WILDCAT ON SAFARI Music and lyrics by Neil Brand, book by Alison Allen-Gray from an original story by Alison Allen-Gray and Neil Brand. SUMMARY Set in a Safari Park, Wildcat On Safari concerns the adventures of a loveable, scruffy Wildcat and his eccentric friends Fox and Beaver as they try to rescue the King Lion's son from the evil clutches of the panther Shadra. With a large helping of audience participation and memorable songs this musical promises an up-beat evening's entertainment for children of all ages. STORY: Lion’s Rock. Daybreak The lights begin to build on stage and at once the audience is introduced to the monkey, oh sorry, Marmoset, as he enters greeting the audience and making his way to the stage. Marmoset explains that he has been searching the entire park for a suitable place for Signor Majesty King Lion, of whom he is very proud to know and serve, to live and watch over all of the animals. Marmoset tells of the search for space in a place where creatures from the world over will be gathered to live together, despite all of their differences. As he cleans the place that he has selected, we hear a loud and majestic roar that heralds the entrance of the King Lion. He enters, with his son in tow, and asks Marmoset to show him the place from where he is to “survey his realm”. As King Lion looks over his new kingdom, he inquires to Marmoset as to what lies beyond the safari park. Marmoset explains that it is the big forest where “only little animals – squirrels, mowzes, voles – nobody important”, live. Satisfied, the three set out to settle into their new home. The Forest. Daybreak It is daybreak in the forest. We hear the sounds of the birds singing, and in the distance, the sounds of the trucks rumbling through the woods. Fox awakens and from his den, looking “the worse for wear” in spite of his waistcoat and trousers, which give him a “dapper, well groomed appearance”. As he begins to tell the story of his dreadful night of sleep, his newspaper falls from the sky and knocks him on top of the head. The article in the paper about the new safari park makes Fox very excited and, with the help of the children in the audience, he begins to name all of the animals in the pictures. Fox then heads towards the creek for his morning bath and discovers that the stream has dried up. In a panic he rushes to wake up Wildcat from his hammock. Unlike Fox, Wildcat is dressed in tattered clothes and is missing some of his whiskers and bits of his ear from living his carefree and mischievous lifestyle. Miss Beaver joins the two just as Wildcat is finished singing the praises of the wildcat life. Miss Beaver is from the Animal Welfare Office and is working in an effort to organise the new animal community to spread good will and peace. It does not take long for Fox and Wildcat to put the appearance of Miss Beaver and the shortage of water in their stream together and the two insist that she remove the dam that she built upstream. While Miss Beaver is explaining that she has to have her dam there because of the lack of space for all of the animals – she backs right into a lion cub, King Lion’s son. It seemed that the young cub had lost his way while exploring his new home. After a heated discussion about who should be responsible for getting him home, Wildcat decides to take charge and looks upon it as a great adventure.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODU3MzQ=