EXTRACT
Cast of Characters in Order of Appearance
The Ghost of Billy Bones, an old and menacing sea captain
Pirate Dick, a lad with gold earrings in his ears
Pirate Merry, a wily, experienced seaman
Pirate Morgan, an old grey haired, mahogany faced sailor
Long John Silver, a cunning, blood-thirsty pirate and cook upon the ship Hispaniola Jim Hawkins, an heroic young ship’s boy in his early teens
Setting: Skeleton Island, the West Indies, 1741.
Billy Bones’ Ghost: Ahoy me hearties! I’m the ghost of buccaneer sea captain Billy Bones. It was me that was lucky enough to get me hands on the map of Skeleton Island. But I died before I could make good use of it. I was staying at the Admiral Benbow Inn back in England at the time I died. There was a young lad called Jim Hawkins whose parents owned the inn and it was he that got hold of that map. He showed it to Dr. Livesey and Squire John Trelawney and it wasn’t long before they realized that map led to the fabled treasure of Captain Flint -- the blood thirstiest pirate ever to set sail. They quickly put together an expedition on the ship Hispaniola, but unfortunately they didn’t pick some of their crew too well. In addition to some good, honest sailors they also ended up hiring a band of pirates from Flint’s former crew. Once they had set sail, the pirates started a mutiny. Now both the faithful crew of the ship and the band of pirates led by a cunning cut-throat rogue called Long John Silver are on Skeleton Island searching for the treasure. There’s been fighting and much loss of blood and life already between the good crew and those evil pirates. But wait! What’s that I see? Why it’s young Jim Hawkins creeping up to the stockade on the island where he last left his faithful mates What he don’t realize is his crew is no longer there! Instead he is about to run into the very blood-thirsty pirates he is trying to escape from! Suddenly Long John Silver’s parrot -- named Captain Flint -- alerts the pirates as he squawks ‘Pieces of eight, pieces of eight!’
Pirate Dick: That’s Captain Flint!
Pirate Merry: The parrot must have heard something!
Pirate Morgan: What’s going on? What’s happening?
Long John Silver: Quiet or I’ll quiet the lot of ya with my cutlass. Who goes there in the dark?
Billy Bones’ Ghost: Poor Jim is quivering in his boots as he hides in the shadows. Long John Silver has already killed many a man. Jim tries to run but the pirates capture him....
