THE HUNT FOR AIKEN DRUM

by Jonathan Whiteside

A lively play for youth groups (8 to 12 year-olds) involving a group of children, a man called Auld Jock, some Brownies, and a local monster. A mixed cast of five boys and six girls (other permutations are possible, but one older boy is required)

Plot Summary
A bunch of kids meet Auld Jock who spins them a fantastic tale about Aiken Drum. This local monster, the ‘Brownie of Bladnoch’, hasn’t been seen for a hundred years, but Jock gives them directions on where to see it. One of the kids, Connor, is convinced he’s already seen it ...

Approx. 40 minutes
ISBN 1 904930 71 9

CAST FIVE BOYS SIX GIRLS
Hamish (Nick) Valerie (Val) Katie Connor	Floyd Auld Jock Girls 1, 2 & 3 Aiken Drum

Sample Script - Monsters!

The curtain opens on a blackout with wind howling ominously

Then Val is heard shouting “Stop it!” to which the SFX abruptly stop and the lights blink on

They reveal a park with two benches dragged together CSR, a third CSL and a turned over bin UPSC

Nick, Val and Katie sit at the benches, Nick holding a hand held tape player, Katie with her lunch box and a jacket her mother has forced her to take in case it snows in July. SL sitting on a third bench is Floyd, who is eating some sandwiches and reading a book on English history

Nick (answering Val) Why?
Val Because I hate that stupid sound effect stuff.
Nick Well I like it.

He presses a button on the tape player and the wind howls again, then he presses another button and a cow moos

Katie What is it?
Nick It’s a magical box that has all of these things trapped inside it, like wind, (we hear the wind) toilets, (we hear the toilet flushing and dogs (we hear a dog barking). And you’re lucky I’ve caught them in this machine as some of the monsters in here are so horrible that even I was scared to catch them.
Katie What kind of monsters?
Nick Lots of them, ones that roar (we hear a lion roaring), ones that laugh (we hear a cackle) and ones that lie (we hear a snippet of the Prime Minister talking).
KatieStop it Nick! I don’t like them. (She hides under her jacket)
Val Don’t be stupid, Katie, he’s having you on.
Nick No I’m not! I would never lie about a thing as serious as monsters! Right, Katie?
KatieYeah, if Nick says he can catch things with his magic box then he can!
Val No he can’t, he’s lyin’ through his teeth.
Nick I am not!
Val Well then prove it. Catch me in your magic box.
Nick (looking confused) Well, I can’t because...umm -
KatieYou are lying! (She hits him with her lunchbox) You shouldn’t lie, it’s bad! My mummy says if you lie you go to the bad place with Satan who will bite off your ears and play hopscotch with your eyes and then you get eaten by lots and lots of giraffes, so you will! And -
Nick Aye and that’s why your mummy’s in the Nut House.
Val (smacking him on the back of the head) Leave her mum out of this, besides she’s back home now, right, Katie?
KatieRight she’s goin’ to the antiseptics anominous classes now too, so she won’t have anymore serieses.
Nick Have any more whats?
Val She means an episode, not a series.

As Katie says this next speech Connor creeps or crawls on SL behind the benches holding some horrible looking sweets. Floyd tries to stop himself from laughing whilst all of this is happening as he can see Connor but the others can’t

Katie I knew it had something to do with the telly. Anyway I know there isn’t any monsters no more, I saw the Ghostbusters and in it they catched them all!
Nick That’s just a film though, it’s not real, just most monsters only come out when we’re asleep. You don’t get any durin’ the day.

As he says this Connor jumps up behind them screaming “Booga Booga!” and both Val and Nick jump in the air but only Nick squeals like a girl. Katie remains seated and unfazed. Floyd laughs uncontrollably

Katie Hello Connor, what you doing down there?
Connor I’m Batman! Raaar! I can fly!

He runs around the stage twice then falls over.

from The Hunt for Aiken Drum, Scene 1

Script details

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