so all ages in the audience.
Cast – Plot – Set – Production
The Cast is:
Captain Gordon Bligh – Henry Wilson – Virginia Hickley-Moore – Annabelle Smith – Jackie (Jack the Cabin-boy) Chapman – Royston Crabtree – Mrs Hickley-Moore (-back-)
The Plot:-
Trying to escape the clutches Virginia’s snobbish and domineering mother, Virginia and her friend Annabel are stowed-away aboard an elderly tramp steamer, The North Sea Wanderer, by the roguish ship’s engineer. However, there is no escape when Mrs Hickley-Moore discovers the plot and catches up with them. Coming aboard brings the prim and proper Mrs H-M into direct conflict with the drunken, misogynist captain and odd-ball crew. Virginia is trying to escape her mother’s clutches to be with a young man, Royston Crabtree, she met whilst on holiday. Imagine her surprise and delight when she discovers he is the navigating officer of the “Wanderer”. Imagine her mother’s disgust when she finds out the man she disapproves of so violently is so close to her daughter. The developing relationship between Annabel and the engineer Henry adds to both the Captain’s and Mrs H-M’s woes. When the ship is forced to sail from Hamburg to Newcastle with the three women aboard hilarious and farcical conflicts erupt. Trying to smooth the troubled waters is the cabin boy Jack, who observes the various revelations and complications with a detached amusement. Having only just survived the voyage, the epilogue when Jack reveals that she is actually a girl, Jackie, is almost too much for poor Captain Bligh. Jack can, of course, be played by a male actor and the epilogue not used. (-back-)
The Set is:
The mess deck of the “North Sea Wanderer”, an elderly tramp steamer. There is a lot of rust and a great deal of mess created by an all male crew removed from the influence of the fair sex. (-back-)
Production:-
“The Old Rust Bucket” is a straightforward play with no complications with the set or with casting. It does not have any complicated effects to tax the stage crew. All effect are audio and off stage. The flexible ratio of male to female actors means you can adapt it to your needs. The original production of the play had an approximate running time of 1hr 55min. (-back-)
CAPTAIN GORDON BLIGH – The gin sodden misogynist captain of the “North Sea Wanderer”. He is in his forties but a life of hard drinking and seafaring makes him look a lot older. Being a bachelor means he is not overly particular about his appearance either. (-cast list-)
HENRY WILSON – The young, roguish engineer of the “North Sea Wanderer”. When he is not working he is smart and trendy in his manner and dress; when he is working he does acquire the stains of oil and grease associated with his job. His roguish character means he is not averse to bending the rules if it means making a bit of extra cash. (-cast list-)
VIRGINIA HICKLEY-MOORE – A very attractive young woman. She is the daughter of a very wealthy family who has all the privileges of life, but has a rebellious streak. Normally she is always stylishly and expensively dressed. Best friend of Annabel Smith from her school days and Mrs Hickley-Moore’s daughter. (-cast list-)
ANNABELLE SMITH – A very attractive young woman. She is the daughter of a reasonably wealthy family who are trying to improve her status in life. Normally she is stylishly, if not always expensively, dressed. She has a sharp and sometimes wicked sense of humour. Best friend of Virginia Hickley-Moore from her school days. (-cast list-)
JACKIE (JACK THE CABIN BOY) CHAPMAN – A free spirited young girl currently employed as the cabin “boy” of the “North Sea Wanderer”. She has disguised herself as a boy as a means of travelling for free on the ship. Being the only level headed and sensible member of the crew she effectively runs the ship. – If played by a male actor he has the same character as described. (-cast list-)
ROYSTON CRABTREE – The son of a peer has taken a commission in the merchant marine to assert his independence. He is a good looking young man, very attractive to the girls. Currently he is the navigating officer on the “North Sea Wanderer”. (-cast list-)
MRS HICKLEY-MOORE – A social snob who has acquired her position through marriage to money. She is very socially ambitious for her daughter Virginia and is domineering of her. Now in her forties she is still an attractive woman. (-cast list-)
Interested in this Play
Scripts and licences for this play are obtainable from Cressrelles Publishing Company Limited see http://www.cressrelles.co.uk/. All prices are on their website so we won’t repeat them here in case they change. Unfortunately this play is not available on Kindle. (-top-)
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