HOUSE of BOOKS - PLAYS

Terry was a professional actor long before he became a writer so his first love is still the theatre. He has written many plays but the following are the published ones.

For details of his Horrible Histories plays on tour go to Birmingham Stage webiste and click on "Current and Forthcoming programme" (top left) and see where the company is on tour.

 

 

Published Play titles

THE MAD MILLENNIUM
Scholastic (Out of print)
Play-script story of 1000 years of horrible British history
TEACHING THROUGH THEATRE
Samuel French
A collection of six Educational Theatre Projects

 

Stage play performances

(Playwright Terry Deary)

"Mad Millennium"

Sherman Theatre Cardiff 1999

Crackers Christmas

(Sherman Theatre Cardiff 2000)

(Forum 42 Barrow 2002)

Horrible Histories - Terrible Tudors

Birmingham Stage Company Tours 2006 & 2008

Horrible Histories - Vile Victorians

Birmingham Stage Company Tours 2006 & 2008

Horrible Histories - Woeful Second World War

Birmingham Stage Company Tours 2009

Horrible Histories - Frightful First World War

Birmingham Stage Company Tours 2009

 


SHOW OFF ..

Of course Terry Deary began his career, as an actor who wrote plays - a bit like Shakespeare started only Terry can't write one-millionth as good!

Still he likes to turn his hand back to writing plays whenever he gets the chance.

The Horrible Histories play, "Mad Millennium" was published in 1999 and is proving popular with youth, school and amateur Drama groups.

WHAT THEY SAY

When Thaxted children performed the play the local newspaper reported ...

"A talented cast aged 6 to 13 years old, act, sing and dance through this spirited romp and will delight any audience brave enough to join them"

The Youth section of Hereford Dramatic and Opera Society also performed it in the summer of 2000. They got a slightly snottier review ...

"They presented an amusing evening's entertainment, and their enthusiasm made up somewhat for a lack of clarity in the diction, with some of the lines being gabbled." (Ooooh! Get Mr Perfect, eh?)

But at least they all got their names mentioned in the "Cheshunt and Waltham Mercury" newspaper, so they have made it big-time. So could YOU if you present the play with a drama group.

I SAY, I SAY, I SAY ... DID YOU KNOW

Terry Deary's first book was "Teaching Through Theatre". He collected some of the school drama plays he wrote in his acting days and sent them off to publishers. They were published in 1977 and you can still buy copies from Samuel French Ltd.

SMASHING SAMPLE FROM A TERRY DEARY PLAY

From "Mad Millennium"

"Mad Millennium" is a story of a History lesson that is seriously weird and menacing. In the lesson, the six pupils act out scenes from the past 1000 years of history (that's why it's called "Mad millennium" in case you hadn't guessed!) One of the plays they act out is a true story from the First World War...

Cast:

James Abbott - Pompous and swatty with a snootiness for his fellow pupils and a desire to be treated as an equal of the teacher
Henry Bull - Abrasive and confident on the surface but with an unpleasant slyness and the ability to be being two-faced
Will Chester - The class clown, always trying to turn situations into a joke; needs attention.
Edward Doe - Painfully shy and lacking in confidence, mainly because of his struggle with reading.
Elizabeth Regent - Angry and passionate about justice and equality though sometimes tactless to those in need of her support
Mary Street - Pushy and energetic. Naturally curious and bright but scared to be seen as a teacher's pet
Catherine Train - A born 'follower', hanging on the coat tails of Mary or whoever holds the upper hand

First World War Scene:

Elizabeth: We have to know something about the First World War.
James: It was fought from 1914 till 1918. The British Empire and the French and the Americans were fighting against the Germans. And ...
Henry: Good! I like history when it's about fighting.
Edward: It wasn't all about fighting.
Henry: What do you know?
Edward: My great grandfather told me a story before he died.
Henry: About war and violence and hatred?
Edward: In a way.
Mary: So tell us, Edward.

(Lights change. The stage blocks become parapets and the students soldiers. Henry and Catherine on the German side. Edward narrates and takes part in the action while the others mime some of the action)

Edward: They called me Eddie. I'd been in the army just a few months when the war started. December 1914 was the first Christmas I'd ever spent away from home. I was a bit miserable, but the lads were good. Especially my mate Jimmy. I said to him, Jim!
James: (As Jimmy) Aye?
Edward: It's quiet, isn't it?
James: It's Christmas. It's like an unofficial truce. We won't bother Jerry and he won't bother us. So you just enjoy your Christmas.
Edward: I've got me chocolate and me tobacco and me Christmas card from the King and Queen! It's in His Majesty's own handwriting too. It says, 'May God protect you and bring you home safe' (Narrative) And I was just going to say how quiet it was when I heard this sound! (Brass band plays 'Silent Night') The Germans were playing Christmas carols!
Henry: (Sings) "Stille nacht, Heilige Nacht ..."
Edward: (Jumps up) Happy Christmas, Fritz!
James: (Drags him down) Get your head down, Eddie, or get it blown off!
Henry: Happy Christmas, Tommy!
Edward: See! They're friendly!
Henry: Come here, Tommy. Shake hands. You don't shoot. We don't shoot.

Edward: (Narrative) Jimmy tried to stop me but a lot of the lads left the trenches and met the Germans in No-man's land. Someone produced a football. I were good at football. Then someone suggested a game and I got picked as right-winger. (They have a slow-motion game of football with no ball while Edward narrates and sometimes takes part) For an hour there were no war - but there were plenty of conflict! Every time I ran forward I were tripped by this big German. (Enacts a series of trips, hacks and body checks that leave him limping while crowd react) There were just five minutes to go and we were one-nil down. I got the ball and ran to their goal. I saw the big German charging towards me! He skidded over the frozen mud in a slide that would have broken my ankle. I jumped over his legs and ran on. The goalkeeper dived too soon. I waited and slid the ball between the goalposts!

James: Well done, Eddie lad!
Edward: (Narrative) Then the whistle went for full time and I were mobbed by my team. When I turned round the German were standing there.
Henry: Shake hand, Englishman. Good played.
Edward: (Shy) Good played, Fritz.
Henry: Not Fritz. Heinrich.
Edward: My name Edward. Good played Heinrich.
Henry: Good played Edward. Good shoot.
Edward: Thanks.
Henry: Today shoot football. Tomorrow shoot guns.
Edward: Aye. (Henry turns away to return to his trench) Heinrich! (Henry stops and turns) Good luck. May God protect you and bring you home safe. (Henry puts out a hand. They shake and hold it for a while. The lights change back to the classroom)

 
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