New Beginnings – 4 Players
4 cast members · Comedy
New Beginnings – 4 Players
New Beginnings – 4 Players · Adapted by Simon Law
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New Beginnings
Published by scriptsandsketches.com
Isabel and Patricia, two well-bred girls, are shocked to learn they won't be attending their dream school, Ringmere, but instead will be going to St Clare's. Their reactions lead to a comedic exploration of their expectations versus reality.
Group
Characters: ISABEL, PATRICIA, MOTHER, DADDY
(Isabel and Patricia are well brought up girls having been to Redroofs boarding school since the age of 8. They are home for the summer holidays having lunch on a Saturday.)
PATRICIA:
(Running into the dining room) Come on Izzy, you’re so slow!
You couldn’t catch a cold!
You couldn’t catch a cold!
ISABEL:
Well, you can’t catch me, you’ve got two left feet!
PATRICIA:
Haha! Got you, you’re ‘IT’ slowcoach!
DADDY:
(In a stern voice) Will someone kindly explain to me the meaning of this unseamly hullabaloo!
MOTHER:
Oh do come and sit down please the pair of you, we’ve something important to discuss over lunch. Peas dear?
DADDY:
Yes please, thank you darling
PATRICIA/ISABEL:
Oh no! Not peas Daddy .. they make you ..
MOTHER:
Patricia!
ISABEL:
They give you wind father!
MOTHER:
Maybe you shouldn’t have the peas dear, after all your playing golf later today
DADDY:
What on earth has that got to do with it?
MOTHER:
Henry …
DADDY:
Oh, alright then no peas for me thanks .. God!
MOTHER:
Now then girls, we have something to talk to you both about.
DADDY:
It’s about your new boarding school .. now then, your mother and I have ...
PATRICIA:
Oh, it’s going to be such fun at Ringmere, we’ll be with all our friends from Redroofs and ...
ISABEL:
.. and we’ll play hockey and have our own bedroom and study, I can’t wait!
PATRICIA:
Neither can I. Oh, I do hope the food is as good, I’ve heard it’s scrumptious! Frances told me it’s a really exclusive school, you know, only girls with rich parents go there, we’ll fit in so well
DADDY:
‘Rich parents’ (to Mother) do you see what I mean darling, you see this is what I’m talking about, they are becoming a little snobbish, and they just don’t listen… (to the girls) girls for goodness sake, please listen to your mother
MOTHER:
Girls! We wanted to talk to you both about your new senior school, now then .. Daddy and I were discussing it and ...
ISABEL:
.. Yes, and Mary told me that we have to wear evening wear for dinner, how elegant!
MOTHER:
There will be no elegant clothes being worn for dinner at your new school. We’ve been trying to tell you both, your father and I have been talking about it and we’ve decided … that you’re not going to Ringmere
DADDY:
... you’re going to .. St Clare’s! ISABEL & PATRICIA: What? Daddy … Mother you’re not serious, please tell us you’re joking, St Clair’s, NO, please!
PATRICIA:
But St Clare's is just not right for us, all our friends are going to Ringmere, St Clare’s … it’s well, … it’s common!
MOTHER:
Common? Patricia that’s a dreadful thing to say
ISABEL:
Oh, Mother please let us go to Ringmere with Mary and Frances, at St Clare’s they’re all horrid, ugly and stupid!
DADDY:
They most certainly are not! Anyway, Ringmere is rather a snobbish school and I won’t have my two daughters coming home turning their noses up at everything and everyone! We think you’ve been rather .. well .. spoilt at Redroofs.
ISABEL:
… we are not ‘spoilt or snobs’ Daddy!
PATRICIA:
(Quietly to Isabel) What’s a ‘snob’ Izzy?
ISABEL:
Well it’s not us, that’s for sure, but it means we think we’re better than others, you know .. above them, and we’re not .. Mother we’re not!!
MOTHER:
You may not be now, but you are most certainly sounding a little spoilt!
PATRICIA:
But at St Clare’s they have dormitories of 12 girls .. all in the same room, I can’t imagine how horrid that would be!
DADDY:
Oh for goodness sake Patricia!
ISABEL:
.. and there are no maids! How would we survive without a maid?? And … they don’t even play Hockey at St Clare’s they play .. Lacrosse!! … Catching the ball in a net instead of hitting it!
MOTHER:
Your father says St Clare’s is a sensible school, and it will do you both good to be a little more, well, .. ‘down to earth’ for once
PATRICIA:
(to each other) A ‘sensible’ school? Hmmf!
ISABEL:
Daddy, please we don’t want to go to a ‘sensible’ school? And I shan’t!
PATRICIA:
And neither will I, (To Daddy) Daddy pleeease! We’d be so Unhappy!!
DADDY:
I’m sorry girls but my mind is made up, you’re going to St Clare’s
ISABEL:
(Gasps) Daddy! How can you be so cruel? Well, we shan’t try at all at St Clare’s and there’s an end to it! .. We’re revolting!
DADDY:
Yes, I know!
MOTHER:
Isabel, how dare you talk to your father like that, now say you’re sorry at once!
PATRICIA:
Daddy, Isabel didn’t mean that, she’s just upset.
MOTHER:
Isabel O’Sullivan … mmm? ….
ISABEL:
Sorry Daddy.
DADDY:
Girls please would you go to the kitchen and bring in some ketchup, thank you
ISABEL:
(On the way to the kitchen) I never thought Mummy and Daddy would be so hard, never. We should have some say in the matter, I feel like I want to run away!
PATRICIA:
Don’t be silly Izzy, you know we can’t, anyway it’s cowardly to run away, we shall have to go to St Clare’s, but how I shall hate it!
ISABEL:
We’ll both hate it. And what’s more I’m going to turn my nose up at everything there! I’m not going to let them think we’re babies of twelve, just come from a silly prep school, I’ll soon let them know that we were head girls, and tennis and hockey captains! (Coming back from the kitchen with the ketchup)
MOTHER:
Thank you girls. Now then, you’re just going to have to get used to it. At St Clare’s you won’t be ‘top dogs’ anymore, you’ve both got too used to being the best at everything
DADDY:
You are good at lots of things, but your mother and I think that you’d be less, well, .. conceited if you go to a different type of school.
PATRICIA:
But Daddy, how can you say we’re are conceited! We’re not a bit like that. We can’t help knowing that we’re good at almost everything, as well as being pretty .. and quite amusing!
ISABEL:
(To each other) Actually Patty, it does sound a bit conceited when you talk like that. We’d better not say too much when we get to St Clare’s
PATRICIA:
Excuse me! I’m going to say whatever I wish when we get there, and you’re going to back me up. People are going to know who we are and what we can do! Even the mistresses will sit up and take notice. (With as stern face) The O’Sullivan twins are SOMEBODIES! And don’t you forget it Isabel!
ISABEL:
(Nodding her head) I won’t forget it, I’ll back you up. (Grinning to herself)
MOTHER:
Girls, finish your lunch please, you’re going to St Clare’s and that’s that!
DADDY:
Pass the peas please dear, I won’t play my best game this afternoon anyway, not with all this nonsense on my mind!
MOTHER:
Here you are dear, enjoy! Now you two both promise you’ll behave when you get there.
PATRICIA:
Alright, we’ll go to St Clare’s, and … I promise I’ll be good!
DADDY:
Isabel?
ISABEL:
And so will I! May we be excused please?
MOTHER:
Yes of course.
PATRICIA:
Thank you. (Both girls exit fingers crossed behind their backs visible only to the audience)
(To each other) St Clare’s is in for a few surprises next term!
(To each other) St Clare’s is in for a few surprises next term!
ISABEL:
Hmmf!
MOTHER:
More chips dear?
DADDY:
Thank you darling.
