Don't Shoot the Messenger
By John Morton devised with Kilkenny Youth Theatre
Age range
11 – 13, 13 – 15
Cast size
15 +
Approx. running time
30 – 60 mins
Gender breakdown
Male: 1
Female: 1
Also: No gender specifics except for the role of Messenger and Oisin.
Female: 1
Also: No gender specifics except for the role of Messenger and Oisin.
Setting
A landscape where children have recreated an adult world. Multiple locations within a landscape. Timeless.
Note
A fantasy-adventure for younger performers.
First performance
First performed by Kilkenny Youth Theatre’s junior group in 2012. A New Stage play for 2013.
Synopsis
Ireland. Sometime in the near future. The Messenger sits and waits. She spends most of her days sitting and waiting for messages to pass on. When she’s not sitting and waiting, she’s running and delivering.
The adults have disappeared. The Messenger can only find four different families of children left in the land. Each of these families has access to different, important things and are the only living things left. The Messenger is the child who they use to communicate with each other.
The Messenger decides that she needs to find a way to get everyone working together so they can survive the next winter. She hatches a plan to get them to all work together…but will her plan work before winter comes? And what will happen if she gets found out? Exploring themes of society and conflict this fantasy is especially suited to younger performers.
The adults have disappeared. The Messenger can only find four different families of children left in the land. Each of these families has access to different, important things and are the only living things left. The Messenger is the child who they use to communicate with each other.
The Messenger decides that she needs to find a way to get everyone working together so they can survive the next winter. She hatches a plan to get them to all work together…but will her plan work before winter comes? And what will happen if she gets found out? Exploring themes of society and conflict this fantasy is especially suited to younger performers.