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THE DREAM DEALER By Marita Phillips & Harriet Petherick SYNOPSIS What starts as an ordinary school playground with ordinary teenage tensions, gangs and cliques, takes a sinister turn when two strangers arrive at the school. One is a new girl, with good in her; the other a charismatic street salesman with only bad. Finn is a dreamer and the school geek. Apart from his pet mouse, Hercules, his life is lonely. Then Delphi arrives and the two instantly become friends. However, their friendship takes a difficult turn and their integrity is then tested by the arrival of the other stranger at the school gates; the Dream Dealer. Although it might seem he's only selling ice creams, the schools coolest gang soon finds that this Pied Piper sells habits that can ruin your life. And what is that he has glowing in his Jar...? STORY ACT ONE Scene 1. A School Playground. A Bell rings for Break. Finn, with his pet mouse Hercules, is first into the Playground. A group of young teenagers dominate the scene. The 6 “leaders”, Spikey, Scorcher, Spark, Trixie, Tiffy, and Tess, followed by a group of admirers, sing, “Get You Seen”. Mr. Turpentine, the art teacher, brings in the new girl, Delphi. He wears a white lab coat, and has a ponytail showing beneath his straw hat. He asks Tiffy to introduce Delphi to all the children. Tiffy stares at the newcomer and then points out the other 5 “leaders” - explaining they are the only ones worth knowing. Delphi ignores this and introduces herself to Finn and Hercules. Tiffy quickly warns her that she will never be popular if she hangs out with Finn. The “leaders” surround Finn, threateningly, and sing, “Sad Boy”. Delphi deliberately returns to Finn. Delphi has been living in Australia. She confides to Finn that her mother isn’t happy because a long time ago she left some treasure behind in England - they are on a mission to find it. Finn is trying to save £60 for a dog. His father is not well off. He has no mother – and admits to Delphi that he doesn’t know if she is dead or alive because his father refuses to talk about her. Mr. Turpentine, dropping paints and pencils, chooses Finn to be the model for the life-class. The children challenge him to paint a picture. Mr Turpentine says he was a child prodigy, but clearly he can’t paint now. He sings the Artists’ Song: The children draw Finn, but Mr. Turpentine mercilessly criticises their work. The children are disheartened and take it out on Finn. They cover him with paint. Meanwhile Scorcher has done a good drawing of Finn. He is flattered when Delphi asks if she can have it. This irritates Trixie, who is already jealous of the new girl. Scorcher asks Delphi to go with him to lunch. She asks Finn to join them. He agrees but needs to wash the paint off first. Over the playground wall the heads of the Dream Dealer and Flake appear. They watch as Finn sings, “Anyone But Me”. Flake makes a thumbs up but the Dream Dealer shakes his head. Scene 2. The Playground. Scorcher and Delphi are sitting on the wall, eating sandwiches. Delphi agrees to be Scorcher’s girlfriend but insists that Finn is her best friend. Trixie runs in with Mr. Turpentine’s hat with his wig attached to it. She hangs it from a post. Mr. Turpentine enters, ectremely agitated. He tries to find out who has taken his hat, singing: ONE OF YOU IS LYING: Trixie implies that Delphi is guilty and Mr. Turpentine takes Delphi off to write 1000 lines as a punishment.

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