Assipattle & The Stoorworm one act play script

ONE ACT PLAYS

ASSIPATTLE & THE STOORWORM
by Ron Nicol

PLOT SUMMARY
Assipattle, a simple farmer’s son, dreams of becoming a hero, but is bullied by his older brother Fingal. When his sister Freya becomes maid to Princess Gemdelovely, Assipattle falls in love with the Princess. The kingdom is threatened by a ferocious sea-monster, and Queen Beatris and Murdo the sorcerer plot to have the Princess sacrificed to the creature. Assipattle determines to rescue her. Based on a Scottish folk tale. Though written with youth groups in mind, the play could also be performed by mixed groups of young people and adults.
Author’s note: Assipattle is an Orcadian folk hero, and the Stoorworm is a Scandinavian sea-serpent, or dragon. The story goes that when the giant Stoorworm died, its tongue fell out, making a trench which was filled by the sea to become the Skagerrak, the kyle which separates Denmark from Norway and Sweden. The Stoorworm’s teeth fell into the sea and formed the islands we now call Orkney and the Shetlands. Its dead body became what we now know as Iceland, and the fire Assipattle started in its stomach is the reason for the volcanic activity on the island.

ISBN 1 904930 46 8

ASSIPATTLE
FINGAL, his older brother
FREYA, his sister
MOTHER
FATHER
KING MAGNUS PRINCESS GEMDELOVELY
QUEEN BEITRIS, her stepmother
THE BAILIE
THE MINISTER
MURDO THE SORCERER

PLACE - the northern isles
TIME - Scotland in the epic past
DURATION - approx. 45 minutes

Script Sample

As the lights are restored, the Minister, a very small man, and the Bailie, very large, enter excitedly. They’re followed by a crowd of citizens

Minister King Magnus! Your Grace!
Bailie Your Grace! King Magnus!

King Magnus enters. He’s seventy years old, though his wits are still sharp. His clothes are too big for his stooped body and his cloak often slides off his shoulder. Sometimes he has difficulty pulling his arm out of its folds. Because he gets tired and breathless with any activity, he sometimes adds the final word to his sentences after everybody thinks he’s finished. He’s attended by courtiers

Magnus What’s all this. About?
Bailie We’re doomed!
Minister Doomed! Aye!
Magnus Well now, if we’re all doomed, let’s hearken for why. Tell me - slowly and clearly - just what’s happened.
Bailie Two fishermen - out in their boat - saw the biggest - mightiest - most monstrous - muckle great sea serpent!
Minister The Mester Stoorworm himself!
Bailie The great muckle beast turned its great muckle head toward them - and opened its great muckle mouth - and yawned a great muckle yawn!
Minister Like it was hungry!

The Minister demonstrates

Bailie And it showed its great muckle teeth - great muckle pointed teeth - in great muckle rows, and great muckle flames came out its mouth - great muckle clouds of reek - and it roared a great muckle roar!
Minister (enthusiastically) Roooarrr!

Taken unawares, the listeners leap back

Bailie Just like that! They surely thought their time had come.
Minister We’re doomed!
Bailie Aye! Doomed!
Magnus What is this - this Mester Stoorworm?
Bailie It’s a great muckle beast.
Minister The greatest of sea serpents, your Grace - it’s enormous - monstrous.
Bailie Promiscuous. It stretches from the river mouth to the point of the ness.
Minister It could reach the fourth part around the world. In the Good Book it’s the creature called Leviathan! “And he shall send a great beast to walk amongst us, and none shall withstand its coming, saith the prophet.” We’re doomed!
Bailie Doomed! Aye!
Magnus And why should such a beast be a threat to our kingdom?
Minister It’ll swim about our shores demanding to be fed...
Bailie If it should come ashore and lift its head and breathe upon the land...
Minister It’ll destroy every man - every beast of the field - every living thing...
Bailie It’ll discriminate all it sees! We’re doomed!
Minister Aye! Doomed! “And the wise men saith - how shall we withstand the rising of the beast? For it shall cause ruin and contagion, and all shall be destroyed - even till the very last stone shall all be brought down about you!”
Magnus Peace! We must discuss what’s to be done. Come to the Council. Chamber.

He exits with his courtiers

from Assipattle & The Stoorworm

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