Jason and the Golden Fleece was the first one I wrote, and perhaps seems a little dated in its style, compared with the later plays. Anyway, here is the list of characters and a little taste of the action.
LIST OF CHARACTERS
Jason – captain of the ship ‘Argo’ – the hero
Kylie (yes, really) – the daughter of Herpes – the heroine
Hercules – galley-master (a big strong lad)
Ambrosia – the ship’s cook – the dame
Lo Fat – a Chinese cabin-boy
Maximus – the narrator, speaks in rhyme
Minimus – apprentice narrator, Yorkshire accent
Zeus – king of the Gods – bearded man
Hera – his wife, Jason’s protector
Cystitis – a soothsayer
Devius – Jason’s uncle, a villain
Argos – the shipbuilder, Jewish
Ludicrus – a comic carpenter, dim
Cretinus – another, dimmer carpenter
Nautilus – the helmsman, West country accent
Timorus – the navigator, small, shy, and seasick
Aphrodite – the Goddess of Love, elegant
Eros – her son, cheeky
Afrormosia – the cook’s niece, dim but nice
Normus – a guard, tall
Mag – a mussel-digger, broad Cumberland accent
Aspatria – her son, similar accent
Billius – a blind man
Herpes – King of Typhus, another villain
Formica – Queen of the Amazons – tall imposing woman
Persil – a captive, Formica’s twin sister (played by the same person)
The Dragon – guardian of the fleece, a child’s part
Tall Indian
Short Indian
2 Harpies
3 Mermaids
NOTES
The Narrators appear at the start in the prologue, and frequently between – and sometimes during – scenes. They speak mainly in verse – and can read some of their lines, if necessary, from a scroll or similar looking paper. (Maximus has two voices, a ‘posh’ voice for his lines, and a whining normal ‘Kenneth-Williams’ style for when he is frequently interrupted). They always appear at the left of the stage, outside the curtains, either on the front of the stage itself or on a small extension.
The Gods appear in a similar manner to the narrators, but on the right side of the stage. They need a ‘magic mirror’ to look into – ideally horizontal to simulate a pool of water. They too could read lines from here. At times, Hera needs to speak unseen to Jason, so may need a microphone.
The Set: The main action takes place either on various beaches, with hills in the distance, or on board a ship, where the whole hall becomes the body of the ship, (the audience being part of the crew) and a figurehead is on the front of the stage; some scenes in other places; one in the ship’s galley, one in a street in Athens, and one in a room in a palace. As there are times when the cast have to exit through the hall, a central step off-stage, down into the audience would be useful.
The main props needed are:- ‘Oars’ for the audience to be galley-slaves (we used ten-foot cardboard tubes, long enough for use by 5 or 6 people seated either side of the central aisle of the hall) – a wooden figurehead with ship’s wheel, (on a wheeled trolley, so it can be moved quickly?) – a wooden shield, with a large eye painted on, which can be easily attached to the figurehead.- a ‘magic mirror’ for the Gods, horizontal; signs for ‘Magic Mirror’, and ‘Olympus.com’ – a ‘cloud’, with a hole in, for the Gods to carry, and talk through – scrolls, for the Narrators to read from, with their lines written on – a gong, for Hercules – several large MDF cut-outs for natives – see the text – a ‘Workmate’ style folding DIY bench, a small saw, 2 brooms, some pieces of wood and a very small tool bag for carpenters – some ‘Argos’ carrier bags with some contents to look like food in packets, and water bottles – swords and a dagger, for Jason, Hercules, and some swords for guards and Amazons – a table, to use in galley scene, with a cooking pot or two – a bucket with peeler and a few potatoes for galley scene. – another bucket, and small shovel, for mussel-diggers (and for Timorus) – some ‘Bones’ for the soothsayer to throw, and a plastic/rubber ‘pigeon’ for messages – a few rolls of paper to represent charts and plans, for Timorus – a small gold-painted bow and arrow, for Eros – a white stick and sunglasses and a cloth bundle, containing food items for Billius the blind man. Plus a window with bars for prison cell, and two nets, each about 8ft square, for Normus.
Costumes: Mostly ‘Greek’-looking tunics; many different hats for the natives, see text. Amazons (all female) need to look similar, and military. Wellies & macs for the mussel-diggers. Carpenters can – and should – look silly; Cretinus’ trousers should be halfway up his legs; maybe a silly hat. Gods and Narrators also Greek style; Gods with laurel wreaths, maybe, and a blonde curly wig for Eros. Harpies have wings and beaks; mermaids are beautiful! Seaside-bathers should have Victorian-style bathing suits, and boaters. And finally the self-explanatory dragon, and cat.
A short script sample . . .
Act 1
Prologue
[Lights on to Narrators]
Maximus: [posh voice:] Now let me introduce our little show,
Of Jason’s quest to find the Golden Fleece.
The action, as I’m sure that you all know
Takes place in long-ago and far-off Greece.
My name is Maximus – I’m your Narrator;
My task – to smoothly link from scene to scene.
Explaining (as you will discover later)
Our tale of Gods and men; of King and Queen.
Minimus: [Yorkshire accent, ‘limerick’ style]
And I’m Minimus – an apprentice,
I’m learning narration in verse.
I’m getting it right,
most every night –
But he says I couldn’t be worse!
Maximus: That’s enough, young Minimus. Our patrons here tonight don’t want to hear from you, interrupting with your simple verses – do you know why these good people have come, what they are here for?
Minimus: They’re here for about two hours, I expect!
Maximus: No, no, I mean do you know about our story? We narrators are important. Our job is to explain as the story unfolds, to be enlightening.
Minimus: [points] I thought Steve did the lighting!
Maximus: [normal voice] I said enlightening, not the lighting! Now look, it’s time for scene one, and we’ve run out of time . . . [posh, to audience] . . . good patrons, I give you scene one, a beach in far-off Greece.
Minimus: [clutches his sleeve] ‘Ere, my Mum went to Greece on ‘er ‘ollies last year . . .
Maximus: Be quiet! [Both exit/their lights go off – curtains open]
Scene 1 – A beach in Arcadia
[Bathers all onstage: song and dance: ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside’. After song, exit bathers, enter Devius, Cystitis and a guard]
Devius: So what have you to tell me today, old woman? What is going to befall me this week? It seems to me, every time I ask you something, there’s more bad news!
Cystitis: Oh no, master, I just tell you what I see, for I can see events in the future, just like my father could before me.
Devius: Oh, yes I remember your father. Arthritis, he was the finest soothsayer in all Arcadia.
Cystitis: Oh, yes, sire. No-one could say a sooth like what he could. All his daughters are so gifted – why, my sisters Alopecia and Anorexia, they too have the gift.
Devius: Never mind them, you old crone – throw your bones, or read the tea-leaves or whatever it is you do – and tell me what today has in store for me.
Cystitis: Yes, master, let us see what the bones say today. . . . [throws bones on floor, gasps in horror] O-o-h-h, woe, woe, master, they say that you must beware a man with only one sandal, for he will spell thy doom!!
Devius: A man with one sandal? Can’t you do better than that? What nonsense! I’ve never heard such a load of rubbish!
[enter Jason, looking the other way, wearing only one sandal]
Cystitis: [screams] Aagh! Oh, behold my lord, the bones speak the truth! Look! A one-sandaled man – oh, woe, woe . . .
Devius: Quiet, crone! And do stop woe-ing. Guard! Seize that man, and bring him here!
[Guard holds Jason’s arm, brings him to Devius; Cystitis continues wailing]
Devius: Now, fellow, who are you and why do wear only one sandal?
Jason: I am Jason, the son of Righteus, and I have returned to claim my throne, for I am the rightful king of this land. As for my sandal, I lost my other one just now as I was crossing a river, for I was carrying an old lady who asked for my help.
Devius: [to Cystitis] See, oracle, a simple explanation. [to Jason] Well, boy, do you know who I am? No? Well, I shall tell you. I am Devius, and I am the king of this land which you claim; and unless I’m very much mistaken, I am also your uncle, for Righteus was my brother, and he was the king before his – what shall we say – er – his “tragic death”, soon after you were born.
Jason: [surprised] You are Devius? Why, you were the cause of my father’s death! I have come to demand the throne from you!
Devius: [angrily] Have you, indeed! [pause, proceeds in nicer voice] Well, as you can see, I am grown old now – so perhaps it is time for me to hand the throne on to someone younger. But you see, there’s a problem with that.
Jason: What problem?
Devius: Well, a long time ago, the Gods placed a curse upon this land. An evil King named Herpes, in the far-off land of Typhus, holds the key to this curse, in the form of a great fleece of gold, taken from a magic ram. This fleece hangs on a tree in his kingdom, and it is guarded by a fierce dragon. Until the curse is lifted by the return of the fleece, I must remain King of Arcadia. [Slyly, not looking at Jason] But I am old and tired now, and sadly there is no-one in my kingdom who is brave enough to bring me the fleece . . .
Jason: I shall! I shall go . . . but if I do recover the Golden Fleece, then will you surrender the throne to me?
Devius: I will, I promise, you have my royal word on that! [Leers at the audience] Just fetch me the Golden Fleece and the kingdom shall be yours.
Jason: [to himself] I shall build a great ship, and assemble the greatest crew. We will sail to Typhus and retrieve the fleece, and then my kingdom shall be mine!
Devius: Oh, just one more thing . . . there is at present in my castle, a woman. She’s the daughter of the King of Typhus, her name is Kylie. She has been – shall we say – [pause] – my “guest” for these last few years. But I have grown tired of her, for she is nothing but trouble. You must take her with you when you sail, and return her to her father. Now, I know some people say it is unlucky to carry a woman on a voyage, but . . .
Jason: I am not afraid of any silly superstitions, I shall take her. Now, I must go and begin my preparations for the journey. [bows] Farewell, my lord. When next we meet, I shall have the fleece, and I shall hold you to your word. [exit Jason]
Devius: [mimics Jason] ‘When next we meet my lord’ – I think not, my boy, for the journey to Typhus will be fraught with danger – oh, and I forgot to mention that Kylie is a witch who hates all men, and will cause you endless trouble! Ha-ha-ha! Come Cystitis, it seems your prophecy will spell doom all right – but for Jason, not for me! [Laughs evilly, all exit, curtains close]
The Desolate Tree 