It is 1206 and the King of Scotland is planning to throw a grand party. Fraser Kennedy is ordered to travel through Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England to find the finest entertainers in the land to perform at the event. On his journey, Fraser meets a host of interesting characters who share fascinating stories and songs. Based on British folk tales that have entertained children and adults for centuries, Kennedy’s Quest is an exciting, moving and hilarious musical production that will delight audiences of all ages.
Both options include everything you need to stage the production: • Script in PDF and editable Word Document formats, including detailed production notes. • Lyrics on a PowerPoint. •Professional quality vocals tracks for teaching songs. •Professional quality performance tracks, including instrumental and incidental music . (High resolution 320kbps MP3s) • Performance license. (Allows unlimited performances for one year from the date of purchase) • License for permission to film the production and sell DVDs. Note: This does not apply to non-school organisations; please contact us to discuss this. • Digital reproduction licence. This allows you to download the purchased files onto your school network. • Photocopying licence (for use in the purchasing institution only).
Plot synopsis
Note: Fraser can be renamed Isla if you would like a female narrator. Many other characters’ genders can be swapped also. See casting tab for details. All stories are acted out on stage as they are told.
Songs are in bold italics. Part One – Scotland At the village inn, a local storyteller called Fraser Kennedy tells the tale of The Selkie Wife; a seal who turns into a lady (The Selkie’s Lament). The King of Scotland enters and orders Fraser to gather the finest entertainers in the British Isles for a grand show he intends to organise for some distinguished foreign guests. Fraser then travels to Ireland on Captain McCowan’s ship (The Black Loorgin).
Part Two - Ireland Fraser meets a harpist called Conall, whose instrument holds an interesting secret. Conall tells the Irish myth ‘Dadga’s Harp’, which begins with the theft of a magical harp belonging to an ancient tribe. Continuing on his journey, Fraser overhears a mother singing a beautiful Gaelic lullaby (Close Your Eyes), and invites her to perform at the show. Fraser then travels to the Isle of Man on Captain McCowans ship.
Part Three – Isle of Man Fraser learns about the mythical origins of the island from Captain McCowan’s friendly cousin Brenta. Her tale involves a showdown between two rival giants. Back on Captain McCowan’s ship, Fraser joins the crew for a spot of herring fishing whilst travelling to Wales (The King of the Sea).
Part Four – Wales Kennedy reaches Wales where he hears a top-notch Welsh choir (Lisa Lân), which he promptly books for the King’s show. Following this he meets a market trader, who tells a cautionary tale about a school boy’s encounter with fairies (The Fairies Behind The Wall). Fraser then travels overland to England.
Part Five – England In Gotham, Nottinghamshire, Fraser witnesses extraordinary events as Madcap Martin devises a cunning plan to prevent the King of England’s men from building a hunting lodge in the village. The plan works a treat, and the townsfolk sing in praise of their ‘wise fool’ (Martin Said to his Man). Fraser then visits the village of Mumby where he watches the ‘Twisted Tales Theatre Company’ perform their play 'The Boggart and the Crafty Farmer' (The Boggart Song). However, ‘Twisted Tales’ are not quite what they seem; something Fraser doesn’t realise, but your audience will! His task completed, Frasers travels back to Scotland. Part Six – Scotland It is party night at Stirling Castle and all of the entertainers have gathered for the show. A musical finale is performed (Finale & Auld Lang Syne).
Kennedy's Quest Songs Note: Purchased downloads include performance tracks (no vocals), as well as the vocal versions heard below.
• Professional quality performance tracks. • Extremely simple licensing process. • Flexible cast size. • Easy to adapt for varying class demographics. • Simple to stage and costume. • Detailed production notes and stage directions. • Kennedy’s Quest links in very well with the primary curriculum. In particular there is great scope for exploring the stories in more depth as part of English lessons.
The production could help UK schools contribute to their SMSC provision, in particular to: • enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence; • further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures. (DFE-00679-2014)
