Dick Whittington and Wondercat

Dick Whittington and Wondercat

Dick Whittington and Wondercat

Dick Whittington and Wondercat

Overview

In David Wood’s version of the story, a ‘play-within-a-play’ technique is used. The townsfolk of London gather to greet Sir Richard Whittington on his installation as Lord Mayor.  A voice of dissent in the crowd belongs to a young boy who resents the acclaim given to ‘a wealthy nob like him’, who is unlikely to help ordinary folk. The crowd explains to the boy that this Lord Mayor is different and has helped many ordinary people; they then tell the story of Dick Whittington, and the boy plays the young Dick. He wins the friendship of young Alice, and becomes involved with the Fitzwarren family and store, a brace of swash-buckling pirates, the lovable Wondercat, and a traditional ‘dame’ character – Bertha the Cook. Dick’s story takes him from the depths of despair and disgrace to his triumph, with Wondercat, defeating the rats infesting the home of the Queen of the Barbary Coast, who turns out to have been educated in England!

Want to perform this show?

Details

  • Genre: Theatre for Young Audiences, Christmas/Holiday
  • Cast Attributes: Expandable casting, Flexible cast size
  • Target Audience: Appropriate for all audiences

Authors

David Wood

David Wood has been called “the national children’s dramatist” (London Times). His plays are performed worldwide, and include The Gingerbread Man, The Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner, Save the Human, Aladdin, Hijack Over Hygenia, Jack the Lad, Larry the Lamb in Toytown, Old ...

View full profile

Community

Community Experiences